Pauly & Reesa

THE RIVER FLOODED

2011-04-20T00:24:00.000-05:00

The Ohio River flooded so I shot a couple videos to show it off. After 4 years it is still crazy to me that I live next door to this big river that floods just about every spring, sometimes numerous times. Don't worry, it doesn't flood and put us in danger (at least it hasn't yet.)

ICE CREAM IN A BAGGIE

2011-04-10T20:09:00.001-05:00

Here's the recipe for the ice cream I made today. It is seriously so easy and pretty yummy!

1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk or half & half *
1/4 teaspoon vanilla **
6 tablespoons rock salt ***
1 pint-size plastic food storage bag
1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
Ice cubes

Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag.
Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it. Shake quickly to mix.
Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.****
Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes.*****
Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully.
Fold the top down so you don't get any salt residue in the ice cream.
Pick up a spoon, insert in ice cream, raise to your ---- what's that? You don't need me to explain how to eat ice cream??? My mom always told me to read and follow all the instructions, so good luck getting it in your mouth without the instructions.

*I made mine with milk and I think it would be better with half & half because it would taste creamier.
**I think mint would be good too!
*** I didn't have any rock salt so I just used table salt. I also didn't measure it. I just dumped some on the ice and called it good.
****I sealed and then taped the bag to make sure salt didn't get in it.
*****You don't have to go crazy with the shaking, just quick, short bounces work. It does make your arms sore to do it for 5 minutes. Ask a friend to do it for you. Better yet, if you have a kid around make them do it.
******I just typed this because I like asterisks.

This recipe only makes 1/2 cup. That is not enough for me, yo! I would recommend at least doubling or tripling the recipe. The idea is that each person makes their own bag of ice cream. I suppose you could make a big batch in big bags but that would be a very heavy mixture to shake. Besides, I don't want to make ice cream for anyone else! Go make your own!

xoxo

Wakeboarding, grilling, and ice cream

2011-04-10T16:15:00.001-05:00

So I was sitting next to Pauly on the couch. He was playing on the computer, looking at his geek sites (sports memorabilia collecting.) I was playing wii wakeboarding or rather trying to figure out how to play wii wakeboarding. I was finally doing well and pretty excited about it! I was able to unlock the next level. I asked Pauly, "How do they make it harder? Are the waves bigger or what?" He didn't know so I thought I would try it out.

I was wakeboarding along and noticed a rock in the water. I told Pauly that it appeared that not only did I have to wakeboard but I also had to avoid hitting objects in the water. The next thing he knew I let out a loud scream. Pauly asked me what's wrong and I told him that I hit a rock and died. His reply-

"You do know that when you die playing the wii it's not real. You're still alive. The remotes even still in your hand."

Wii wakeboarding might not kill me but I just might die laughing because of Pauly and his hilarious sense of humor!

In other news, Pauly taught me how to grill on our charcoal grill and I made hamburgers and hot dogs. They were pretty awesome! I also made ice cream in a bagggie. Pauly thought I was crazy when I told him I was going to do it but he was singing another tune while eating that ice cream! Delicious! I am loving that warmer weather is on it's way!

How cool is it that I'm blogging this from my iPhone? Xoxo

2011-04-09T03:37:00.000-05:00

Reesa: (looking lovingly at Pauly)
"I just love that you can make me laugh so hard that I cry. That's one of my favorite things about you!"

Pauly: (looking blankly at Reesa)
"Let's go buy an assault rifle."

True story peeps!

Breaking Free

2011-04-09T03:31:00.002-05:00

I have changed the address to my weight loss blog.
Breaking Free

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

2009-07-28T01:35:00.010-05:00

FIRST:

I weighed in Saturday
and I was 137.8!
Sweet! Down 2.2 lbs. Love it!

SECOND:
Pauly and I held our 2nd Annual
Christmas in July Party.
I'm sure I ate enough to gain all the weight back.
Hmm. Progress might be hindered. I'm okay with that.

Here's the invitations I sent out.

The whole gang

We talked, we laughed,
we watched Elf, we exchanged ornaments,
and we ate way too much splendid food.
It was FABULOUS!

And don't forget the red and green reindeer antlers.

I know you can't help but be jealous.
Really, I understand.

Just remember, "Thou shalt not covet."
I'm pretty sure that commandment
was referring to reindeer antlers.

MOMENTS

2009-07-27T01:14:00.003-05:00

I am sitting on the couch next to my sleeping husband, with our cats curled up around us and a smile on my face. We worked a long, hard week followed by a wonderful family party at our apartment.

This is my life. I love it.

These are the moments when I realize how truly fulfilling love is. Not as in the happily-ever-after-movie-version kind of love where life is a bed of roses, but as in the I-will-love-you-and-stand-by-you-through-even-the-hardest-of-times-even-when-our-world-feels-as-though-it-is-falling-apart kind of love.

I have found that love.

His name is Paul.

He is mine and I am his. We love each other.

Amen.

A WEIGHTY MATTER

2009-07-16T05:52:00.004-05:00

So, I haven't posted on my weight loss since here. That's because I pretty much stopped making any progress. My weight was zig-zagging back and forth and I wasn't putting the work into it. I recently jumped back on board and I got as low as 134. Then I lost it (my motivation, not the weight) again and now I weigh. . .

hang on, let me go get my scale

140.0

yuck.

I've literally seen that number, and every number between it and 135, 12 billion times in the last 4 months.

(okay 12 billion times is a bit of an exaggeration. but i think you get the point i'm trying to make)

YO-YO

Here's the problem:

oh yes I know what it is, I just don't know how to fix it

I work hard 4 days a week, 12 hour shifts. I am physical for all 12 hours. I don't get to sit down. I pack very healthy eating choices and have no time at home except to sleep and hug my hub for 2 seconds, so I don't do any random snacking. I even occasionally make it on the treadmill.

You're probably thinking, "I don't see a problem there." That's because there isn't one. The problem is the other 3 days of the week. These are the problems/thoughts/mentality I fight those 3 days:

1 - I worked hard the last 4 days so the last thing I want to do is go to the gym to work hard again

2 - I ate well (sometimes boringly so) so I want to enjoy some food. However, I have yet to master the art of moderation.

3 - by the end of the 4 work days I have usually hit my 2 pound weight loss goal so I think those 3 days won't matter.

Hello, if you eat too many calories the weight comes back. I can't seem to remember that until monday weigh in rolls around. Then I have a Homer Simpson "Doh" moment. Sometimes I even smack myself in the forehead.

Here's what I have learned from this experience.

Weight loss is purely mental.

okay maybe not purely, but at least 95% mental.

Yes, you have to eat less, exercise more, to lose weight, but last time I checked, my legs do not have a mind of their own. The only reason they don't get on the treadmill is because I don't tell them to. My stomach does not decide to eat 2 entire bags (not individual bags, the medium size, fills-up-a-candy-bowl bag) of m&m's in 2 days,

I do.

Hypothetically speaking.

Are you picking up what I am putting down? If all it took to lose weight was eat less, move more, we would all be skinny. Instead we have to get past ourselves, fight those 'inner demons' or whatever you want to call them.

It's ridiculous.

Just get on the dang treadmill, stop putting so much in your mouth.

That's what I try to tell myself. It's not working yet. What works for you?

I need some help.

MR. CARSON

2009-07-16T04:37:00.007-05:00

We celebrated this little man's 1st birthday.

My how time flies.

It feels like it was only yesterday

that we waited in a hospital lobby for 20+ hours to meet this little guy.

He has stolen my heart and I have no desire to ask for it back.

Dear Carson,

Happy birthday little brown boy!

Thank you for joining our family.

Thank you for softening your mama,

strengthening your daddy,

and bringing joy into our lives.

We revel in your giggles and sorrow at your tears.

You are ours for always and we will love you forever.

love,

Aunt Reesa and Uncle Pauly

SOME FAVES

2009-07-16T03:14:00.003-05:00

this little girl is my favorite new baby.

i only met her once but fell completely in love.

these people are some of my favorite Utah friends.

i didn't have time to meet with all my Utah friends in June.

know that if you aren't in this picture, you are loved

and we will meet up this fall (mark your calendars, Oct 29 - Nov 10!)

new red lipstick

it's the first red lipstick I've ever owned

and it makes me feel so beautiful!

I love Sephora!

*Nars Cruella*

8 THINGS

2009-07-09T09:07:00.005-05:00

I was tagged by this cute girl. Incidentally, I have never met her, but she is married to a guy I grew up with. I love her blog. They have a very cute little boy. Thanks for tagging me Ashley!

8 shows I love:
1. intervention
2. what not to wear
3. biggest loser
4. dog the bounty hunter (I know, I know. . .)
5. how it's made
6. pretty much everything on the history channel
7. e true hollywood stories
8. keeping up with the kardashians. (don't judge me)

8 Things I did yesterday:
1. slept for 7 hours
2. worked for 12 hours
3. lost 2 pounds from sweating so much
4. ate a yummy sandwich
5. ran 2.5 miles
6. snuggled with my hubby
7. pet my cats
8. ate some m&m's

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. olive garden
2. costa vida or cafe rio (oh how I miss them)
2. o'charley's
3. el toribio
4. chili's
5. rally's
6. texas roadhouse
7. old chicago
8. biaggi's (so expensive but soooo good!)

8Things on my wish list:
1. a loveseat
2. modest swimsuit
3. to lose those last 25 pounds
4. run a 10 minute mile
5. out of debt
6. have children
7. move to utah
8. never leave pauly's family (i wish they would just all move to Utah with us. then my life would be perfect!)

8 things I'm looking forward to:
1. 3 day weekend
2. payday
3. christmas in july party
4. trip to pittsburgh, pa (pre-season steeler's game!)
5. trip to gaitlinburg, tn (smokey mtns)
6. trip to utah
7. being sealed to my wonderful hubby!
8. weekly date night

I tag you!

MY SISTER

2009-06-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

When did we go from this. . .

to this???

My sister is now a married woman!

We had so much fun at her wedding and receptions!

I was lucky enough to be able to do

her hair and makeup and

it was fun!

I don't know when it happened,

but somewhere along the way she changed from a

silly little sister into a

beautiful woman

who I am honored to say is one of my best friends.

She is one of my heroes.

She is funny and sweet and beautiful

and most importantly

she is my sister!

Even though she is younger than me, over the last few years she has amazed me with the person she has become and I now look up to her. I am in awe of the depth of her spiritual strength and the truly Christ-like love she is constantly striving to share.

I have always felt very protective of her and am happy to say she has married a man who is stepping in as her protector and best friend. Since we now live 1600 miles apart, it is wonderful to know that she is being taken care of in ways beyond what I, as her big sister, ever can.

Thank you, Kyle, for being her love.

Thank you, Jess, for being my sister.

I cherish all the memories we have made.

I remember when you were little

and how much I loved to carry you around

because you were my baby.

I love that we shared a bedroom for most of our childhood

and all the silly games we played.

I loved spending the weekend with you and all your crazy roommates.

Thank you for being you.

Thank you for being my sister.

I love you!

LOOKING GOOD

2009-06-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

The bro and the hub

looking handsome.

SHE'LL BE COMIN' ROUND THE MOUNTAIN. . .

2009-06-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things about

Kentucky. . .

it's green and beautiful with trees as far as the eye can see.

One of my most hated things about

Kentucky. . .

it's covered in trees, EVERYWHERE, without a mountain in sight (or anything else but green, green, green, green leaves)

Sometimes I want to scream because I feel so closed in.

I don't though, I think it would alarm Pauly.

My favorite view on our recent trip to

Utah. . .

the view from my mom's front yard.

It never gets old.

AND THE WINNER IS. . .

2009-06-23T01:43:00.003-05:00

Callie!

Congratulations!

*virtual high five followed by a hug*

This picture is from A League of their Own.

I didn't get it off the internet though.

I took it myself.

At the ballpark where the majority of the movie was filmed.

Jealous?

You should be. It was pretty stellar.

Welcome to Bosse Field in Evansville, Indiana.

It was built in 1915.

It's the 3rd oldest ballpark in the United States.

just some cool pictures I took

It is now home to the Evansville Otters,

a Frontier League baseball team.

This chair looks old but it's not.

They haven't been the Otters long enough to have an antique.

It's still cool though.

What the picture doesn't show

is the giant air conditioning unit right above it

dripping water all over the chair.

I didn't sit on it.

We watched the Otters play on Saturday night. It was awesome.

This guy got to throw out the first pitch.

He was there for his bachelor party.

He's carrying a ball and chain.

That's marriage Indiana style.

Yo.

TEN POINTS TO THE WINNER. . .

2009-06-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

and I'll even throw in a virtual hug

and high five if you can name the movie that this comes from

SOMETIMES I ACT LIKE A CRAZY CAT LADY

2009-06-22T02:16:00.004-05:00

How did these sweet little itty bitty tiny precious teeny baby kitties. . .

Turn into these giant cats?

p.s. Turns out Morticia is really a Mordecai if you're picking up what I'm putting down. Apparently he was playing hide and seek.

We still just call him Ishee, but instead of being a pretty little kitty now he is Master Ishee Ninja kitty.

p.p.s. Pauly is an even crazier cat lady then me.

MEET OUR BABIES!

