nothing exciting.

well, as i sit here thinking i have nothing exciting to post and no new pictures, i completely forgot that mom sent me pictures she took from her visit in august.  we are still slowly getting settled into our new place.  we still have lots of boxes hanging around but we're getting there.  goodwill is a lucky place, too.  in fact, i may make a trip there tomorrow.  the animals are doing well.  dave is still with us but he'll be making a trip with us to nashville soon and he will stay there with our friend barry.  she said she'll gladly take him.  cotton is doing well and has adjusted well to the move.  barley has had some male "stranger" anxiety but seems to be getting better.  she's been sick this week after (we think) eating the filling out of an old bone.  she has doggy colitis and is on a bland diet (for dogs, this is chicken, white rice, and canned pumpkin) for the weekend and on an antibiotic.  she definitely was back to her old self today but her body was telling other stories... you don't want to know.  let's just say "bless her heart."

but yes, i did report that i have pictures to share.  mom took some when she came to visit our "new" place at school.  now, it is only new to us as this building we live in was built in 1938.  it has a lot of character.  we are still in the process of getting unpacked and settled in, so pictures of our actual "home" will have to wait.  but here are some of the outside and areas around campus.

the dining hall- where we eat most of our meals.

the football field; student center is the building on the left.  a dorm is what you see on the other end of the football field (in front of the mountains)

tennis courts (these sit below and behind the dorm at the end of the football field)

the track with the upper soccer/lacrosse field in its center

the "lower" soccer field

the hill that kicks our tails when we take our walks

our front steps on the wellness center (home)

the "right side" of the WC- the two window units are in our nurses' office and the nurses' bedroom.  the end is one of the "sick rooms"

the left side of the WC- the far left with 5 windows is our living room and the windows next to it is our laundry room.  the others are part of the med room of the WC.  

our guest room.  Cotton and Barley love the low window sills...

...because they are nosy!

our old doorknobs.  they all have a "skeleton" key but we discovered it's for locking the deadbolt they all have.  

so that's a bit of our new place and landscape.  we're slowly getting settled in here and hope to continue to make it feel like home.

WW- week 3.

we are still getting settled around here and school started back this week so life has definitely been busy!  i am not complaining by any means but we're still trying to get into what our new routine will be.  i am definitely enjoying my first whole weekend off this month.  mom came and visited and helped us a lot from helping with registration at school and she even did some laundry.  (okay.  a lot of laundry.)

but yes, it's been 3 full weeks of weight watchers.  ww "yelled" at me this week for losing too much weight.  little do they know i am not even exercising like i should be.  so here's the latest weigh in results...

starting weight:  168 lbs.
previous weight:  163 lbs.
week 3 weight:  160.8 lbs

Difference:  -2.2 lbs

3 week total:  -7.2 lbs!!!

i wish i had pictures of anything- but i don't.  i'll try to get pics of anything soon!

WW- week 2.

This will be a quick update.  It's been a busy week at work getting ready for registration and welcoming our boys back to school!  It's been crazy!

Week 1 weight:  164.8
Week 2 weight:  163

Difference:  -1.2 lbs

2 week total:  5 lbs!

Yeah for progress!!!

WW- week 1.

it's time for the first update on my latest trial with weight watchers.  i definitely noticed that i was hungry this week.  i think i wrote a post about that!  eventually the hunger goes away.  on weight watchers, you are given a daily allotment of points and then you are given weekly points to "dip into" if you have to/need to.  they encourage you to use them, however, if you start to plateau in your weight loss, they suggest you not use any until you catch back up.  anyway...

i get 29 points to use daily.  everyone's daily points differ depending on their starting weight, gender, bmi, etc.  food & beverages are totaled up depending on how many fat grams, carbohydrates, grams of fiber, and grams of protein they have.  you don't have to eat strictly "diet food." you can splurge when you want and use those extra points- everyone is given 49 each week.

okay.  onto the weigh in.

starting weight:  168 lbs.
week 1 weight:   164.2 lbs.
weight loss total:  -3.8 lbs.

that's great motivation to keep up the hard work!!!

day four.

i'm not gonna lie.  i'm hungry.  maybe that means weight watchers is already working.  i really don't feel like i am eating more or less than i was before- at least for breakfast and lunch.  i guess i was snacking a lot more than i am now.  with ww points plus- (almost) all fruits and veggies are 0 points so when you want a snack between meals, a piece of fruit or some raw veggies is a great place to start without ruining your day.  that'll help to form some good habits for sure!  i'll let you know how it keeps going and i will definitely keep updating at least weekly with weigh-ins.  and i still never took a before picture from saturday but here's one of jay and myself in june.

