A Taste of Spring in the Middle of Winter

The weather was great this weekend!  We took advantage and went down to WashPa for the day on Saturday.

We started off at Erin's.  We hadn't seen her, Andy and Hendrick in two months, so we were pretty excited to see the three of them!  Hendrick has really changed in that time.  I loved just watching him!  

We tried to get a picture of me and the two kids.  Hendrick was way more interested in messing up Lyla's hair... and it sort of made for one of my new favorite pictures!  :)

And of course, Erin and I can't take a picture of just the two of us.... photo bomber is always ready and waiting!

After we left Erin's we stopped at the mall and met Em, Gerald and Carter for dinner.  I love getting in my Carter cuddles!

Lyla and I had gone shopping a couple weeks ago and got Carter a St. Patty's Day onesie and glasses.  We brought them with us and tried his glasses on him!  He loved them!

Lyla was pushing Carter around the mall in his stroller... he was terrified....  I think he thought his mom was driving!  ;-)

When we left the mall we stopped at Sarris Candies on our way home for dessert.  This was Lyla's first time there so we had to get her picture in front of the chocolate castle!  

Ash & Jeremy met us there to have ice cream.  They were packed and there weren't any seats left, so the five of us went outside to eat.  Yes, we went outside to eat ice cream on a January night....  lol  It was cold, but by no means unbearable!  Especially for Lyla and I who actually had coats on!

It was even nicer out today!  Gary got our cars all washed and Lyla took advantage of the snow being off the sidewalk and rode her bike!

Its hard to believe that a week ago we were sled riding and today we were riding her bike without a coat on!

Birthdays Birthdays All Around

I'm not sure that I believe dates have any hidden meanings or that things happen on certain days because of some shift in the universe or something.  I think more along the lines of there are only 365 days in a year.  And everything has to happen on one of those days.  So chances are that one thing that happens in your life will match up with something else that has happened in your life.  That's just the odds....  BUT I do still find it somewhat interesting when dates coincide.

Tuesday, January 26th marked 3 years since Cassie passed away.  January 26th also happened to be Angie's 2nd Birthday!  We went to Angie's birthday party this past Saturday.  I love Angie to pieces, she really is my little buddy!

Wednesday, January 27th was Jim's 82nd Birthday.  I work with Jim and I adore him.  He has been a grandfather figure in my life for the last 9 years.  Coincidentally January 27th was also my Pap's birthday.  My Pap passed away on April 25, 1996 - My 13th birthday.  Jim's wife passed away a few years ago from Alzheimer's and ever since we take him out to dinner on his birthday so he doesn't have to be alone.  This year we went to Narcisi winery.  I love it there.

WLW 2016 - Week #4

Starting Weight:  135.0 lbs
Last Week's Weight:  133.8 lbs
Today's Weight:  132.6 lbs
Total Loss:   2.4 lbs

I lost some more this week!  YAY!  Its amazing the difference when you actually try.....   ;-)

I haven't ate out at all, so that's been a big help I think.  I am going to dinner tonight and Saturday, so I will have to just try my best.  I can't drop out of being social.  Sometimes you have to go out to dinner.  As long as I can keep it in check I should be ok.  Fingers crossed I lose a little more in the next week! 

Snow Days

All week last week the only thing on the news was the big snow storm headed our way. 

 

The snow started Friday night and went into Saturday around noon.  We really didn't get that much, about four or five inches.  South of the city got a lot more and West Virginia got really slammed.  I heard 2 FEET..... 

 

But this is what we woke up to Saturday and it was more than enough to get Lyla amped up to go play in it!

 

I even went and bought myself a snowsuit and gloves so I could go out with her!

Sunday afternoon we borrowed a sled from our neighbor and went out to the park.  Apparently that is what you do when you don't own property with a hill to sled ride on.  Now we know!

Its all fun and games until your parents try to make you walk yourself back up...

After we got home we had some hot chocolate to warm up.  Lyla said we needed to take "selfies" with our mugs.  And we had to take two... one with Elsa and one with Anna....  she is such a goof!

Period Underwear - Part Two

Day One - Sunday
If my period were to come every 28 days, like it sometimes, but not always does - then Sunday is the day I should have got it.  Judging by my mood last week though, I'm predicting it will come on Wednesday.... we will see.  But since you just never know and I wasn't going to be home all day, I put on my new underwear.  I wore the sport pair first and I wore them with yoga type pants over to Amanda's to watch the Steelers lose.  They were very comfortable!  My period did not start, but it was nice to not have to worry about it.

Day Two - Monday
Monday morning I put on the lacy hiphuggers with jeans for work.  Also very comfortable.  They really feel like swimsuit bottoms, so I was a little nervous about how they would be with jeans, but no issues! 

Monday evening I went to the bathroom at home and I had got my period.  So I was left to figure out if the underwear were really THAT MAGICAL or if I had just started my period at that moment..... hmmmmm....   So I rinsed and washed my underwear in preparation to wear them later in the week.

Day Three - Tuesday
The first full day of my period... I wasn't trying to mess around.  I used my tampons as I always would.

Day Four - Wednesday
When I got dressed in the morning I put on my period magic underwear.  I also used tampons all day at work.  In the evening when I got home I took the tampon out.  I was still bleeding (although not crazy like on Tuesday).  I just really wanted to see if the underwear do what they say they do. 

Days Five & Six - Thursday & Friday
I did repeats of Wednesday - tampons during the day, then I took them out when I got home until after my shower the next morning when I put one in. 

Afterthoughts:
I think I'm going to have to day a Part Three to this next month.  I really want to just wear the underwear all day on a day that I'm home and bleeding with no tampon and see what happens.  I need to have my period on a weekend, I'm not brave enough to do it at work in case they really aren't magical....  I very much enjoyed having them this month and it was wonderful to not be stressed about "when" it was going to start.  Stay tuned for Part Three....
 

WLW 2016 - Week #3

Starting Weight:  135.0 lbs
Last Week's Weight:  133.2 lbs
Today's Weight:  133.8 lbs
Total Loss:   1.2 lbs

We went out to eat Thursday night for hoagies and pizza.  After that I told myself no more eating out for a while.  So I got serious, planned out dinners for a couple weeks and made a huge shopping trip.  I didn't eat perfect, BUT loads better than I have been!  I have things already figured out so I won't be going out to eat at all this coming week either.

I keep trying to remind myself how successful I was a year ago when I really buckled down and worked hard.  I'm just having a really hard time getting the same motivation right now to lose 4 pounds....  I'm trying though.  At least I'm not gaining.  But I'm not losing either. 

Best Friends Forever

The first couple times we got Lyla and Becca together after Lyla started kindergarten it was rough.  Amanda and I were so sad thinking that it was possible that we had come to the end of an era.  That maybe this was when they would go their separate ways.  

Thankfully we were wrong!  The girls got through the transition and it was business as usual!  

Amanda offered to let Lyla sleepover over Sunday night and spend the day with her and the girls Monday since she was off and there wasn't any school for MLK day.  I knew Lyla would enjoy being there so much more than at daycare.  

I got fun picture updates all day while I was at work:

Eating pancakes for breakfast - all smiles!

Hard at work... in dress up clothes ... obviously!

There were all sorts of warnings to stay inside today.  The wind chills were in the negatives.  Becca loves to be out in the cold.  Gary says its because she is a winter baby so it doesn't bother her... I don't know how true that is.  I do know that Lyla doesn't like the cold that much!  But Becca wanted to go out, so her BFF toughed it out for a little bit.

Back inside cuddled up to watch a movie after drinking their hot chocolate!  I think this is my new favorite picture of these two.  Such little sweethearts when they want to be!