2009-04-14T02:50:00.004-05:00

These are our new baby kittens! The black one is Morticia (I call her Ishee) and the gray one is Wednesday (I call her Nes.) They are sisters and so much fun. They love each other but really love to fight with each other! They usually race around the apartment as fast as they can and then turn on each other and hiss and pounce. It's funny but definitely gets on my nerves sometimes!

They love to climb all over everything especially our bookcases and the couch!

This is how they like to sleep, curled up on us. Ishee is much more of a cuddler than Nes is. Ishee likes to climb on us just to be petted but Nes usually only cuddles right when she is about to fall asleep. Nes also likes to climb up on Pauly's shoulder and sleep there. It's so cute!

We love them and Pauly is so happy that I finally gave in and let him have pets. I'm happy that he is happy!

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

2009-03-30T23:30:00.006-05:00

I am thrilled to announce that Pauly and I are. . .

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COMING TO UTAH

OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 10!

He he, you totally thought I was going to say we are pregnant, didn't you? ;)

Well that hasn't happened yet, but we are very excited to be coming to Utah. This trip is not only to visit, we are also going to be sealed in the Manti Temple on October 31!

Mark your calendars and plan to party it up with us!!!

LOVE

2009-03-17T08:34:00.002-05:00

Today is our 2nd wedding anniversary!

Here's 10 things I love about my husband (in no particular order)

~He's HOT like white lightning ;)
~He's funny, sometimes he gets going on a tangent from a conversation and he turns it into the most ridiculous thing ever and I laugh so hard!
~He's dedicated to our marriage and working to make it the wonderful experience it can be!
~He has strong hands
~He has a great work ethic
~He loves his family, especially his parents
~He always opens doors for me, always!
~He tells me I'm beautiful frequently
~He wants me to stay home with our future children to raise them
~He has a strong testimony of our Savior and His gospel
oh and one more
~He chose to love ME!

Thank you baby for a wonderful two years. We have been through some rough patches, but through it all we have had each other. You are truly my best friend. I love you forever!

OH HAPPINESS! and frustration

2009-03-05T17:11:00.002-06:00

HAPPINESS:
I just talked to my little baby sister! She is finally home from serving an 18 month mission in Peru for our church! I am so proud of her and can't wait to see her in a few weeks. I love you sister!

***Warning, post full of complaining headed your way.***

FRUSTRATION:
I went to work Tuesday night for the first time in 10 days. I couldn't sleep Tuesday during the day. I tried but it consisted of me laying there and then annoying Pauly as I made jokes and giggled and tickled him. I wasn't tired but he was definitely ready to sleep. Then of course I was so tired that night at work that I was worried I would fall asleep standing up and the newspaper headline would say something about me being found curled up in the fetal position in a vat of plastic. So I was up for 26 hours straight, slept 8, up for 17, was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open, laid down and woke up 4 hours later!! I was tired, oh so tired, but unable to sleep. I'm not sure if it was the anticipation of knowing I would talk to my sister soon or if my body just hates me. So here I am getting ready to work another 12 hour night shift. But wait, I've been up since 2:30. . . that means it will be close to 20 hours before I can sleep again. Oh the joy.

My body hates me.

However, I am extremely grateful to have a job and this is just a minor blip on the radar screen of life.

My sister is home! Yay!!!

2009-02-24T13:43:00.005-06:00

Marjorie V. Lehr

June 22, 1930 - February 24, 2009

"Thou shalt live together in love,

insomuch that thou shalt weep

for the loss of them that die . . ."

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 42:45

"And it shall come to pass

that those that die in me

shall not taste of death,

for it shall be sweet unto them;"

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 42:46

Today we have indeed lived together in love and we mourn and weep over the loss of Pauly's sweet mother.

She is a firecracker with a loving heart and will truly be missed. We feel peace knowing that she is in a better place, free from the chains of Alzheimer's and sickness. We find joy in the wonderful memories she created for her children through her actions and the person she is.

We anxiously await the day we can be together again.

We love you Mom!

JUST A QUICK NOTE

2009-02-21T10:42:00.005-06:00

Pauly's mom is in the hospital. She was taken there Friday afternoon. Diagnosis - pneumonia completely covering her left lung. Sepsis (read about it here)has set in. Most of you know she is suffering from Alzheimer's. She is already weakened. They only gave her a 10% chance of survival. The good news is, she has been having breathing treatments and major doses of iv antibiotics and they seem to be working. She was more alert today and was taken off the oxygen mask. She could communicate again. We are hoping and praying for the best. Please keep her, her family, and her doctors in your thoughts and prayers.

We are so grateful for Pauly's mom and the wonderful woman she is. She is a superb mother and has given her children and those around her all she could. We are grateful for our knowledge of Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ and the power of prayer. We pray that His will for Pauly's sweet mother can be accomplished.
Thank you

2009-02-18T09:48:00.000-06:00

SO YUMMY!

2009-02-10T16:37:00.005-06:00

And easy!

Here's the recipe for my
amazing peanut butter footballs.

1 cup peanut butter
2+ cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 lbs of chocolate (the original recipe called for chocolate almond bark but I couldn't find any of that in hell, so I used semi-sweet and white chocolate chips.)

Mix peanut butter, sugar, butter and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. If it seems too sticky then add a little more powdered sugar. I think I ended up using 2 1/2 cups to get it to a good texture that wasn't too greasy feeling and would stick together. Just add extra sugar in very small amounts or the mixture will suddenly be too dry.

Shape your peanut butter however you desire. Roll it into balls, make footballs, little hearts, whatever. I do recommend making your shapes very small because this recipe is very rich. My footballs ended up about 3 inches long and I only ended up eating one because it was just too rich. Place on wax paper and chill. This is important! I didn't do this and it made dipping them in chocolate extremely difficult because then they smoosh and fall apart in the chocolate.

Melt your chocolate and then dip! Your fingers will get messy, just don't lick 'em until you're done! Place chocolate balls on wax paper until dry. I stuck mine in the freezer for about 5 minutes and then I could eat them faster!

Enjoy!

HELL FROZE OVER. . .

2009-02-10T15:34:00.006-06:00

For those of you who haven't heard, I live in HELL. Anyone remember this? Well, it got worse. A lot worse. Think same destruction but with 2-4 inches of ICE and then 3-5 inches of snow on top. Not exactly my ideal winter conditions. I live in hell.

Here's just a small sampling of the destruction.

So here's the story. On Jan. 27 it was freezing outside, high teens, low 20's. It started to rain. Yep, you heard right, rain. It should have been snowing with the temps that low, but whatever, that's what happens when you live in hell. So it rained and rained and rained. When the rain hit the ground, tree, car, etc. it froze solid. Then it just kept raining. And freezing. And raining. And freezing. And raining some more.

Our power went out around 5 or 5:30. Pauly called his work at 6:15pm (I was on a one week layoff) and asked if they were working the night shift or closing down. They said, "of course we're working!" like he was stupid for asking. I packed up some clothes and he took me to his sisters to stay the night. She has a gas fireplace so I wouldn't freeze to death in our powerless apt. Lucky her, her power never went out but everyone else in the fams did. That's where everyone ended up at some point.

He dropped me off after a scary drive on the frozen roads and headed to work. He barely made it in time but when he got there the place was dark and there wasn't a car left anywhere. That was at 7:20. So they must have decided to close the place down at, oh I don't know, 6:20, in order to have time to shut it all down and for all the workers to de-ice their cars enough to get in them and drive away. Jerks. Pauly had to turn around and drive back to his sisters house.

We all went to bed around 10:30 and not much later we started seeing what seemed like lightning lighting up the cloud covered sky, except it was green, pink, and blue. Strange. Then we were about to fall asleep when I heard the biggest crash and what sounded like an explosion. Tree limbs were falling everywhere. One huge one fell exactly in between his sisters house and their neighbors. There was so much crashing and thumps and explosions, then the strange lightning and sirens, that we couldn't sleep. A limb even fell on top of the bedroom we were sleeping in! Thankfully we didn't have any major damage that kept us from using any parts of the house. It was after 3 before we slept.

Turns out the lightning wasn't lightning, but was tree limbs crashing down on the power poles, hitting the transformers and causing explosions! There were several house fires as a result of this. People it was crazy!

Our power was only out for about 24 hours. Get this though. It has now been 3 weeks exactly and there are still people WITHOUT POWER. There are some people who have been told it may still be 2-3 weeks before they get power. 5+weeks without power! Oh my gosh! There was one area that was so hard hit, even worse than ours, that the county officials were telling people to leave the county! They said that if the residents had anywhere else to go, they needed to go, because it would be 3-4 weeks without power and they had a boil advisory on their water system.

Once businesses started opening, most were on cash payment only, something to do with the banks being closed and their credit card systems not working. The scary thing was, if you didn't have cash at home then you were out of luck, because the atms didn't work!

Can I come back to Utah?

Please?

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY WITH PAULY AND REESA (YAY STEELERS!)

2009-02-08T05:04:00.011-06:00

Pauly is a huge Steelers fan:

Believe me, that was a big show of emotion for him. He's just not that demonstrative, but I know inside he was giggling like a school girl at the chance to watch his "beloved Steelers" play in and win the superbowl.

I am also a huge Steelers fan. (I do mean that, but I think Pauly and his family would string me up by my toe nails if I said otherwise.)

Pauly shows his love for the Steelers by watching every game, wearing their 75th anniversary special edition jersey and talking about "beating the cardinals down."

I show my love by wearing their colors on my eyes, a pink Steelers jersey (thanks again Tony and Amanda) and serving everyone peanut butter footballs (hello, can anyone say Betty Crocker?!).

What?!

Like you don't wish you could wear a pink jersey and gold eyeshadow. You know those peanut butter footballs are the cutest thing since babies.

Here's a shot of the makeup and footballs for your gazing pleasure:

Just so you know I did actually watch the game and I really enjoyed it. I know that Harrison ran 99 yards for a touchdown and that Roethlisberger threw the pass that Holmes (MVP) caught in the end zone for the win. I know who Kurt Warner is. He used to bag groceries before he was called up to play in the NFL. Too bad for him, he plays for the 2nd place Cardinals (*cough*losers*cough*.) But here is what I really know:

See this man? this man right

here

He is adorable. I have a small school girl crush on him. Just a small one. Pauly jokes that I would leave him for Hines Ward. Not true. I would never leave Pauly for a millionaire MVP Steelers football player. . . no, never.

However, I will happily watch every Steelers football game as long as he is playing. It's in Pauly's best interest to humor me in my crush. Really, it's a win-win situation for us both. Pauly gets football and I get that smile.

Because that's what Hines does.

He smiles.

All the time.

While playing football.

They call him Psycho Ward.

That's my boy.

GO STEELERS!

HERE THEY COME. . .

2009-02-08T02:15:00.016-06:00

Are you ready for it? I know you have all been biting your nails, eagerly waiting for blog updates from yours truly.

anywhoooooo, moving on. . .

Here's pics from Pauly's b-day:

The Decorations.

Yes, I meant to capitalize the 'd' on Decorations, because they are that awesome. Don't be jealous of my creativity.

Here's Pauly

looking slightly thrilled and minorly* (is that a word?) embarrassed after we sang to him and made him blow out his candles. Check out the awesome German chocolate cake I made. Gross, excuse me while I gag. Coconuts, pecans and any other nut should not be anywhere near my beloved chocolate. However my Pauly is even more beloved by me than chocolate (I know, hard to believe, but oh so true) so I made him his favorite cake. I didn't eat any, but everyone else loved it. Never fear, I also made brownies so I didn't miss dessert.

*I checked with my friend webster and it is in fact not a word.

I could have taken it out of the post but then you wouldn't see the real me. Just keepin' it real, peeps, always real. groovy.

Have you ever seen a cuter couple?

Never mind, don't answer that.

Anyone not living within a 15 mile radius of me (I'm talking to all you Utahns, y'all aren't even within a 1500 mile radius) notice anything different about me?

hmmmm. . .

I am now a redhead

and I love it.

I hope you do too.

If you don't, please don't tell me.

Tell me lies instead.

Lots of pretty lies.

Happy 35th Birthday to my bestest** everything.

You are my life and I will love you forever. Forever and a day. Okay, okay, forever and a million days***. Sheesh, you're so demanding. ;)

**also not a word, but I can't take credit for it.

I'm sure some 4 year old thought of it way before me.

***how could I not with "Pirate Vader" throwing gang signs my way? I mean, seriously, don't even try to tell me that you could resist that amazingness** when it came your way. Don't even try.

OH THE JOY!

2009-02-08T02:10:00.002-06:00

My computer is working again! I no longer have to suffer from hand cramps and seizures while trying to use Pauly's demented computer. So I will now be staying up all night catching up our blog (it's already after 2 am, not a whole lot of night left!) Stay tuned. . .

Only 1 hour to go!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-01T16:32:00.005-06:00

Hopefully in about 5 hours from now my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers will be Super Bowl Champions once again!!! I'm freaking out!!! I'm so excited for this game!!!

GO STEELERS!!!

I pray that this is what we will see later tonight!!!

Happy Birthday Pirate Pauly!!!