my lips are in love.

it's true.  they are so in love with a new (to me) lip balm that i am not allergic to!  that makes me so happy.  the catch is that i don't know (because i haven't looked it up yet) if they sell it here in the states.  my sweet and dear friend, ashley, sent it to me for my birthday from south africa.

before i met my new love, my current favorite was aveeno.  i have only found it at target and usually buy 3-4 at a time.  at least now i have 2 lip balms to choose from.  it's nice to have options again.  and my lips are in love.  (if you have seen labello here in the states, comment and let me know where!)

weight watchers. for real this time.

so i fell off the wagon back in february.  yep.  it's been that long.  jay and i both started weight watchers back towards the end of january.  and then the stomach virus that could only have been a gift from satan himself attacked us.  and while we were recovering from that- jay's dad died.  and then it was pretty much all down hill from there.  i was eating worse while working day shift than i did on nights.  i found every excuse i could to not exercise- however, working two jobs will make it tricky.  (see, there's one!)  we ate poorly.  i blame whoever introduced me to thai food- in particular, the pineapple, chicken thai fried rice.  (there's another one!)  i signed a contract to be the head nurse at school in april- and couldn't say anything to anyone here until i put in my notice in june.  i turned it in early because i was tired of telling little white lies.  and then as we started packing up, i packed up a lot of the kitchen and then i couldn't cook as much.  and i am telling you- as soon as i start going back to the Y and getting back into exercise- i get sick.  really.

i have never gained weight as quickly as i have this summer.  i don't know if it's my age or a change in my metabolism plus the added stress over the last six months.  i have no idea.  i am apparently "healthy" according to my doctor (with a slight increase in my total cholesterol, which he is not concerned about).  i am  tired of feeling tired and crappy and having clothes that don't fit.

so it's time to make a change and stick to it!  no more excuses.  and, really, how could i not exercise when i live on a 500 acre campus?  it's not like i don't have a place to take a walk!  once i finish typing this i plan to take the dogs on a long walk around campus.  they are antsy and i am too (and it'll help me procrastinate in the unpacking process).

so, i am putting it out there for those of you who know me and those of you who don't.  (there sure are a lot of people who end up on my blog who NEVER leave comments.  please comment if you want to!)

Week 1.  Weigh in day.  Starting weight:  168 lbs.
I am supposed to take a starting picture.  I'll have to do that later.  Maybe I'll post it.  That would be great motivation!  Wish me luck!  Are any of you out there on the weight loss journey or starting your own?

unpacking something new.

packing up to move is definitely no where nearly as fun as packing for vacation...  i said this earlier this week and meant it 100%.

unpacking after moving is definitely more fun than unpacking after vacation.  i mean this, too.

there is so much anticipation when you pack for vacation.  it's usually some place fun.  you are going to escape life's worries and troubles and hopefully you get to relax.  maybe sit in the ocean and soak in some vitamin D where "the only worry is the tide gonna reach my chair."  

and while i may not see the beach before the end of 2011, there won't be that dread of having to unpack at the end of a relaxing week.  instead...

this is my new view as i am unpacking to begin a new adventure.  we moved into our provided housing at Christ School and i am embarking on a new point in my career as a nurse, a new sense of community living on campus at a boarding school (and i never lived on-campus at college), and a time to simplify some areas of life and have a fresh, new start.  

memories.

it's amazing what you come across while you are packing up a house.  i found a card from a friend/coworker of mine from williamson medical center that she gave me before we moved from tennessee to north carolina.  i loved what it says and find it still fits our lives now.

Listen to your heart...

follow your own star

and dream your own dream.

There wouldn't be a sky

full with shimmering stars

if we were all meant to wish on the same one.

There has never been

and there will never be

a dream exactly like your own,

because you are so wonderfully unique.

As you follow your dream,

always do your best-

there are no shortcuts

on the path to true happiness-

so give all that you have

in all that you do.

And above all things,

believe in yourself,

for you are as amazing

as the stars themselves.

