:)

Progress is being made....

Laundry is being washed.
A MOUNTAIN of clothes have been hung and put away.
My bed is completely clear for the first time in AGES. (Being smaller has it's advantages...I don't take up near as much bed as I used to.)
Ben is coming over with dinner....shrimp....mmmmmm.

Life is good.

So Cute....

Prior to losing all the weight, I used to keep two framed pictures out on display in my classroom. One was of me with my first ever class back in 2001, the other would be the current class I was teaching. I have them tucked away in a cabinet. One of my students was putting away a calculator and said, "Ms. E, do you have a sister?" I replied yes, and she motioned me over. She saw a picture of me at around 320 pounds with my class from 2005, and she thought it was my sister! Again, it is so hard to register there are now people that have never known me as "fat."

I am getting ready to start some laundry and major cleanup. My mom is going to help me out with cooking for my class tomorrow night. She was already originally coming up to help me pack. Her attitude is so sour. If one of her friends asked for help, she would bend over backwards in a heartbeat. She will do it for me as well, but not without lots of complaining. :(

Needs and Wants....

I don't really need a Starbucks everyday. I've gotten into such a BAD habit. This is day three without one. I am so wanting a coffee from the bucks!

Head Is Spinning So Busy

I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Ben got my car fixed, so that was one less thing on my to do list. He not only got the tire repaired, he washed it, and filled it up with gas. (Gotta love this boy!)

Tonight we went to dinner and then to see Madagascar 2. It was a nice break.

I'm trying to finish up report cards that go home on Thursday (only 4 more remaining), and to coordinate a Thanksgiving meal for my students on Friday. Once I heard that most of my students don't have any plans for Thanksgiving, it broke my heart, and I want to do something very special for them. If I do have something, it will be store bought, because I just don't have the time to do anything else.

Something I did notice the other morning....when my arms are down at my sides, they are REALLY skinny. It really motivates me to want to get the plastic surgery on my arms. I also want to be able to wear short shirts and sleeveless outfits. I know it won't happen for this summer, but I am looking forward to it.

Carb and Sugar Control Yogurt

I tried Dannon's Light and Fit Carb and Sugar Control Yogurt earlier out as a post-op, and I didn't like it. I have not tried it since then until yesterday. I bought the strawberries and cream flavor, and added four Splenda packets to it. It takes great now. I've really missed yogurt. It only has 3 carbs. :) I plan on added some Textured Vegetable Protein to beef up the protein count (only 5 grams), but it is in my car, which Ben has.

Two More Pictures

Today we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday. It was a great day. I felt like a million bucks in the dress I wore today. For the first time in a long while, I am actually excited about what I am seeing when I look back from the mirror and in the camera.

Reality is also setting in quickly. I am leaving on a plane on Friday to meet my boyfriend's entire family. Yes, I knew our relationship was going in that direction, but Friday becomes reality when I start to meet and spend time with his family. I have already met his mom, and have interacted on a limited basis with his sister-in-law, and one brother on Facebook. This week is so full, I really won't have much time to think about until it is almost time to happen.

Adventures in Panty Hose!

I hate panty hose. I've never been a fan of them. I remember all the nightmarish events I had when I would try to wear panty hose. It seemed like it would take twenty minutes to get them on. I could never wear a pair of panty hose twice. I would usually have the crotch ripped a large way by the time I had rangled them on. The panty hose often ended up in the trash before lunchtime. Heaven forbid that I even have to go to the bathroom! So, I went with the fat girl alternative....knee highs. Even those were miserable.

Today is the first time I have worn panty hose since I had the DS. I did wear thigh highs one day, but that is it. The dress I wore today really cute, but seriously needed panty hose in order to look as dressy as it should. I went to Wal-Mart this morning and bought panty hose. I went to the restroom and put them on. Here was a sight....I was standing in one shoe (no way my feet were going to touch the floor in a Wal-Mart restroom), and putting my other foot into the panty hose. Here is what I discovered....

1. Panty hose are not that bad when you weigh 142 pounds.

2. The panty hose actually went where they were supposed to.

3. It was a breeze pulling them up and down throughout the day going to the restroom.

4. The crotch did not rip, and I was able to wear them all the way up the way they were intended to be worn.

Here is the dress: (I got this dress for $14 at Ann Taylor, and it was originally $140!) Ben LOVED this dress!

Voluntarily Upgraded :)

On Thursday night, I hit the curb, and my tire now has a "zit". It is an accident waiting to happen. I should have gotten it fixed Saturday, but I slept instead. Ben insisted that I use his car since I do far more driving than he does. I am using it until Tuesday evening when I will be able to get my car fixed.

Last night we ended up going to a friend's house for dinner. They are both GREAT cooks. I knew we would be having some good eats. It was pasta with an amazing sauce. Our hosts loaded up our bowls. I was thinking about the previous night and how I tried to "out eat" myself, and the pain that I was in. Everyone else cleaned their plates, and I still had about half of my pasta remaining. I was proud of myself that I stopped prior to being stuffed. I was content. When we had dessert, I only ate the top part of my cinnamon roll, and not the entire thing. I liked that I was able to exercise some self-control.

Ben was cute last night. We got on the subject of women being pregnant. I told him how there are some women who end up having miscarriages unneccessarily because they are too worried about the number on the scale than their child. Ben said he had a hard rule for me if we were to marry. He said he wanted me to eat until my heart was content, and not to think twice about the weight that I would be putting on.

I love sitting in Ben's lap. One thing I told him last night is that I am amazed that he is able to lift his leg (to cross it) with ME sitting on top of him. This floors me. He reminds me that I am not used to how light I am. He really has been a blessing on the self-esteem front as I am working on developing a more positive body image.

I Was Tagged...

by Fat Mum Slim.....

Randomness of Tiffany....

1. I love my Netflix subscription. It has allowed me to develop my interest in foreign films. Also, I have become quite the fan of watching a TV show by the season. I actually like being able to watch it in an indepth manner like that.

2. I love my IPOD. I have fun looking for and creating new playlists. Music makes me feel so good.

3. I am very uncomfortable around my dad's family. As I've gotten older, the less this bothers me. I've started to come to terms that it is ok that we are not close.

4. I'm a dipper. I love being able to dip my food into something. It seems to make it taste so much better.

5. I'm learning how not to be the person that always bends. I do not like confrontation, but as I've gotten older, I've learned that there is value in not always being the door mat. Some issues are simply worth holding your ground.

6. I really enjoy keeping a blog. I didn't know how I would like doing it when I first started, and I find it very therapeutic. I am not at the point where I would want everyone in the world to read my blog. (I have not let Ben read my blog yet. I have sent him snipets that I have pre-selected, but I'm just not ready for him to read everything yet.) I like the anonymity of it just mainly being people I don't see everyday. On the flip side, I've met some AMAZING people I would LOVE to get to know from having a blog.

7. I am learning to love the camera. I used to HATE having my picture taken, but now I think it is fun. The digital camera has become one of my best friends. :)

I'm supposed to tag seven more people. I will come back to edit this post and do that at a later time.

Fun Photos

Wow....does Ben make me feel like a princess. He had me stand up on top of this planter, and he motioned to have Mandi take a picture of me. He made some comment like, "Look at this...behold this beauty."

Mmmmm.....at the Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen. YUMMO! This was actually Ben and my desserts, I just posed for dramatic effect. :) I ate the Buckeye and about 1/3 of my ice cream and pie.