2009-01-11T22:48:00.002-06:00

My sweet Pauly celebrated his 35th birthday on December 5th! I surprised him by decorating the house, just a few balloons and a banner. I gave him some new watercoloring supplies and all 3 pirates movies. We went to dinner at his (and mine!) favorite mexican restaurant with his family and then they came to our apartment for presents cake and ice cream.

pictures are coming but the queen just came on tv and i want to watch it.

**this post is late. it is obviously not december 5th. oh well

O REESA, REESA! WHEREFORE ART THOU REESA?

2009-01-11T22:29:00.004-06:00

I'm right here! I've been bad about blogging. Several reasons for this:
1 - lazy
2 - lazy
3 - working 12 hour days
4 - lazy, those 12 hour shifts are only 4 days out of the week ;)
5 - computer problems; as we speak I am typing with one hand because I have to push and pull on the monitor at the same time to get it to work. If I don't the screen jumps and flashes and triggers migraines and seizures. Seriously, it's very uncomfortable to hold and I can only do it for a few minutes until my hand cramps up. Anyone have a free computer to give us?
6 - see reasons 1, 2, and 4.

the end

UH OH

2009-01-09T03:54:00.004-06:00

Ummm, so I lost my blog list. Oops!! Please comment and leave me your blog address so I can put them back up! If you weren't on my list before but have been lurking around and want to be added, I say, "The more the merrier! Come one, come all!" Thank you!

WE SURVIVED!!!!!!

2008-12-01T09:44:00.008-06:00

So for those of you who may not know, Reese and I work for the same company now. And as I'm sure you all know by now the economy is terrible, especially in the Mid-West. Our company makes parts for a plethora of different companies but three of our biggest buyers are General Motors, Whirlpool and Mitsubishi which have all hit very hard times. So basically our company is restructuring to survive in the tough economic times and for the last few weeks we seriously thought that we would both be laid-off because we were the last two people hired on. Well last week the whole company was on a week long shutdown but we had a meeting on Monday morning to find out exactly what they were going to do and.....WE GOT TO KEEP OUR JOBS! They laid-off 45 people total but I guess were stellar workers because we were the last two people hired and we still survived the cut! And, it's even better! We have switched to four 12 hour shifts a week instead of the normal five day, 8 hour shifts. So not only did we get to keep our jobs but now we get a three day weekend EVERY week AND 8 hours of overtime EACH!

To say that we feel truly blessed would be a major understatement!

I'M BORED. . .

2008-10-31T23:15:00.002-05:00

. . . but even if I wasn't bored, this would have made me laugh out loud. However, it's late and I am bored so I giggled quite a bit!

Without further ado, I give you. . .

MORMON SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING

FYI: My weekly weigh-ins will be back starting Sunday. I took a brief (okay, 8 week) hiatus from the weight loss efforts. I would like to say that it was for a good reason, but I just got lazy. However, I did manage to maintain my weight; yay for me. That is the first time I have stopped actively trying to lose weight without immediately gaining! I jumped back on course last week with my weight at 145.8 and will weigh in Sunday to see where I am.

Two years ago today.....

2008-10-14T16:39:00.002-05:00

Two years ago today was our first date......I've been hooked ever since! =)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMACITA!

2008-10-10T17:48:00.003-05:00

I LOVE YOU!!!

**this post is a day late, but i did talk to her on her actual birthday ;)

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS**

2008-10-10T16:52:00.006-05:00

**in no particular order, except #1, 'cause he is my #1 ;)

~MY HUBBY~

He is my best friend. He brings such love and joy into my life. He makes me laugh, sometimes until I cry! I love him so much and am so happy that we are married.

~BATH TIME~
Yesterday I had a really tough day at work and every muscle in my body was tired and aching. My sweet Pauly cooked amazing chicken quesadillas for dinner and then I climbed into the tub to soak and read. It was heaven! Sometimes I stay in the tub so long that I fall asleep.

~HONEY MUSTARD~

I love to dip chicken in it.Yummy!

~MY BEST FRIEND BRENNIE~

Alas, she is 1600 miles away in Utah, but when we talk on the phone it is like we have never been apart. We laugh and joke and then I cry when I hang up because I miss her.

~NEW MAKEUP~

I love feeling beautiful. 'Nuff said.

~CAITY AND HER BLOG ~
She is so witty, clever and very entertaining (see this and this for two of my fave posts) and she blogs EVERY day. She is my blogging hero.
We miss you Caity and Bob!

That's it for now.

Hurricane Ike.......HITS KENTUCKY!!!!!

2008-09-22T08:45:00.025-05:00

On Sunday, September 14th the remnants of Hurricane Ike blew across the mid-west and right through good 'ol Owensboro, Kentucky! We had sustained 50-90 mph winds for 2+ hours and the pix below show the aftermath. We were without power for 25 hours and we have family members who were without power for 3-4 days. The power still hasn't been restored to all parts of the city.

All the pix below were taken within 10 minutes of our apartment!

WEIGH IN

2008-09-03T08:54:00.001-05:00

144.8!

YAY!!

WEIGH IN . . . and other news

2008-08-25T20:10:00.003-05:00

Here it is, drum roll please:

145.6

Sweet chickens, I did it, I'm down some more! Lovin' my weight loss right now!

On another note: I am totally ticked off right now. I started my c210k training and hurt (or aggravated a latent injury) my hip AGAIN. So not happy about this. I am having a hard time walking let alone running. I'm scrapping the running thing for now. Until I have some insurance and can afford to go to a physical therapist, I am not risking doing permanent damage. This makes me very sad because I desperately want to be a "runner." The thing is, people, I hurt it while only jogging for a half mile. So not cool.

More news: We finally have a tv and are now getting cable. We have been without it for the last year! This is very exciting.

CHANGE IS GOOD!

2008-08-23T00:11:00.008-05:00

Just a reminder; this is where I've been:

2002 or so, probably 180+ pounds. Look at that fat face. I don't say that as anything but the truth. Gross.

Now here is a photo montage of my changes so far.

158 LBS , 151 LBS, 146 LBS

158 LBS, 151 LBS, 146 LBS

Me, today, at 146 pounds, looking fabulous ;)

I've still got a long way to go (about 31 more pounds to lose.)

Slowly, but surely, I'm getting there.

Bonus - I'm doing it the healthy way!

WEIGH IN

2008-08-19T20:09:00.000-05:00

147.2

SWEET!

HERE I GO AGAIN!

2008-08-15T20:42:00.003-05:00

I've made a new goal. I am going to run the Medical Center 10k Classic on October 25. It's in Bowling Green, Kentucky and it should be fun! Unfortunately, even though I ran a 5k in March. . . well, that's the problem, it was in MARCH. Booo. I injured myself shortly thereafter and then let my lazy butt sit on the couch for far too long. I can't run worth a darn (what is a darn worth anyway?) Now, I'm back on it! I found a program called C210k (couch to 10k.) It's online here. He says he can get you ready to run a 10k in 10 weeks and that is exactly how long I have! I started today and I am pumped. I love having a solid goal and timeline. It keeps me much more focused. It also helps me to keep my eating on target when I am working out so this will be an all around good thing! Wish me luck!

MONDAY WEIGH-IN

2008-08-11T16:29:00.003-05:00

I'm back after a hiatus from the weigh-in. I had a stressful couple of weeks, lost my motivation and here's the result:

149.6

Oh well.

It'll be good next week. I'm back!

PAULY'S EMPLOYED!

2008-07-30T20:41:00.000-05:00

WOOHOO!!!!

WEIGH IN

2008-07-29T08:06:00.001-05:00

148.4

YAY!!!

new goal for next week: 146

FREE TIME KENTUCKY STYLE

2008-07-27T16:25:00.004-05:00

here's where we go:

here's what we do:

that's right folks, we head over to Rural King. they have free popcorn.

so we go.

we eat.

we leave.

I love free popcorn.

oh yeah.

we try on hats too.

oh, and if you were wondering, you can get these there also, while you enjoy your popcorn.

happy sausage making!

CARSON HAS ARRIVED

2008-07-27T16:14:00.003-05:00

My niece Shana had her sweet little boy on July 10. He was born after 26 hours of labor and 1 hour of pushing. He weighed 8lbs 5 oz and was 20.5 inches long. He is absolutely beautiful!

We love you Carson and are so excited that you have joined our family!

VACATION!

2008-07-27T14:44:00.008-05:00

We left for vacation at 4 on Saturday morning. The drive took forever! Pauly's sweet sister Rhonda let us ride with her. I sat in the backseat with her son Joe, who is our nephew. He is 12 and hilarious! I was talking about how I like to put hot dogs or broccoli or even spam in my macaroni and cheese and he said, "I usually like to put a fork in mine." It was so funny!

The house was lovely, very large and beachy! I forgot to take a picture of our bedroom but it was nice. The bed was amazing except for the fact that I practically had to jump to get in it! It was so tall, but felt like we were sleeping on a cloud. It was so soft!

We got up early one morning to watch the sun come up. The sun didn't actually come up over the ocean, it was kind of to the left and behind us, but it reflected off the ocean and the clouds so it was beautiful.

We also walked down the beach to collect sea shells and I found lots of sand dollars.

We went "crabbing" one night. We went to the beach after dark and walked around with flashlights looking for crabs. The sand is white and so are the crabs so it was like looking for their shadows to move. Sometimes all you would be able to see was their black eyes looking at you. It freaked me out but was very fun. We started out by only finding little crabs about the size of a 50 cent piece but ended up finding some as big as dinner plates! The boys would chase them and either catch them with their hands or with nets. They put them in a bucket. Eventually the big ones started to fight each other so we let them go. I wish I had gotten a picture of the bucket full of crabs fighting!

I have only been to the ocean once before, when I was eight, and I don't remember it. I was a little freaked out to get in the ocean now because I know what kind of things live out there and are swimming around. I finally was brave and got in. It was fun! I had to focus really hard to not think about all the things that were possibly swimming around me. They have jelly fish but I never saw one. We did see dolphins 2 different times. The first time we could just see their fins and occasionally one would pop up enough that we could tell it was a dolphin. The second time, one jumped out of the water and did a flip! It was amazing! Again, no picture. Sorry!

I also went what we call body surfing. Here's a pic of my great-nephew Stone holding a board.You go out a little bit in the ocean wait for a wave and then lay on your board and let it carry you to shore. It doesn't sound that amazing, but it is so fun! My sister-in-law Lorrie took some pics of me doing it, so I'll put those pics up when I get them.

We went to a restaurant called Lambert's. They have the most amazing food. They are known as being the place that throws rolls. Whenever the rolls are done cooking they wheel them out and throw them to whoever wants one. They are the best rolls ever!

They also like to play jokes on their customers. They walk around with pots full of side dishes and offer them to everyone. Occasionally they will pull something like a raccoon out and throw it on your plate. They did that to me and I squealed. They will also walk out with pitcher full of soda to give you a refill and then trip. You think they are spilling it on you, but it's fake! They also did this to me and again I squealed. Here's the whole group at Lambert's.left side, front to back - Pauly, me, Ron, Lorrie; right side, front to back- Brad, Tisha, Blaize, Stone, Joe, Rhonda

That's about it for "cool" things we did during vacation. There was a ton of food, lots of napping, reading, cross-stitching, movie watching and beach sitting. It was fabulous!

Here's some random pics of our fun.

100 THINGS ABOUT ME! PAULY!

2008-07-22T22:47:00.019-05:00

I saw that Brenda and Jam had made a "100 things" list so I thought I'd put one up as well! Enjoy!

1. My favorite color is green, especially bright/shiny green!

2. My dream vacation would take me to Germany, Switzerland & Russia.

3. I love the ocean and I have been at least 50+ times since birth.

4. I was once in Guadalajara, Mexico for 4 days....and I can assure you it will be my last trip there!!!

5. I love Hockey but I can't skate to save my life!

6. We don't own a TV....by choice.

7. I love to read!

8. My two favorite Halloween costumes were the year I dressed up as Frankenstein and the year I was a Pittsburgh Steelers football player.

9. I have a strange fascination with Pirates.

10. I'm a big Civil War buff.

11. I'm constantly flip-flopping between wanting to live here and wanting to move back to Utah.

12. I'm probably the worlds biggest Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers fan that doesn't live in Pittsburgh.

13. I'm very frugal and I like it that way. I want zero debt!

14. I self diagnosed myself with a touch of ADD and OCD.

15. I lost my Dad to lung cancer on 03/16/2002.

16. I've been on two Cruises and they were awesome! I love being out at sea!

17. Cheesy Chex Mix is one of my favorite snacks.

18. I once paid $2,800.00 for a single 1933 baseball card in an auction. My Dad said I was crazy! And I sold it 7 months later for $3,400.00!

19. I'm 34 and I've never changed a diaper. And yes, I'm sure that will change in the next year or two.

20. My first car was a restored 1968 Dodge Charger. I wish I still had her.

21. I've been to 31 states.

22. I like anything with peanut butter or that's peanut butter flavored.

23. I am CRAZY about Christmas and so is my family! Two of my sisters started shopping in January '08 for Christmas '08! I'm probably the only adult male on the planet who gets a rush out of going to Hobby Lobby in July to look at the new Christmas decorations there putting out!