-Linda Staten

stream of consciousness.

movers come on thursday!  i am in the "if it's not in a box yet, it's gonna be in one soon" mode.  i don't care if it came from the bathroom or the kitchen.  okay.  i do care.  i will not mix those items!  but if it's laying around it's gonna end up in some cardboard.  or the garbage can.  or the recycle bin.  and wow, pat sajak's hair is super fake blonde/beige.  yep.  wheel of fortune is on.  i am getting hungry.  the dogs, i'm sure, are hungry.  they are always hungry.  and bored.  i have a couple of new bones stashed away for them to keep them occupied later and they are going to sparky's wednesday through thursday.  dave goes to his new home tomorrow.  sounds like he's gonna be an indoor/outdoor cat.  we'll see how that goes... he's a bit spoiled.  haha!  i'm sure he'll let them know where he wants to be.  :)  i am less of a pack rat than i used to be, but good Lord, between jay and myself (and our furballs), we have accumulated a lot of stuff in the last 3 years.  at least moving helps to purge some of the junk.  it's hard to believe we were the first people to live in this house and we've only been here 3 years.  it's great to start fresh in a fresh place.  we are so lucky that they renovated our apartment for us at school.  fresh paint, a new kitchen and guest bath await us there.  there is so much to do and i guess i should get up and keep moving.  make some dinner.  feed the dogs.  fill up some more boxes.  take some more stuff over to our new place.  watch the bachelorette and see who ashley chooses!  (i love cheesy tv reality drama!)  that's what's on my agenda.  one day at a time, too.

a new home for dave.

dave has a new home!  a former patient, now friend, of mine convinced her mother-in-law that she needs my sweet dave.  i am so grateful that she did!  i'll be loving on him this weekend and then he'll be off to his new place.  it'll be strange without my little furry companion.  he's been with me for 10 years, making move after move with his crazy "mama."  he has moved 5 times with me in 10 years.  he has lived with 5 other cats and with 3 dogs.  oh, and 2 fish.  he has been a constant in my ever-changing life.  but now i'm at a crossroads where our space is a little smaller and our life is changing and he definitely isn't getting as much attention as he should.  i'll be sad to send him off to a new family but i'm hopeful that he'll get more love and attention than i could give him as he gets older.  he was a great little rescue 10 years ago and i am so thankful that he has a new home to go to.  i will have him a couple of more days and i'll savor my moments with him.  here are some of my favorite pictures (yes, there are a lot of them) of my little furball...

Help me to "Save the Dave!"

We're moving!  Very soon!  We are allowed 2 four-legged pets and we currently have 3.  We cannot split the dogs up so I am trying to find Dave a new home.  He gets along well with other dogs and cats but would be just as content to be an only cat with a lap or a blanket to lay in.  I rescued him from an animal shelter 10 years ago, which makes him now about 11-12 years old.  He's still pretty frisky!  He is declawed (front paws) and neutered.  If you want him or know someone who does, please let me know!!!  Help me save Dave!

He loves to lounge in the sun!

tan in a can.

this summer i have had little time to relax by the pool in our neighborhood.  (not that it would probably be very relaxing with all the kids running around- but still...)  anytime i've been off it's either rained or been cloudy or i just haven't had the time.  i am working on a decent farmer's tan but i really can't stand to be pale in the summer time.

i've found a new solution to my problem this year that is cost-effective and safe.  banana boat's spray tan- it isn't streaky and doesn't turn your skin orange either.  it's inexpensive and long-lasting.  check it out if you're feeling pasty and pale!  it's been my favorite product of the summer.

transitions.

july is turning out to be a busy month for jay and myself.  we are moving.  again.  and that's only a small part of our transition...

i have signed a contract and have taken the Head Nurse position at Christ School, a local boarding school here in town.  part of my salary includes our housing.  we will be living in a 3 bed/2 bath apartment off the Wellness Center, which is where i will work.  we can take 2 four-legged animals with us.  so the dogs will be going.  sweet dave needs a new home.  know anyone who wants a sweet kitty?  (declawed, neutered.)

we put our house up for rent- it went on the rental website on a saturday, had an interested renter by monday, she saw it on tuesday, and a contract was signed the end of that week.  i had no idea it would happen so quickly, but i am so relieved that it did.

so if the blog is slow-going for awhile it's because i'm busy with work at the hospital (7 more shifts!) and school, packing up my house, and getting ready to move to a new home, new job, and new community at an all-male boarding school.  going from new moms & babies to teenage boys will be a transition enough!

This is the chapel at school.

