Man, it's been a lot of months since I've checked in here. Part of that is because it was summer, and my lovely, darling chirren' occupy 110% of my time. The other part is because I wasn't doing the diet. I mean, I tried a time or two to get back on, but it just didn't work. All that aside, I'm back now and I'm on week 1 day 5 with a loss so far this week of about 3 lbs. (If you remember reading my first intial post (here), my eating goals have changed a bit because of my weight now, and currently I only get 99 grams of protein per day. My goal is to hopefully give myself a loss of 10 lbs by my birthday, which is December 19 for anyone who needs to start gift shopping now. For those of you new here, I am doing Lyle McDonald's crash diet called Rapid Fat Loss. I highly suggest it (only because it has worked so quickly and so well for me), but be healthy and be dedicated before you start.
I'm going to be updating more regularly now that I have a "real" reason to. My time has gone from lots of it, to consumed with summer, to consumed with GRAD SCHOOL! Yep, I am back in school. I said I'd NEVER go back to school since undergrad was atrocious. I'm getting a Master of Arts in Teaching (secondary education) with a competency in English. I love it and so far, it's smooth sailing and...STRAIGHT A'S! Okay, all kinds of chatter will come regarding all of the aforementioned items. In the meantime, peruse my summer in crappy cell phone pics. This is what we have been up to!
Summertime=sunburn=tan for me. This was my first go at it. I. love. sun.
Campfires. This gorgeous monstrosity courtesy of your's truly.
THE most redneck community pool ever. Mean kids, 80's bathing suits, and crumbling everything. I will say though that the water was clean, and it's all our family needed--we are NOT high maintenance people. Instead, I said "screw 'em!" and I attempted "glam" with my floppy hat and frequent turquoise eyeshadow. And boobies...but I really don't have a choice with this one.
The James River Batteau Festival. It's the James River. It's boats. It's *almost* everything I love.
Fishing at my dad's new lake property dock. It's 2 miles deep into the woods. Ruby has the best luck. Always.
Family river time! This was a few days after the batteau launched and they were right in front of us in this pic. It's so cool to watch the teams. Being on a batteau team is a bucket list item for me. It will happen.
The best little secret ice cream parlor ever--The Scoop. This was our spot after our redneck community pool visits. Cheapest, most delicious Hershey's ice cream anywhere!
Now THIS was amazing. We found this website (swimmingholes.info) and accompanying phone app that let's you locate "off the beaten path" hiking trails and swimming adventures. This one was Paul's creek at the base of Afton Mountain, VA. This was the very top of the rock slide that had little intermittent bathing pools here and there. It was amazing!
At the bottom of the rock slide was a "bathtub" that was rendered from a kabillion years of water coming down the mountain. It was a little larger, and the same shape as a clawfoot bathtub. You can see GJ splashing right into it! And for what it's worth, I had the most humiliating experience of my summer right here...on the left of this pic. Let's just say I was a fat girl trying to climb up slippery rocks, in Teva's and a bathing suit. In front of a lot of people. Right then and there I should have gone back on the diet. Instead I just laughed and let them enjoy the humiliation as humor at my expense. Life is sometimes easier that way.
311! WOOT! With one of my best friends, Crista. We always have such a blast and this summer was no different. We got awesome henna before we went.
This is as good as I can do. Enjoy Nick. We did!
Monacle Baby. The Hale version. (The actual version here. This was kind of our summer mascot.)
Household destruction. I love summertime! YAY!
A new kitteh! Her name is Heidi (because she hides a lot, and she is the softest cat ever.)
Shenanigans...
Just kidding...we're pretty cute actually.
Swashbucklers! Hubby (second from the left) was in a military wedding and they had to practice using the swords the use in battle. Yeah, the Navy still uses swords in battle, that's why they have them. Google it, I swear! /sarcasm
I think I looked pretty good too. Red lips are NOT my thing, but occasionally I try to pull it off.
Just a little luck.
And grad school. This is my spot to study in town. It is quiet, has internet, and looks over the railroad tracks. Perfect.
Summer was successful, and the kids had a blast, and I was tan when it was all over with. In my mind that equal success. Forget my mental health though. Summertime wrecks that every year. And now back to RFL. :)