24. I'm fascinated with Baseball history especially circa 1890-1910.

25. I love Disney World and I've probably been there 20 times. When I was a little boy I used to say "I want to go to Mickey Mouse House".

26. My two favorite rides at Disney World are the classics, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion.

27. The humidity in Kentucky is terrible! As Reese would say "I can't breath this air, I'm not a fish!".

28. I love Cholula brand hot sauce and I can eat it on just about everything.

29. McDonald's is the worst fast food restaurant in the world.

30. I think Tim Burton is a genius! I love his movies!

31. I never went to college. I think about it all the time and it's by far my biggest regret. If I had to do it all over again I would ether have went to college or the Navy right out of high school.

32. I NEVER used to wear flip flops until Reese talked me into buying a pair before our honeymoon. Now, I don't know how I could live without them!

33. I'd be happy to live in Pittsburgh. I can't explain why, but I feel so "at home" in that city.

34. I'm sure I was an unexpected child! I'm the youngest of 7 kids and my Mom & Dad were 42 & 48 when I was born. My closest sibling is 10 years older than me.

35. To me, one of the most relaxing places to be is at the ballpark on a sunny afternoon.

36. I've always liked Volkswagen's. I'm not a big fan of the Beetle but there sedans are nice!

37. I used to drive Demolition Derby cars for about 10 years, starting when I was 15. I have boxes of trophies to prove it.

38. The only 5k I was ever in I got a 1st place trophy for my age group. That was a long time ago and I really need to get back into shape.

39. When I was younger I ALWAYS respected my parents. But with that being said, to say I was mischievous would be a huge understatement!

40. I like anything Lemon flavored.

41. I can't stand reality TV, especially American Idol! Blah!

42. I always said that when I die I want bagpipes played at my funeral. I don't know why, I just do.

43. One day I would really like to have a Library in our house.

44. I wish we had a dog......but I'll settle for an aquarium.

45. My favorite color on a car is black. And that goes for any make or model. At one time me, my Mom & Dad and four of my siblings all had black cars, it looked like the Mafia was gathering for Christmas!

46. Growing up my Dad always set off tons of big fireworks every 4th of July. I still love fireworks but now I can't seem to bring myself to spend the money on something that I'm just going to burn up!

47. When I was around 5-6 years old I had a yellow Lab named what else, Yeller. .......he got hit by a semi!

48. I prefer to cook on a charcoal grill as opposed to a gas grill for flavor, but for efficiency I usually cook with gas.

49. I now own my Great Uncle and Aunts wedding rings. They were married in 1940 and the rings were passed to me when my Dad passed away.

50. I LOVE to buy Christmas presents for other people but it truly doesn't matter to me if I get anything in return.

51. I like to paint but I rarely take the time to sit down and do it anymore.

52. I like to cook! I cook most of the time, not because Reese can't, I just love to do it!

53. Even though I love to cook my wife bakes WAY better than I do!

54. I've always had hopes, dreams and priority's.....but it amazes me how much they have all changed in the last two years.

55. I've never been to the west coast (California, Oregon, Washington) but I hope to take a trip there in the next couple years.

56. I was only in New York City once but I loved it! I'd love to go back at Christmas time.

57. I'm a procrastinator when it comes to doing things I'm not into. I'm trying to change that but it's hard!

58. I love deep sea fishing.

59. I would love to own a Victorian style house one day, but Reese likes the Colonial style so who knows what we will end up with, maybe nether! LOL

60. I've realized that you can get twice the house here as opposed to the Salt Lake valley for the same money. I've also noticed that the pay scale here is about 25% less across the board.

61. I can't stand Sushi! Blah!

62. New baby's scare me! They just look too breakable to me!

63. I have a secret affection for 80's music! Shhh...don't tell!

64. In my humble opinion, Oprah Winfrey is the Devil!

65. I've been to the Indy 500 three time.

66. When I'm stressed I get bad headaches.

67. I'm very sentimental/nostalgic and I have a hard time getting rid of things from my childhood or things that I or my family has had for a long time. And at the same time I don't like clutter, go figure!

68. I love going to museums! The only problem is that I like to study things and Reese is a skimmer so she's usually patiently waiting for me to finish long after shes ready to leave!

69. Red Dawn is one of my all time favorite movies.

70. Two years ago I moved to Salt Lake City, Utah to work for my Nephew at his tattoo studio and to become a tattoo artist. Now I'm married, a member of the Mormon church and living back in Kentucky! Isn't it funny how some things turn out! =)

71. I like going to the zoo. My wife likes going to the zoo. We have a zoo 40 minutes from us. And yet we still have never been to the zoo since we moved here!

72. Blazing Angels 1 & 2 are the best games I have ever played for the PS3 or XBOX360! It's a WWII fighter game.
73. I can't believe I lived in Salt Lake for a year and never went to a Bee's game!
74. When I was investigating the church I once asked my wife if it was some kind of rule that all Mormon family's had to have a piano in the house since EVERY house we went to had one! LOL!
75. In my opinion the ghetto brand "Big K" Diet Cherry Cola has to be one of the best drinks in the whole world...and it's CHEAP! =)
76. I've always said that I never want to fully grow up, I just want to be responsible. Life is to short not to have fun!
77. I love guns! Especially anything that is German, Belgium or Austrian made. H&K is my favorite firearms manufacturer.
78. I've never been admitted to the Hospital or had any broken bones (unless you count my nose). I have had stitches a few times.
79. I worked for the same company for almost 12 years after high school, I was promoted to a good job and was paid well for it. Then one day out of the blue they locked the doors and went out of business after 101 years! I was devastated at the time but looking back now it has been a blessing. My life definitely wouldn't have turned out the way it has if that company would have stayed open. I never would have moved to Utah or met my wife.
80. I like buying new neckties but I'm very, very picky!
81. I love for the house to be cool. And by cool I mean Polar Bears can probably live here.
82. My favorite season is Fall.
83. If we ever lived back in Utah I'd like to learn how to snowboard. We don't get enough snow here, mostly ice.
84. I got a speeding ticket the second week I was in Utah. 47 in a 40!!! They must not like people from Indiana.
85. I DO NOT like dealing with insurance company's! It always seems to turn into such a hassle!
86. I love American history. I'll read pretty much anything about it.
87. I've always wanted to go to Salem, Massachusetts for Halloween! Lot's of fun stuff to do then! See here: http://www.hauntedhappenings.org/
88. My car is paid for and has 142,000 miles on it. I'm determined to get at least 250,000 out of it!
89. The smell of mustard makes me gag!
90. I have a VERY hard time of forgiving people. If someone does something bad that affects me, my family or my friends it's just hard for me to let it go. But I'm working on that.
91. I'm a member of a private, invitation only, vintage sports card and memorabilia group & message board that boasts several members with million dollar+ collections. My wife lovingly refers to it as "The Geek Site"! LOL =)
92. The Emerald is my favorite gemstone.
93. I miss 2am Betos runs!
94. I'm very happy with my life right now and I can only see things getting better!
95. Growing up I had the absolute best parents anyone could ever ask for! And at the same time I see lots of little things that I will do differently with my own kids!
96. When it comes to church I can not tell you how much I prefer going to a ward over a branch! And with that being said, there are a lot of really great people that go to our branch!
97. Spicy Chicken flavored Ramen Noodles and Hot Sauce has to be the best cheap lunch on the planet! =)
98. My family and friends will always be my greatest assets!
99. I love to watch cheesy 1950's-60's Sci-Fi movies.
100. I love my hot wifey more and more each day!

OH MY THIGHS

2008-07-21T12:56:00.006-05:00

Here it is people, the weekly weigh-in:

151.0

crap.

I gained 4.8 pounds in 10 days. That's a gain of almost 1/2 a pound a day. That's disgusting.

It's gotta stop and it is going to. I left for vacation with high expectations of eating well with occasional desserts and exercising every day. What I actually did was eat horribly, in fact most of the food I ingested was of the dessert type, and I never exercised at all. I did walk down the beach once but it was a very slow walk, so it doesn't really count.

I jumped back on the weight loss band wagon yesterday and I feel so much better. I don't know why it is so hard for me to remember how crappy I feel when I am not being healthy and how good I feel when I am being healthy but it is.

I am so glad that we do not on a regular basis buy any type of junk for the house. It is very difficult for me to have self-control if it is right there. I found myself eating way too many times to mention just because there was food in front of me. Yuck. I think it's important to know your limitations and what you can handle. Instead of saying, "I should have self-control when there is a box of cookies in the house," I recognize that I don't have that self-control, I will devour the entire thing along with a gallon of milk, so I do not bring it into my house. :) I have to be realistic about what I can do right now, not how I wish I was. Work with what you've got!

Good luck to any who are joining me on losing weight! Make good choices and when you don't, MOVE ON!

WE'RE BACK. . .

2008-07-19T17:15:00.001-05:00

and I for one, am not happy about it.

post and pictures to come soon. probably tomorrow. or whenever I get out of my post-vacation funk/depression and can look at the pictures without crying. it really was that amazing.

OUT OF HERE!

2008-07-12T03:14:00.001-05:00

We are headed to the beach! Yay! We won't be back until July 19. I won't be posting my weigh-in on Monday because I'm anal about weighing on the same scale. My weight as of this morning is 146.2 but I'm not worried about it because it's TTOM. We'll talk at ya when we get back!

Woohoo!!! Vacation here we come!

EPIPHANY

2008-07-08T11:45:00.006-05:00

I had an epiphany today. I was emailing a friend regarding weight loss and I found myself writing this:

I have slowly learned that you cannot have the "all or nothing" attitude with weight loss or you will fail. Guaranteed. Want to know why? Because you are not perfect. You never will be. Accept it. Own it. MOVE ON. When you mess up, acknowledge it. Tell yourself, that was a crappy decision. Whether it was to eat that piece of cake or to skip a workout you chose it and you can now MOVE ON and choose differently. You are never going to hit 100% all the time. And even on those random (and they are random for me) weeks when everything goes well and you get all your cardio in and you stay right at your calorie level, your body might decide to laugh at you and gain 1/2 a pound instead of dropping the 2-3 pounds it should have. MOVE ON. You do have to be making a consistent effort to choose the right things the majority of the time, not only because it will hopefully help you lose weight, but because it's good for you. So if week to week you are not seeing the exact results you want (and trust me, you won't) you can have the satisfaction of knowing that you are making your body and life healthier.

And that is a good feeling.

Am I good or what?! ; )

I hope that this can help someone else out there who may be struggling, because it sure helped me.

And guess what? I ate a big bowl (I mean a BIG bowl) of ice cream (not just ice cream, vanilla with chocolate fudge swirled through it) tonight at my sister in laws. And I skipped my workout. Those were some crappy choices.

Now I'm moving on.

REESA'S MONDAY WEIGH IN

2008-07-07T07:04:00.002-05:00

I'm down to. . .

146.0!

Wohoo! I didn't think I would be down at all, so I am very pleased! Yay!!!!

STRAIGHT TALK

2008-07-06T21:29:00.004-05:00

Okay, people, I have totally sucked it up this last week. I only worked out once and my prayer and scripture study have been horrible. I didn't even update my weekly goals with my calories because I was horrible about keeping track of them. Now don't get me wrong, about 75% of the time I was pretty close to right on track with them. However, 75% is not going to get me the results I am looking for.

I was complaining to my sweet hubby that I get so frustrated. I feel like I have worked so hard and then I realized that in 3 months I have only lost 11 pounds. But, if I'm really honest with myself, I very seldom give 100 percent to my weight loss efforts. I have also noticed a trend. If I don't exercise, I seem to relax on my eating habits. So, the new goal is to do my workout in the morning (good morning, 5 am) and be more honest in my efforts. Hopefully that will keep me on track during the day. I do just fine during the day because I am at work, but when I get home I just want to snack all night.

Tomorrow morning is the day of truth. WEIGH IN.

Peace out my homies.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

2008-07-04T11:57:00.002-05:00

God bless the USA and those

who have,

who will,

who do,

fight for our freedoms.

I am proud to be an American.

CHECK IT OUT

2008-07-02T15:55:00.001-05:00

These are pretty interesting. Some are funny, some are cute, some are just "oh brother." I like them.

CAN I GET A WOOHOO?!

2008-07-02T15:21:00.005-05:00

PEOPLE. . .

WE ARE NOW IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. . .

FORT MORGAN ALABAMA HERE WE COME!

Here's a picture of the house we are staying in.

This is what I will be doing for one blissful, relaxing week.

I know, I would be jealous if I were you too. ; )

WEEKLY GOALS

2008-06-30T14:20:00.008-05:00

So even though my weigh in this week SUCKED, I haven't lost my drive. In fact, I am more determined to show a loss next week. Watch me go!