Entrance

Campus map... click the picture to enlarge and find the Wellness Center (our new home!).  (All those trees exist, too, as they are in this picture, only more beautiful in real life!)

here & there.

jay and i have done a bit of traveling over the last two weekends.  we went to nashville for a wedding- our friend angie got married june 5th.  she was in our wedding and jay was an usher in hers.  it was a quick but good trip back "home."

angie is on the far right.  (couldn't resist posting one of our pics!)

this past weekend we went to kingsport.  it was time for reunions on both sides of the family.  it was a busy weekend but without the long drive.

we did not take a lot of pictures at either event, but i'll post what i have...

nashville

fancied up for angie's wedding (i did have on make-up... i think i sweat most of it off... outside wedding at 6pm.  it was only 96 degrees F!)

must be blurry because it can't handle the "hunka hunka burnin' love" (what the chalkboard says) 

the flash darkened the view of the happy couple cutting into their cupcakes... check out the icing!

kingsport

aunt pam took this for me... and didn't tell anyone she was taking it. 

cousin couples- gurnee & amber with me & jay

and just because you love them...

sweet pets

 dave enjoying his bed

 cotton gazing out the window

barley knocked out for a nap

it's been a busy june and summer is just beginning!

"her majesty's shoe hammer"

"Got a picture to hang? Got a nail to bang? What's a princess to do when she's only got a shoe? Her Hammer to the rescue. It works and looks good too. A shoe that's strong and sensible. A tool that's indispensable!"

That is their actual slogan... And it really works, too.  I was finally hanging our mirror over our mantle, three years later, ahem... and I couldn't find our hammer.  But Mom had gotten me this handy little shoe hammer for Christmas.  Well, it works like a charm!  No woman should be without one.

precious baby girls.

so last year our visits back home revolved around baby showers.  so you know what that means, right?  this year our visit included spending time with the sweet, precious baby girls!  my darling bestest friends, rachel and rebecca (who happen to be sisters), each had a baby girl last year.  rachel had maggie and rebecca (becca) had hannah grace.  it was wonderful getting to spend time with their mamas and it was just as great to love on my sweet "nieces."

 hannah grace is on the left and maggie is chillin' on the right

i love these sweet, yummy little babies just as much as i love their mommies!

happy mother's day

just wanted to wish a happy mother's day to my mama and all the other *mamas out there in the world.  *you don't have to be a mama to a 2 legged baby in order to be a mama.  you can be a mama to a furry 4 legged baby too.

 me and my mama

 clockwise from left:  my grandmama, me, my mama, my aunt regina, cousins lindsey, and haley:  the dennis ladies

me and my sweet girls, barley and cotton.  one last picture in front of the ocean last summer.  

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

a nice visit with my niece

we had a short but good visit with our nashville friends and family this past march.  i really enjoyed spending lots of time with my niece courtney.  she has grown up so much in the last 4 years and unfortunately we don't get to see her very often.  we had fun playing and coloring and visiting with her and my brother phil.

 laughing with mimi

 i love her big brown eyes and sweet curls

miss me?

i originally delayed posting for awhile because i had a few things to post about and i wanted to space them out... and now it's the end of april.  i began my delay in mid-march.  oops.  but i've been busy working and catching up on sleep and trying to keep up with laundry and cleaning (and if we're being honest the keeping up with all of that part is enough work in itself) and so the blog got put on the back burner.  i am sure the world, well the maybe 10 of you who read it, are just dying to know what is going on here...

currently, it's raining and we're expecting storms overnight.  cotton has been medicated since the first thunder boomed outside and life is good.  jay and i still work completely opposite shifts.  we're hoping that changes soon.  more to come on work in a few posts from now- so, you know, in a few months or something.  haha  we went to nashville in march and visited with family and friends and had a great time.  gas was still "cheap" then at $3.20ish/gallon.  we are headed back in june for a wedding.

dave matthews (the cat, not the man with the band) may want a new home.  i don't know if i am ready for him to move on, as it's been a good 10 year relationship, but most of the family is allergic to him and always have to get hotels when they visit and he gets less attention than he needs.  he's sweet and loving and loves a lap to lay in.  if you know anyone wanting a sweet, declawed, and neutered kitty, let me know.

we still haven't forgotten the misery of the stomach virus we had 2 months ago.  but, of course, we're all recovered from that and now just suffering from allergies.  i have meniere's disease but it has been a year since diagnosis and it is well-controlled with a diuretic.  so i pee a lot but i am not as dizzy.  well, it's not really dizziness as much as just being off-balance.  but it's a lot easier to say dizzy.  and i actually prefer the British term "roomspin" so get used to it.  :)  get used to the word, not roomspin itself.  i don't wish that on anyone.  but if you have suffered it, i know you feel me on this one, and i graciously will allow you to also use the term roomspin.  in fact, i borrowed it from the gentlemen on top gear.

i think that about sums it up.  i wonder if i can find a picture to liven up this post even more (i.e. a picture i'm not planning to post later).  oh yes, here's one.  cotton loving her new toys from her mimi and pops.  two of which she promptly broke within the first 24 hours.  she's a chewer (of toys only, thankfully).  what can i say?