GOALS	M	T	W	R	F	S	S
AM PRAYER	N	N	Y	N	N	N	N
SCRIPTURES	N	N	Y	Y	N	Y	Y
60+ MIN CARDIO	N	N	N	N	Y	N	~
PM PRAYER	N	N	N	N	N	Y
1200 CALORIES	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N

Mon - 0 minutes cardio, 0 minutes burned, 1146 calories in
Tue- 0 minutes cardio, 0 calories burned, 1413 calories in
Wed - 0 minutes cardio, 0 calories burned, 1269 calories in
Thu -
Fri -
Sat -
Sun -

Things I learned last week:
~I cannot maintain a 90 minute cardio workout daily for more than 3 days in a row. My body does not like it yet and I am definitely not fit enought YET for it.
~It is very easy for me to get distracted from meeting my small, but very important goals of daily prayer and scripture study. I need to keep my priorities in line.
~I cannot keep a bag of hershey's extra creamy milk chocolate with almonds and toffee pieces in the house. I do not have self-control (hence the 1600 calories I took in Sunday. 500 of those were this blasted, lovely candy.)
~I'm getting sick of incline interval training. But it is effective. Blast. I'll keep at it for now.

MONDAY WEIGH IN

2008-06-30T12:37:00.010-05:00

On Monday June 23, I weighed in at

147.0

Today Monday June 30, I weighed in at

147.4

WHAT?!

Just in case you're wondering, here's a recap of last weeks calories in and burned:

Mon - 30 minutes cardio, 200 calories burned, 1300 calories in
Tue - 90 minutes cardio, 579 calories burned, 1200 calories in
Wed - 74 minutes cardio, 518 calories burned, 1350 calories in
Thu - 60 minutes cardio, 415 calories burned, 1188 calories in
Fri - 0 minutes cardio, 0 calories burned, 1190 calories in
Sat - 60 minutes cardio, 412 calories burned, 1309 calories in
Sun - rest day, 1629 calories in

So my weekly total take in was: 9166.
My weekly total burned through cardio was: 2124.

I found some websites (my favorite) that calculate a rough estimate of how many calories your body needs daily to maintain normal bodily functions (called your BMR or basal metabolic rate) based on your height, weight, age and gender and they averaged around 1450 give or take a few. They then tell you a number to multiply that by to factor in your daily activity caloric needs. I factored mine at sedentary(1.2) because I sit at a desk for 8 to 10 hours a day. 1450 x 1.2 = 1740. So my body needs roughly 1740 calories daily to maintain my present body weight. That would put my weekly calorie needs at 12,180.

My body "needs" 12,180 calories. I took in 9,166. I burned, through cardio, 2124. That gives me a deficit of 5138. Since 1 pound of fat = 3500 calories, I should have lost at least a pound if not more.

Now don't get me wrong, I realize that these are all estimates and can be slightly off one way or the other but even if my deficit is off by 1500 calories I still should have lost some weight. I worked my butt off (I thought)

Can someone please explain to me why I didn't lose any weight and in fact gained some?!

MONDAY WEIGH IN!!!!

2008-06-23T06:55:00.006-05:00

Last Monday, June 16, I weighed 150.6

Today, June 23, I weigh . . . 147.0

Woohoo!!!! Down 3.6 pounds in one week!!! Let me tell ya, it feels great!

REESA'S GOALS 6/23 - 6/29

2008-06-22T19:46:00.009-05:00

Here's my goals for the next 7 days. Check back on this post throughout the week if you're wondering how I'm doing. Tomorrow is weigh in day and I am so excited!!!

GOALS	M	T	W	R	F	S	S
AM PRAYER	N	Y	N	N	N	N	N
SCRIPTURES	N	Y	N	N	N	Y	Y
90 MIN CARDIO	N	Y	N	N	N	N	N
PM PRAYER	N	Y	N	N	N	N	N
1200 - 1350 CALORIES	N	Y	Y	N	N	Y	N

THE CUTEST BABY SHOES!

2008-06-22T19:01:00.004-05:00

If you're looking for a great gift for anyone with a baby or toddler check this out!

http://www.jonniebean.blogspot.com/

Excerpt from her website:
"Welcome to the newest thing in baby shoes. . . We make each pair of shoes with quality materials and stylish embellishments.These lightweight shoes have sturdy elastic which will prevent you from ever having to find shoes that mysteriously fell off of your baby's foot. They're also great for new walkers."

They are super cute and very affordable especially since they are handmade! My good friend Bonnie makes them. She is great so buy her shoes! Love ya Bon!

REESA'S FRIDAY GOALS

2008-06-20T10:50:00.003-05:00

~a.m. prayer: MET!
~a.m. scripture study: MET!
~p.m. cardio - 90 minutes: NOT MET, 60 MIN, 415 CALORIES
~p.m. evening prayer: MET!
~1200 nutritious calories in: MET!
~get items ready for yard sale tomorrow: MET!

**Pauly and I are baby-sitting the great-nephews today at their house. The food temptations are out of control. I will be stronger! Wish me luck!

REESA'S THURSDAY GOALS

2008-06-19T08:45:00.003-05:00

Here we go again!

~a.m. prayer: NOT MET
~a.m. scripture study: NOT MET
~p.m. cardio - 90 minutes: NOT MET, 60 MINUTES, 415 CALORIES
~p.m. evening prayer: NOT MET
~1200 nutritious calories in: NOT MET, OVER BY 56 CALORIES

**I overslept. Alot. It threw me off for the entire day. Oh well, moving on!

REESA'S WEDNESDAY GOALS

2008-06-18T08:59:00.003-05:00

~a.m. prayer: MET!
~a.m. scripture study: MET!
~p.m. cardio - 90 minutes: NOT MET, BUT I'M OKAY WITH THAT
~p.m. weights - 20 minutes: NOT MET
~p.m. evening prayer: MET!
~1200 nutritious calories in: NOT MET, BUT I DIDN'T GO OVER BY MUCH!

I weighed myself and I am down to 148! That is already a 2.6 pound loss! I'm not counting it yet, because I only want my weekly weigh-in on Monday to be what I officially go by, but I am so excited and even more motivated! Yay!!!

REESA'S TUESDAY GOALS

2008-06-16T21:14:00.006-05:00

~a.m. prayer: MET!
~a.m. scripture study (at least 10 minutes of real STUDY): MET!
~p.m. cardio - 90 minutes: MET! 618 CALORIES BURNED!
~p.m. weights - 20 minutes (since I missed last night): NOT MET, BUT I DID DO 10 MINUTES
~p.m. 20 min. pilates: NOT MET, BUT I DID DO 10 MINUTES
~p.m. evening prayer: NOT MET, OOPS!
~1200 nutritious calories in: MET!

REESA'S MONDAY GOALS

2008-06-15T20:58:00.014-05:00

~1200 nutritious calories in: MET!
~a.m. cardio - 30 minutes: MET - 30 MIN., 215 CAL.!
~a.m. prayer: MET!
~a.m. scripture study (at least 10 minutes of real STUDY): MET!
~p.m. cardio - 60 minutes: MET - 60 MIN., 421 CAL.!
~p.m. weights - 20 minutes: NOT MET :(
~p.m. FHE: MET! PAULY WAS IN CHARGE OF HIS FIRST FHE LESSON AND HE DID A GREAT JOB!
~p.m. evening prayer: MET!
~morning weigh in: 150.6

So those are my goals. Check this post Tuesday morning to see which ones (of course it will be all) I met! Also, my stats will be coming shortly in the sidebar. Weigh-in is Monday morning!

**Update: I forgot about the weight lifting until it was too late to do it. I will get it in tomorrow with my pilates. 7 out of 8 isn't too bad! :)
***Update: Scratch that, I have an enrichment activity Tuesday night and won't be able to do it all. I will try to get as much done in the time I have.

I'D LOST MY MOJO; BUT I THINK I'VE FOUND IT!

2008-06-15T20:37:00.002-05:00

So here's the deal.

Since April I have been working to lose weight. Okay, okay that's not true. During April and part of May I worked hard to lose weight. Then I injured my hip/groin area (probably one of the sexiest injuries to have) and I had to stop working out while I let it heal. Unfortunately for me, I seem to be an all or nothing kind of girl, so I slacked on my eating also. Then I went to Young Women's Camp where they fed us 3 delicious meals plus lots of snacks, daily (think biscuits and gravy, pulled pork sandwiches, Parmesan chicken, and brownies; I was in heaven!) So I gained 4 pounds. The really sad part of that story - before the 4 pounds of butter joined my hips and stomach, I was only

pounds away from a 10 pound loss! (Which would have been an 18 pound loss since I was last in Utah!) Needless to say I became very discouraged. I have lost 2 of the 4 pounds so that's good, but I am still really struggling. So, now for my idea. I am going to go out on a limb here and use this blog to motivate myself to kick my own butt into gear. I know what I should be doing and now I will have some extra accountability.

I AM GOING TO BLOG ABOUT MY WEIGHT LOSS. I AM GOING TO EMBARRASS MYSELF BY POSTING MY ACTUAL WEIGHT. I AM GOING TO POST WEEKLY EATING AND EXERCISE GOALS AND THEN I AM GOING TO BE HONEST ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT I MET THEM.

I know, extreme, but I'm hoping it works. So, if any of you other ladies want to join me, feel free. Please leave comments and let me know if you are doing the same thing on your blog. Don't worry, you don't have to share you actual weight, just I do!

Wish me luck!

THE CHALLENGE

2008-06-08T20:55:00.003-05:00

Caity challenged her blogging buddies to post pictures of themselves in their wedding dresses, so here are mine!

MOVIE REVIEW: LEATHERHEADS

2008-05-30T20:32:00.002-05:00

As men, there are just some movies we have to see. For instance, it is mandatory, as men, to see any and all sports related movies. And be forewarned, merely seeing such movies is not enough; we, as men, must go on and on, and rant and rave about how good said sports movies are even if some of said sports movies are terrible. We are MEN, and that's what we do! Let me state for the record, that unlike some other men, I do indeed like almost all sports movies, from 61*, to Field of Dreams, to Eight Men Out. There's just something about competitive sports that not only holds my interest (which is rare with anything) but also lights an inner fire. Competition is about winning, plain and simple, and nothing captures that better than a well made sports movie!

With that being said and compounded with the fact that I am a football fanatic, I was highly anticipating the opening of the movie Leatherheads. The movie stars George Clooney, aka Dodge Connolly, a charming and tough football hero, who is determined to guide his team from bar brawls to packed stadiums. But after the players lose their sponsors and the entire league faces collapse, Dodge convinces a college football star to join his team. Dodge hopes his latest move will help the struggling sport finally capture the country’s attention. This ushers in Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski), a supposed golden boy war hero who single handedly forced a group of German soldiers to surrender in WWI. Carter has dashing good looks and unparalleled speed on the field. This new kid is almost too good to be true, and Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger) aims to prove that’s the case. A small time journalist playing in the big leagues, Lexie is a spitfire newswoman who suspects there are holes in Carter’s war story. While she seductively digs into Carter Rutherford's past, the two teammates start to become serious off field rivals for her affections. As the new game of pro football in 1925 becomes less like the free wheeling sport he knew and loved, Dodge must fight to keep his guys together and to get the girl of his dreams.

You can instantly tell that this movie was not only going to be set in the "old days", but they actually wrote and shot it to feel like an old style Hollywood film. To me, the movie had a bit too much old school, slap stick, 1920's Charlie Chaplin style comedy molded into it and I think the movie would have been MUCH, MUCH better without it. I especially loved (sarcasm) the scene where Carter and Dodge punch each other for what seems like half an hour and yet neither of them shows any blood or even as much as a black eye!!! This film had a great cast, great costumes and most importantly a great story line.....that's why I was so disappointed with it. Mr. Clooney, you could have done better!

I give it two and a half stars:

Arrrr!!! Time for the Redlegs to "Walk the Plank"!!

2008-05-29T10:02:00.011-05:00

That's right kids! This afternoon we're making the trek over to Cincinnati, OH to go here:

Great American Ballpark is our exact destination and hopefully we will witness my beloved PITTSBURGH PIRATES defeat the Cincinnati Reds!
It should be a great game and it's a beautiful sunny day today; a perfect day to be at the ballpark with my hot wifey! This is my first Pirates game of the year and my wifey's first MLB game ever so needless to say, we're excited!!!

What an AWESOME Memorial Day weekend!!!

2008-05-27T21:35:00.006-05:00

Saturday Reese and I just hung out around the house most of the day and then went over to my sisters later in the afternoon to hang out by the pool, and we ended up having pizza with them. I just so happened to check and see if there were any baseball games on and I was ecstatic to see that my beloved Pittsburgh Pirates were playing the Chicago Cubs and it was coming on the tube in 30 minutes!!!! So I settled in for some Pirates baseball while Reese & Lorrie went shopping. It was an awesome game that lasted 14 innings with the Pirates finally coming out on top 5-4! Sunday we went to church and then back to my sisters to catch the Sunday Pirates/Cubs game. Well, actually only I watched the game while everyone else hung out by the pool! LOL It was another close game but the Pirates finally pulled off the win in the 11th inning! On Memorial Day (Monday) my family all got together for a BBQ! I was the master chef, grilling enough food for a small Army and everyone brought lots of great stuff to eat! Reese made some killer Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies that were to DIE FOR!!!! Mmmm...sooooooo GOOD! (Thanks to Caity for the recipe!)

All in all if was a fantastic Memorial Day weekend! I got to spend lots of time with my wifey and my family which was awesome and I caught 25 innings of Pirates baseball! Life is swell! I hope everyone had a great holiday as well!

Later!

THE ABC's TO HAVING A GOOD PMA! (Positive Mental Attitude)

2008-05-15T09:59:00.005-05:00

To achieve your dreams, remember your ABC's!

Avoid negative sources, people, places, things and habits.
Believe in yourself!
Consider things from every angle.
Don't give up and don't give in.
Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone.
Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them out and enjoy their riches.
Give more than you planned to.
Hang on to your dreams.
Ignore those who try to discourage you.
Just do it, you can do anything!
Keep doing no matter how hard it seems, it will get easier.
Love yourself first and most, go ahead, it's OK!
Make it happen!
Never lie, cheat or steal, always strike a fair deal.
Open your eyes and see things as they really are.
Practice makes perfect.
Quitters never win and winners never quit.
Read, study and learn about everything important in your life.
Stop procrastinating!
Take control of your own destiny.
Understand yourself in order to better understand others.
Visualize your goals and dreams.
Want it more than anything and then go for it, don't let anyone stop you!
Xcellerate your efforts.
You are unique of all God's creations, nothing can replace you.
Zero in on your target and go for it!

As some of you already know I got laid off from my job last Thursday. It's sucks because the job market is terrible here and needless to say, I struggled with this for a few days. But, I'm happy to say that I've turned my attitude around, were going to move forward, things will get better and we will be stronger because of this. I know, I have faith!

Paul.

THINGS I JUST KNOW YOUR DYING TO KNOW ABOUT ME! (Paul)

2008-05-10T11:52:00.011-05:00

1. EVER GIVEN AN ENGAGEMENT Ring? Yes, to my hot-hot wifey!
2. LONGEST RELATIONSHIP? Less than a year.
3. LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED? Reese gave me a book and an eBay gift card for our anniversary.
4. EVER DROPPED A CELL PHONE? Many, Many times.
5. WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU WORKED OUT? This morning.
6. THING(S) YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON? My wife.
7. LAST FOOD YOU ATE? Egg Sandwich and a protein drink for breakfast.
8. FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX? Eye's....no, really!
9. ONE FAVORITE SONG? That changes day by day.
10. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Craptacular Owensboro, KY.
11. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED: South Spencer High School in Reo. Indiana.
12. CELL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER: AT&T
13. FAVORITE MALL STORE: Pac Sun
14. LONGEST JOB YOU HAD: 12 years....then one day they closed the doors.
15. DO YOU OWN A PAIR OF DICE? I don't think so.
16. DO YOU PRANK CALL PEOPLE?: Not since I was about 12.
17. LAST WEDDING YOU ATTENDED: My own!
18. FIRST FRIEND YOU'D CALL IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY: My Wife!
19. LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR BEST FRIEND: This morning.
20. FAVORITE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT: Taco Bell
21. BIGGEST LIE YOU HAVE EVER HEARD: My pigs having babies, can't come to work!
23. WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT WITH FRIENDS? Whatever.
24. CAN YOU COOK? Like a master Chef!
25. WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE?: 1999 Olds Cutlass. I'm determined to get to 250,000 miles out of it! I'm only at 140,000 now.
26. BEST KISSER: Me! =) LOL!
27. LAST TIME YOU CRIED?: ?????
28. MOST DISLIKED FOODS: Sushi! Gag!
29. THING YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF: I'm pretty handsome! =)
30. THING YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF: I need to loose more weight.
32. LONGEST SHIFT YOU HAVE WORKED AT A JOB?: 23 hours straight, they finally forced me to go home.
33. FAVORITE MOVIE? Probably the 3rd Pirates of the Caribbean.
34. CAN YOU SING? You tell me.
35. LAST CONCERT ATTENDED? I don't remember what was the last.
36. LAST KISS? My wifey!
37. LAST MOVIE RENTED: THEM ....from the library.
38.ONE THING YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT: Cell Phone.
39. FAVORITE VACATION SPOT?: Disney World!!!
43. LAPTOP OR DESKTOP COMPUTER?: Laptop
44. FAVORITE COMEDIAN?: ?????
45. DO YOU SMOKE? Nope!
46. SLEEP WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES? With.
47. WHO SLEEPS WITH YOU EVERY NIGHT?: My wife.
48. DO LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS WORK?: Nope.
49. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE? Way to many!
50. PANCAKES OR FRENCH TOAST? Pancakes.
51. DO YOU LIKE COFFEE?: Like it but don't drink it anymore.
52. HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS? Cooked hard.
53. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY?: Nope.
54. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?: My sister Lorrie.
55. LAST PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALL LIST?: Freddie from work.
56. WHAT WAS THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE YOU RECEIVED?: Me too!!! It sucks!!!
58. NUMBER OF PILLOWS?: 3
59. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?: Khaki shorts and a black t-shirt.
60. PICK A LYRIC, ANY LYRIC: Quick to the point to the point no faking I'm cooking MC's like a pound of bacon!
61. WHAT KIND OF JELLY DO YOU LIKE ON YOUR PB & J?: Strawberry
62. CAN YOU PLAY POOL?: Yup! I want a pool table in my house one day!
63. CAN YOU SWIM? Yes.
64. FAVORITE ICE CREAM?: Butter Pecan
65. DO YOU LIKE MAPS? Um..yea...ok.
66. TELL ME A RANDOM FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: When it comes to stuff I'm not interested in I'm a procrastinator.
68. EVER ATTEND A THEME PARTY?: yes, many.
69. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON: Fall & Winter
70. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED AT SOMETHING STUPID? I pretty much only laugh at stupid things.
71. WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP THIS MORNING ? 7:28am
72. BEST THING ABOUT WINTER?: SNOW!
73. LAST TIME A COP GAVE YOU A TICKET?: The first week I moved to Utah! LOL 55 in a 40mph zone.
75. NAME OF YOUR FIRST PET?: Yeller...it was a yellow Lab.
76. DO YOU THINK PIRATES ARE COOL OR OVERRATED?: I am a Pirate so I can tell you they are WAY COOL!!!
77. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WEEKEND?? Going grocery shopping and to a car show/street festival.
78. BIRTHDATE: December, 5th.
79. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE: Self Made!
85. ARE YOU ON A LAPTOP?: Yes.
87. ARE YOU SMILING?: Um...no.
89. DO YOU MISS SOMEONE RIGHT NOW: Only my Dad. He passed in 2002.
90. IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Germany!
92. ARE YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL?: LOL No. Although I probably still act like it! LOL
93. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?: Just my hot wifey!
94. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NAME? Can't tell, someone else may use it!
95. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHING SUIT?: Blue & White board shorts with white flowers.
96. DOES YOUR SCHOOL START IN AUGUST?: Around here, yes.
97. DID YOU GO ON VACATION LAST MONTH?: Nope. But were going to Cincinnati to see the Reds & Pirates on 5/29!!! Go BUCS!!!
98. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A CRUISE?: 2 and I loved them!!! I love being out at sea......because I'm a Pirate ya know? =)
99. DO YOU HAVE A SISTER?: Yup, 3!
100. ARE YOU UPSTAIRS?: Yes
101. ARE YOU IN LOVE?: With my wife!
102. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL? Thankfully no!
103. DO YOU WISH YOU COULD SEE ANYONE PARTICULAR RIGHT NOW? My Dad.
104. WHAT JEWELRY ARE YOU WEARING? Wedding ring and my bling-bling watch.
105. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THIS SURVEY? Something way more fun that's for sure!

QUICK UPDATE

2008-05-06T21:01:00.000-05:00

I've been working really hard this last month at losing some weight and being healthier. I've had good and bad days, but the good have definitely outweighed the bad!

Here's the lowdown: (4/4/08 - 5/4/08)

Down 7 pounds (for those of you who saw me in September when I went to Utah, I am down 15 pounds since then!)

1/2" off waist
1" off hips
3/4" off thighs
1/2" off butt
My arms and calves have the same measurments.

All in all I am really proud of myself! I've worked hard, stuck with it and I have no desire to go back to my lazy, overeating ways! I feel so much better and have so much more energy! Yay for being healthy(er)!!

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW.......

2008-05-06T02:45:00.000-05:00

Getting up at 2:30 a.m. to go to work SUCKS! But with that being said I'm thankful to have my job and at least it's not this early all the time! =)

Now I'm out the door.....Later Kids!

Paul.

COINCIDENCE. . .?

2008-04-30T10:57:00.000-05:00

I was sending Pauly a text telling him I wished we could snuggle in bed all day, watch movies and eat chocolate. I have predictive text on my phone and when I tried to spell the word 'eat' my phone predicted I was spelling FAT.

Coincidence? I think not.

Excuse me while I go eat a banana.

OH, THE LOVE

2008-04-27T18:47:00.000-05:00

I have the best husband ever. Period. No discussion, this is not a debate, so don't try to tell me that yours is better. MINE. IS. THE. BEST. EVER!!!!

Example:
When we sit on the couch, I always sit sideways. He always lets me put my freezing cold feet under his leg to warm them up.
When we go to bed, he lets me put my freezing cold feet all over his warm feet and legs to warm them up.

People, he never complains. EVER. He very sweetly warms me up.

I rest my case.

INDULGE ME

2008-04-26T15:31:00.000-05:00

I am really missing my sister Jess.

Isn't she gorgeous?! Yeah, that's what I thought.

She is on her mission in Peru.

Which, in case you didn't know, is not ANYWHERE near Kentucky.

So, please indulge me as I reminisce.

The first picture was when we first moved into our house in Sugarville. She was the cutest baby ever. She had these great big green eyes and she was always so tiny and petite. My dad used to call her 'tweezer bum' because she was so little you could pinch her bum with a pair of tweezers! Did I mention that I have a very handsome, BLOND brother. I was always so jealous of his blond hair.

The second was in California visiting our great-grandparents. I carried Jess around like she was my baby until she was 7! I loved playing mommy to her. Don't get me wrong, though, we had our moments. I can remember that when she made me mad, I would tell her that I was divorcing her and she couldn't be my sister anymore!

The third is swinging on the rope at our Auntee Sue's house in Washington.

The fourth was at our house in Sugarville. We were petting our dog Chevy Chase. (He chased a rabbit one day and never came home.)

The first picture is of us at our power tumbling meet. That's right, folks, I was a power tumbler. Hard to believe, but it's true.

The second picture is our new Christmas dresses. My granny dork always bought us Christmas dresses and it was so fun to go shopping to try them on and pick them out!

This was just 2 or 3 years ago. She adores me, what can I say?!

This was my wedding day. I was so excited to have her as my maid of honor.

This was when I flew home to see her right before she left. We're probably the cutest girls ever!

Well, thanks for walking down memory lane with me. I have to go buy a new box of tissue because I just used my last one.

MY HUBBY

2008-04-25T15:26:00.000-05:00

What is his name? Paul Edward Lehr, Jr.
How long have you been married? Just over 1 year
How long did you date? 5 months and 3 days. What can I say, when it's right, it's right!
How old is he? 34
Who eats more sweets? Probably me
Who is taller? He is. He's 6 feet, I'm 5 feet!
Who can sing better? Probably me, he doesn't really ever sing.
Who is smarter? Oh, him for sure, he was smart enough to try to win me over! he he
His favorite food? Anything mexican
His favorite sport? Football. Go Steelers!
Who does the laundry? Both, but I do it a little more.
Who pays the bills? I Do
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you're standing at the foot of the bed facing it then I do.
Who mows the lawn? We don't have a lawn to mow, but when we do, I will be the one mowing!
Who drives? Probably half and half.
Who kissed who first? He did. He was my first kiss and it kind of freaked me out. But I sure liked it!
Who asked who out first? He asked me. He asked me multiple times and I kept telling him no because I was worried he might be a psycho (or the next Ted Bundy.) Then I gave in and the rest is history! Yay for Pauly's persistence!
Who proposed? Neither, we just started talking about getting married about 3 weeks after we started dating.
Who has more siblings? He does- He has 6 living and 2 deceased and I have 2.
Who wears the pants? We both do on the important things, but he likes to spoil me on the little things so I get to call the shots alot.

I love you so much Pauly! You are my bestest friend and I love being your wife! You're amazing and I thank Heavenly Father every day for bringing you into my life!

PAUL'S THURSDAY MORNING RANDOMNESS.

2008-04-24T05:49:00.000-05:00

1) Gas prices are NUT'S! There is absolutely no excuse for gas to be getting so expensive so fast! I used to want to buy a Cadillac CTS for our next car, now, I think I'd be much happier with ANYTHING that would get 30+ miles to a gallon!

2) I want to learn how to play golf! Yes at one time hitting a little white ball around a field and into a hole seemed more than mind numbingly boring but I've recently taken an interest in the game. After all, everyone knows I'm a Mini Golf Master so I guess I'm just subconsciously progressing to the next level! Watch your back Tiger Woods, I'm coming!

3) We have really been checking out the housing markets lately and it amazes me how much difference there is in housing prices when you compare North Central Kentucky/South Central Indiana to the Salt Lake Vally! EVERYTHING in the Vally is easily $50k-$125k+ higher than it is here in KY/IN for a comparable home! Were not sure where our root will finally be planted with buying a home so for now were just trying to SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!!!

4) So, with my wifeys new weight loss/fitness endeavors in full swing it has really motivated me to get up off my butt, shed some unwanted weight and get back in shape! Summer time is fast approaching and a fit Pauly = an active Pauly = a fun Pauly! We have no junk food in the house to speak of, were motivated, were exercising almost every day (excluding Sundays) and we are both seeing results already! Were pretty rad....it's true! LOL

5) It's now less than 80 days till our VACATION! WooHoo! Were going to Fort Morgan, Alabama where my sister & brother-in-law got a beach house. Reese hasn't been to the beach since she was 8 and I haven't been for 2 1/2 years so needless to say, were pretty excited for the trip! I LOVE the ocean!!! I got that from my Dad I guess. As far back as I can remember until my Dad passed in 2002 he would plan 2-3 family trips to the beach every year and as a kid we ALWAYS went for 2 straight weeks EVERY summer. It was AWESOME! I miss those days!

Well it's now 6:34 a.m. here in KY, time to get ready for work and I'm sure I've probably bored you enough anyway.

LATER!

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PAULY

2008-04-19T21:33:00.000-05:00

My lovely wife Reese started this blog for us a few months ago and to date I've never made a single post....time for that to change! So most of Reese's friends probably don't know me or much about me since I was only around the utterly fantastic state of Utah for 7 months after we met! With that being said I thought I'd make my first blog post about non other than yours truly, the man, the myth, the legend.......ME.

Here are some of my likes/interests: First and foremost my hot wifey!, CHRISTMAS (I pretty much freak out over the Christmas season), traveling, guns, Cadillacs, boating, books/reading, football, baseball, hockey, museums, $$$making lots of money$$$, the ocean, Victorian houses, weightlifting and fitness (unfortunately that's been hit of miss the last year....but I'm back on track!), Pac Sun, music, dirt bikes, roller coasters, Disney World, anything to do with PIRATES...Arrr, demolition derbys, art of any kind, the color GREEN, rat rods and vintage cars in general, painting, Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi, aquariums, The Discovery Channel, sharks, vacation time, anything lime flavored, friends and MY FAMILY, 2 a.m. runs to Betos, the Pittsburgh Pirates & Steelers, Sunday afternoon football party's at my families, cheesy 1940's-60's sci-fi/monster movies, anything to do with the Civil War, anything old skool, Vans shoes, Dickie shorts, investing, hiking (although I rarley do it. LOL), Mexican food!, working (YES, I actually ENJOY working!), arcades, go-karts, Sunday afternoon drives to nowhere, going to cool shows, road trips and meeting rad new people!

And here are some of my dislikes: Rude and inconsiderate people, liars, smoking (can't stand to even be around it anymore), mustard (gag!), sushi (double gag!!), Coca-Cola, the color purple, shaving every day, sun burns, the Arizona heat, the wonderfully high humidity of Kentucky, holes in my socks, Oprah Winfrey (I'm convinced she IS the Devil!), living so far away from Utah, hunting (mostly because I can't sit still that long!), reality TV (it WILL rot your brain kids), dirty swimming pools, stuck up people, Mini Coopers, mini vans, pot holes, working more than 70+ hours a week (I did that for about 9 months!), stepping on thumb tacks, etc.

All in all I'm a way laid back guy who trys to enjoy life every day! I love my family, my friends, my wife and my life! I'll be posting a lot more in the future....and I'm sure your excited about that! =)

Until next time...........................

THE HONEYMOON IS OVER! : )

2008-04-19T20:30:00.000-05:00

Pauly is a snorer. A very loud snorer. He sounds like a dirt bike or a lawnmower, and occasionally he sounds like a ton of dynamite exploding. He snores whether he lies on his back, stomach, or side. Occasionally, he does that old man snore where his cheeks actually jiggle and then he sucks in air so fast and hard that he wakes himself up. It's pretty funny when I'm not actually trying to sleep!
I knew he snored before we got married, so I was prepared. I sleep in earplugs and have since the day we got married! It doesn't bother me and I think I sleep better than I used to since I don't hear much. I guess I'm trying to store up that sleep for when the little ones keep me up all night (that was not a pregnancy announcement, I repeat, that was NOT a pregnancy announcement.)
Pauly always starts the night on his back and I sleep on my side with my back to him. This started because it turned my ears even further away from him, because believe it or not, he snores so loud I can still hear him through my earplugs, but much more quietly. Well, on occasion he rolls onto his side so he is facing me and it always wakes me up because then his snoring self is right next my right ear. Which apparently is my amazingly sensitive ear that can detect this change in snore waves. I used to sweetly shake him and say, "baby, baby, you need to turn on your back, your snoring in my ear." He'd say, "sorry baby" and roll back over. Sometimes this happens a couple of times a night and others not at all. Then it became, shake shake, "Paul you need to move" and he would. Now it has progressed to my hand cupping his face and shoving him over. No sweet words, just a quick shove to the face. Isn't married life grand?! I love you Pauly, you crazy snoring monkey!

NEW ATTITUDE

2008-04-19T09:44:00.000-05:00

I have recently revamped my life. I realized that even with my progress in running, I was not losing any weight. NONE. Want to know why? Because I had the attitude that I could eat whatever I wanted because I'm a runner now. Oh, brother can we say "way to shoot yourself in the foot?" All together now! The reason I originally started trying to run was to lose weight, but somewhere along the way I lost sight of everything else I needed to do. So there I was, chubby and jogging. Let me tell ya'll, it's not as fun as it sounds. I don't recommend it, unless you are going to combine it with, oh, I don't know, calorie reduction and healthy eating. :) So, I have reassessed my life, made some new goals, found a wonderful website to help (sparkpeople.com, it's free and AMAZING!) and I have lost 5 pounds since April 4! Yay, 5 pounds in 2 weeks! I'm on a roll and I'm not stopping!
My next 5k is May 10. That weekend, Owensboro hosts it's famous Barbequefest! So, I'm going to run, and then eat Burgoo. I have no idea how to spell that or even what it is, but I hear it's amazing. I'll let ya'll know. Luvs to all!

NOTE TO SELF. . .

2008-04-11T14:04:00.000-05:00

I was getting my groove on, jogging on the treadmill to my favorite song, when I noticed sparks flying. Then, my thighs started to tingle. Pretty soon they were burning. What in the world?! Then, tiny flames starting dancing from inner thigh to inner thigh. My legs, which were scantily clad in teeny tiny shorts that I so should not be wearing yet, were rubbing together so hard and fast that I had started a fire! It's too bad that I didn't have a marshmallow or hot dog to roast. Yum. But, my lesson was learned, and I shall here on out stick to wearing my running PANTS. ; ) Yay for exercise!

I DID IT!!!!!

2008-03-24T17:43:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, March 22 I reached my goal of running a 5k!

I was so nervous the night before that I slept terribly. I woke up every couple of hours and I tossed and turned like crazy. My alarm went off at 6am and I stumbled out of bed. I was tired. I felt like I had only gotten a few hours of sleep; that made me really nervous. I got ready to head out the door by 7:15. Oh no, there went my spastic colon, I had to make a bathroom run. Or three! I ate some crackers with cheese, a fun size m&m and headed out the door with my hubby and some bottled water.

I had butterflies in my stomach. I was worried; was I really going to be able to do this without a treadmill to regulate my speed and without distance markers to push myself? I knew I had to try!

I registered and received my free t-shirt. Yay! Then came the wait time, sitting in the car with the heater blasting since it was only around 40 degrees. Brrr!! Everyone started lining up, it was time! I kissed my hubby for luck and took my place with the crowd. I set my ipod up; I had some killer running songs! They yelled go and we took off. The crowd quickly ran off MUCH faster than me, but I didn't care! I wasn't here to race anyone, I was here to prove to myself that I could do this!

It was cold. And windy. Very cold and very windy! But it felt so good to be moving my body with a destination and goal in mind instead of just running on the treadmill. My lungs were working harder than I was used to, dang cold and wind! I walked for about 30 seconds 2 or 3 times and jogged the rest of the time. I felt so good. Pretty soon my hands were too hot and sweaty to keep my gloves on so I stuck them in my jacket pockets. My nose started to run, but I had thought ahead and stashed some tissues in my pocket. I could see the 2 mile marker just ahead, I was more than half-way done!

When I had about a quarter mile left, I pushed myself. I ran faster, but then I felt like I might throw up. No good, had to slow it back down. I could see Paul and his sister Lorrie and her husband Ron waiting for me at the finish line. They were cheering me on! I ran past the guy with the cards and he yelled out my time: 38 minutes, 10 seconds. WHAT!? You mean I did it in under 40 minutes! NO WAY!!! I was so pumped!

I stopped jogging (because that's what you do when you finish a race) and walked around and talked with Ron and Lorrie and Paul. Lorrie only beat me by 2 minutes and Ron only beat me by about 10 minutes! Sweet. We took some pictures, and then the pain came (you'd think I had run a marathon with this story, but nope, I just did 3.1 miles.) All the muscles across my rib cage and around my back started to tighten up and I thought I was either going to be sick or pass out from the pain. Luckily, I didn't do either. After about 10 minutes of deep breathing to try to relax those muscles, the pain went away. Then we went to O'Charley's for our free breakfast. It was awesome. Ron and Lorrie both won 2nd place in their age divisions! Yay for them!!!

When I got home I soaked in the tub (and fell asleep!) I am so excited to keep going! My goal is to run a 5k every month from now through September. Then in October I am going to Bowling Green with Paul, Ron and Lorrie to do a 10k!

I am not trying to brag, I realize I'm not top of the line at this running thing, but I am so proud of myself! If you had told me three months ago that I was going to be running a 5k now, I would have laughed in your face! I am so excited with how far I have come and how much further I can go!!!

THE HOT SIGN IS ON!

2008-03-15T16:41:00.000-05:00

I have discovered Krispy Kreme and I shall love it FOREVER. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I have always liked doughnuts. If someone offers me one, I will usually eat it. However, I very seldom say to myself, "I think a doughnut will hit the spot." I usually say that about anything chocolate. :) Paul loves doughnuts, specifically hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts. What do I mean, "hot?" Brace yourself, because this will change your life. I knew nothing about it until Paul told me. I had heard of Krispy Kreme, but there is not many of them in Utah, at least not when I lived there. Here it is: Krispy Kreme makes their own doughnuts in house and when a fresh batch of original glaze are coming out of the oven and into the glaze, they turn their HOT sign on for everyone to see in all its glory! If you rush right over (just don't run anyone down, like I almost did while swerving through traffic) you can eat one while it's still warm and they melt, I am not kidding you, MELT in your mouth. There are not words to describe the joy your mouth and stomach will feel if you eat a hot glazed doughnut. And don't even think about buying any other type of doughnut and heating it up in the microwave, it won't even be close to the same (trust me, I tried.) So, if you have a Krispy Kreme nearby, heck, even if you don't and you have to drive 2 hours to get to one, you MUST try the hot doughnuts. You'll never be the same. I know I'm not.

GOOD TIMES WITH PAULY

2008-03-15T16:27:00.000-05:00

Paul is probably the funniest man I know. He constantly has me laughing and giggling with all the things he says and does. Here is some proof:

We were at Walmart one night and he decided to play dress-up. Needless to say, I was laughing so hard in the sporting goods section that I almost peed my pants. He really is so GREAT!

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

2008-03-15T16:07:00.000-05:00

Paul (who is the best husband EVER) gave me tickets to the Phantom of The Opera (amazing, isn't he) for Christmas. The performance was in Louisville, so we got all gussied up.

It was AMAZING! The singing was beautiful, the actors were perfect and the stage and effects blew me away! If you've seen the movie version, then you can understand how amazed I was that they were able to keep some of the same effects. When the show opened it was the auction scene that takes place in the dusty, dirty, old, theater. Then they hoisted the broken chandelier and it lit up and swung across part of the audience. They pulled all these gray curtains down and underneath everything was new and golden and sparkly.

It was awesome! I had the best time. Thanks Pauly!!

CHRISTMAS 2007 CATCHUP

2008-03-15T15:36:00.001-05:00

I am still trying to play catch up with this blog, so here are some pictures from Christmas 2007. The season started off for us on November 3. Yes, you heard me right, our CHRISTMAS season started in NOVEMBER. 3rd to be exact. Paul is CRAZY about all things Christmas (we've been buying decorations and ornaments since June) and he got so excited that we put up all our decorations and our trees (all 4 of them) on November 3. We had one regular tree, one 3 foot hodge-podge tree and 2 table top trees.

We also hosted some of Paul's family at our apartment for a Christmas Eve party and gift exchange. We had lots of yummy food and lots of laughter and fun.

We woke up Christmas day and opened our presents and stockings.

Then I made some killer (not literally, we are alive and quite healthy) breakfast quiche. It has been one of my family's traditions to eat quiche on Christmas morning and now I am continuing that tradition with my own family!

Yay for Christmas!

STUPID RAIN

2008-03-15T09:49:00.000-05:00

So, it's raining today, big surprise, and they postponed my 5k until next Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer that the weather will be good for running next week!

YAY FOR ME!

2008-02-28T08:29:00.000-06:00

I have been "training" (ha!) for a 5k that I am doing on March 15. I am so excited because last night on the treadmill I was able to push myself to do the whole distance and I only had to walk for a total of 8 minutes (two sets of 4 minutes!) I am so proud of myself because I really wasn't sure if I could do it. I kept chanting in my head "I can do it, I can do it." It was exciting because when I started, my goal was to jog 8 minutes, walk 4 minutes and repeat until I was done. Well, I followed that pattern twice but when I started my third 8-minute-jog I felt different and I just kept jogging for almost 15 minutes! It took 46 minutes, but right now I don't care how long it takes, I'm just focused on doing it! I feel like I have overcome a huge hurdle because I know that my lack of faith in myself was the only thing that was holding me back, and I have proved to myself that I CAN do this! I can't wait to get back on the treadmill and next week I'm going to start jogging outside! Woohoo!!!

OUR LOVE NEST

2008-02-10T18:29:00.000-06:00

Here's some pictures of our apartment at christmas.

This is the view when you walk in the

front door and look to your left.

This is the dining area which is to your

right when you walk through the door.This is the kitchen, where Paul works his magic

to create gourmet meals (he is a much better

cook than I am and I like it that way!)

Here's a great story: when Paul and I first moved into our apartment, we bought a bookshelf and a dvd shelf. I love to put furniture together so I quickly volunteered to do it. Well, Paul decided to cook dinner. His sister Lorrie called and asked what we were doing. He said, "well, my wife is in the front room building stuff, and I am in the kitchen doing the manly task of making dinner!" It was pretty funny!

This is our front room.

It is a very nice, big apartment and we have a pool so we both love it!

HALLOWEEN

2008-02-10T18:00:00.000-06:00

So, I'm trying to catch up a little with this blog. I realize that Halloween was more than 3 months ago, but I have some cute pictures of one of my nephews and two of my great-nephews.

Here is Joey. He is my sister-in-law Rhonda's youngest son. He was Gene Simmons from Kiss.

As you can see from the next picture he is as tall as I am and he's only in middle school! (Okay, it doesn't take much to be taller than me, go ahead make munchkin jokes.)

This is my great-nephew Stone. He is six and he was the headless horseman. Here's the genealogy: Paul's sister Lorrie - Lorrie's daughter Tisha (our niece) - Stone (our great-nephew.) I have inherited a very large, very CRAZY family, and I adore them all!!

This is my great-nephew Blaize. He is four. He was supposed to be a skeleton, but during the day he decided, "halloween is 'tupid, I hate it" and he would not put on his costume. They eventually got him into a hockey jersey. He is a wild child, but so much fun!

Aren't they so cute? Notice the green frankenstein pillow. . . I bought it because it's cute and it makes me think of Paul. he he he.

NEW GOAL!

2008-02-10T17:55:00.000-06:00

I've done it. Gone crazy. Completely off my rocker. I have decided to train to run a 5k on March 15th. That's only 5 1/2 weeks away. I am determined to do it even though I am not the least bit athletic. YET! Yay for me! Wish me luck!

A NEW ADDITION TO THE FAMILY?

2008-02-09T16:36:00.001-06:00

Paul would like to add a new little member to the family. I have been very reluctant to add said member to the family. Why, you ask? Because, said member would be a dog. Paul and I would both like to start having children, anytime in fact, but Paul would like to get a jumpstart on the whole perfect dream of one big happy family, not by having a child, but by getting a dog. Now, I am not an animal hater by any means, but I have never been a huge lover of animals. I think they are cute and even fun, sometimes, when they belong to other people. However, lately we have seen a bunch of very cute dogs, and since I have the best husband in the whole world, who would do anything for me, I have started to feel like a pill for having a no pet policy and denying him this one thing. So we have started talking about possibly getting one. Of course, I had to put a ton of restrictions on this possibility.

1. It has to be cute and cuddly. Not one or the other, but both. If we are going to have a pet running around us all the time I better be able to love on it. I realize that this criteria reveals what a shallow person I can be, but I'm okay with that. ;)
2. It must stay groomed and shed as little as possible.
3. It will only be my responsibility to take care of it when Paul is out of town or on his deathbed.

4. It must be trained to be very obedient, it is not allowed to get on any furniture, including the couch or bed, and it must not be allowed to jump on people.
5. It can not be a 'yippy' dog.

Now, Paul and I agree on lots of these things. But as the following examples of my ideal dog and his show, we don't agree on my number one rule.

Paul's ideal dog: the Italian Greyhound

Now Paul says that he thinks these dogs are cute and cuddly but I wonder if secretly he wants to try to make some extra money by running races around our apartment and taking bets.

Reesa's ideal dog: the Bichon Frise

Now that is one cute cuddly dog!

Do you see our dilemma?

CATCH UP

2008-02-09T15:04:00.001-06:00

Paul and I decided to create this blog together. I already had my own blog page, so this post is just a conglomeration of previous posts from my old page. I'm getting rid of my own page and just concentrating on this one! Enjoy. . .

7 weird things about ME
1. I ran over my own foot while driving a three-wheeler.
2. I say "a hundred" when I have nothing better to say (or want to be obnoxious.) 3. I get a headache when I go into Bath and Body Works for more than 37 seconds.
4. I bite the inside of my cheek when I am bored, tired, anxious, stressed, etc.
5. I used to want 12 kids (now 6 sounds about right.)
6. When I eat at Chile's, I like to sort through the chips and eat all the ones that are folded or stuck together. They are extra yummy!!!
7. I love to sleep and have slept for over 12 hours at a time, on numerous occasions, just because I could.

MY LIFE IN KENTUCKY
I live in Kentucky. I like it in Kentucky. But, I have a strange feeling that Kentucky does not like me. Since I have moved here I have been bitten by some type(s) of bug NUMEROUS times, two of which resulted in infections. The first time the bite just blistered and was sore, but healed up fairly quickly. Nothing to worry about, according to the nurse I work with. The second time, a spot roughly the size of my palm swelled up and hardened on my leg, turned a nasty red color and had a fever. Very painful. Time for the antibiotics, but then I developed a heinous yeast infection (one of the lovely side effects of killing the bad bacteria is that you kill the good bacteria that controls the naturally occuring yeast in your body.) Great. Two days after I was finished with that round of antibiotics, I developed strep throat. Two days! I mean give me a break. So now I am on antibiotics again and it is almost guaranteed that I will develop another yeast infection. So I have a prescription for that also. I have taken more medicine since I moved to Kentucky than I did in the last 7 years of living in Utah.
Now, I don't mind bugs. As long as they stay outside my home and do their own thing, we are fine. But in the following true story of my life in Kentucky, the bug definitely crossed the line!

This state is famous for horse racing and hillbillies. And boy does it have both! Something I didn't know it had was very large, very scary, MAN EATING CRICKETS!

Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little. They probably don't eat men, just small children, dogs and squirrels. My first experience (and, knock on wood, only) was right before bed. Not the best time to be attacked by a giant insect, let me tell you! I walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I felt a hair tickle my cheek and quickly brushed it back. As I was reaching for my toothbrush, it tickled my cheek again. I looked up in the mirror and realized there was a cricket sitting in my hair! As I mentioned before, it was a very large, very scary, MAN EATING CRICKET. I believe it was attempting to nibble my cheek, perhaps for a bedtime snack. Needless to say, I FREAKED OUT. While wildly flailing my arms to try to get the little (little, ha!) bugger out of my hair, I let out a scream. My windmilling arms hit a metal cup sitting on a shelf and the cricket and the cup simultaneously went flying through the air in opposite directions. The cricket landed on the floor while the cup bounced into the sink, onto the counter and plopped into the toilet. This clattering, coupled with my hysterical laughter, woke the entire house and probably the entire neighborhood. Of course, my courageous husband came to my rescue. He was trying to figure out what to do with the cricket. Should he squish it? I don't think so! Let me remind you it is a giant insect. There would be cricket guts all over the clean bathroom, not to mention the bottom of his shoe. Should he grab it with toilet paper? Believe me, if you had seen this cricket you would not have wanted to touch it through cardboard, let alone flimsy toilet paper! He settled on using a large bath towel to try to catch it. Of course, that smart insect knew death was knocking on his door and tried his hardest to avoid being caught. Lucky for us he hopped right towards the towel, instead of away from it and seemed content to hang out there. Paul then shook the towel over the toilet and the cricket plopped in. I am happy to report that he seemed very happy there; perhaps it was like a swimming pool to him. His little antennae wiggled and he just looked at us. I screamed, "You can't flush it down the toilet, the cup fell in there," followed by more hysterical laughter. But my ingenious husband used the water to his advantage. He smartly pulled almost the entire roll of toilet paper off the roll and plopped it on top of the cricket. The paper quickly started soaking up water, ensuring the cricket was stuck in the water. He reached in the toilet, pulled out the cup and flushed. VICTORY!!! Hopefully, the giant man eating cricket doesn't clog the pipes. . . So you see, I have reason to believe that Kentucky isn't as fond of me as I am of it.

GRATITUDE
I am so grateful for my faith and belief in God. It is such a comfort to know that He is there anytime I need Him and that if I turn to Him for guidance, my life will be the best that it can be.
I am so grateful for all the wonderful people I have in my life who love and support me.
I am grateful for those who have faith and act on it to better their lives and mine.
I am most grateful for my family. They are wonderful examples, friends, confidantes, and advice-givers! I love you guys!!!!
I am grateful that I am me. I am grateful that the Lord is constantly reaching out to me and just waiting until I humble myself enough to let Him mold me into the daughter of God He wants me to be. I am grateful that He has an infinite amount of patience and is always willing to forgive me. How blessed I am to know of the power of Our Savior and His Atonement.
Lastly, I am most grateful for my husband. He is such a wonderful man. He works so hard to provide for us and he is constantly letting me hear and feel his love for me. He is truly my best friend. We have so much fun together and he has proven time and time again that I can trust him with all my hopes, fear and dreams. I love you, you crazy monkey!

TORNADO
I had my first experience with tornadoes on Thursday, October 18, 2007. It was crazy and scary. Owensboro has a warning siren that goes off whenever conditions are right to create a tornado. It went off at least 3 times on Thursday. We did end up having a tornado touch down about 3 blocks from where my sister-in-law, Lorrie, lives. We had no idea until the next day. Crazy. There wasn't any damage or problems near our apartment, so we are very grateful for that. I am glad it's over!

RAINSTORM
I'm trying to get my blog caught up with my life so here is an experience from July. We had quite the thunderstorm. Paul's whole family was at the beach in Alabama and Paul was working a long shift so I was home all alone after work. I was reading Harry Potter in the den and realized it was getting dark. I thought it must be around 8 or 9, but I looked at my watch and it was only 5:30! The clouds were so dark! Then the wind started blowing. Then the thunder started booming. Pretty soon the lightning was cracking so close to the house that the thunder was booming before the lightning was done. I was freaking out. Then it started raining so hard that I could barely see the house behind us. It's maybe 20 steps from the back of the house, so that is alot of rain. I was freaking out anyways, then the power went out. Except for the lightning, it was PITCH BLACK. So, I went to the drawer where Lorrie keeps the flashlights. No flashlights. They had taken them ALL to the beach. I found one little box of matches that only had 3 left. I used the light that my cell phone puts off to gather up as many candles as possible. By this time I had texted Paul about a hundred times telling him to come home as soon as he could and I had almost started crying about a dozen times. I kept praying, "please don't let this be a tornado because I can't remember what Paul told me I'm supposed to do if there's a tornado." Very scary! Well, the power came back on about 2 hours later, thank goodness. Paul came home at the normal time and was so sorry because he didn't get any of my texts until it was time for him to leave! The rain stopped eventually but we ended up getting 6 inches in ONE hour! It was ridiculous! But, now I can say that I have weathered a terrible storm on my own! I told Paul that one of the first things we are buying for our apartment is one of those battery powered lanterns!

p.s. I am happy to add that we did buy a lantern and we had it out, ready to use during the tornado warning!

PRIMARY PROGRAM
For those of you who don't know, I am the secretary of the Primary for our branch. It has been a very fun, very, ahem, cough, cough, educational experience. Kids are CRAZY. So fun, so delightful, but CRAZY. Today was our annual sacrament Primary program. We have been practicing for several weeks, with mixed results. Most of the kids refused to sing during our practices, and several of the older girls acted like annoyed little teenagers. I received several eyerolls, which were very unwarranted! It was pretty funny. Even after our dubious rehearsals, the kids really pulled it together today. Maybe it's because their parents were there, but they did amazingly well! I was so proud of them! Go Primary! For our regular Primary time, we had a party to celebrate our outstanding program. We played a game where we had pictures of people from the Bible and the kids would try to guess the person by the picture and clues. One little boy shouted "Jesus Christ" no matter what the picture was. It was so cute! He will also randomly raise his hand during sharing time and when we call on him he proceeds to tell us how old he is (five) and that he is hungry. He is so funny! You know what has been the most amazing to me? To see how much these kids know and understand. We'll ask them questions about stories from the Book of Mormon and they can tell us everything. They understand not only the stories, but they also understand so much of the spiritual principles that they represent. We'll explain one story and what it means and they will say, "oh, that's like this other story." They see how these stories relate to one another and how we can learn so much from them. It is awesome! Happy day! Paul and I started attending Temple Preparation class. I am so excited! I Happy, happy, joyous day!