Playing Catch Up On My Blog

I used to love blogging and since Facebook became so popular I pretty much quit blogging and became addicted to Facebook.  I do enjoy Facebook, but I really miss blogging.

Lexie and Jake were blessed with another healthy baby boy, Wesley, a month ago.

Mallory is 5 months pregnant and doing wonderful.

 

Ezie and Jace are doing well.
 The boys have been spending some time with a family friend and learning to ride ATV's.
Jace played baseball again this year.  It was his first year in the Major's division so he didn't get to play as much as last year but he did really well playing with the older boys.
Jace had a music recital so I bought him a new suit at the thrift store for a couple of dollars and he was pretty impressed with himself.
He has as you can tell opted from getting a haircut for the last year.
He has to get his swag on you know.

 

I haven't lost any weight yet.  My knee's hurt so bad from the arthritis and I'm looking forward to a knee replacement soon.  I'm trying to exercise some but it's really hard to even walk.  I'm determined to loose some weight though and build up some my muscles in my legs before surgery.

 

I'll do more catch up over the next few days.

Seriously.....

I will be a better blogger.

 

 

Anthony, Owen, Lexie and Jake in their pregnancy announcement photo.

 

 Lexie at around 8 1/2 months pregnant with Wesley.

She's so beautiful and glowing. 

 

 Jake, Lexie. the 2 Big Brothers and Wesley

 

 

Such a handsome grandson I have!

I love you Wesley!

 

 

Mallory and Anthony's pregnancy announcement.

 

 Jace in his suit going to his 4th grade music concert.

 

 Jace getting ready to steal a base.

 

Ezie and Jace on our friends ATV's

 

 



Okay, Here We Go! The Beginning of Losing the Other Half of Me!

Today is my 54th Birthday!

 

I would never have imagined that at 54 or any other age

I would be fat...and definitely not 100lbs overweight.

 

I can remember at 95lbs. feeling so fat. 

 I'm only 4'9" so that was really my target weight.

Even at my due dates with my pregnancies I was only 119lbs.

After I had my 4th son I did get up to 110lbs

 and then when I was 29 I blew up and weighed 136lbs.

 

For my 30th Birthday I worked hard and lost 40lbs in 6 months.

Yay for me!

I felt so good and was really fit.

A few years and pregnancies later up when the weight again.

As time went on more weight came and I became double my size.

A couple of months ago I was at 210lbs. and now I am at 205lbs.

so my goal is to loose 100lbs by my 55th birthday.

 

I am so embarrassed and humiliated by my weight gain and try not to leave the apartment. 

My son is getting married on Saturday and I am going to look like a hippo.

I don't even want to go to the wedding and for people to see me,

but it is an important day for my son and honestly the day isn't about me.

I wish I had gotten motivated sooner,

but better late than never I guess.

 

So I decided that I will blog about my weight loss journey

and completely put myself out in the world for everyone to see....

mainly so I can't back out and secondly because if I don't have someone to answer to I won't follow through.

 

Me at 30 at 95lbs.

 

Me at 40 around 120lbs

I remember feeling so fat this day and so embarrassed to go to church for Lexie's First Communion.

 

 Me right before I turned 50.

 

 

 



Me at 51 at Lexie's wedding.

I was right around 200lbs.

 

 

NOW SOME OF THESE PICTURES MIGHT BE DISTURBING!!

They are very disturbing to me

but I said I was going to be completely forthcoming.

 

So here are my before shots taken this morning and my measurements.

 

 

 

Bust:  49"

Waist:  45"

Hips:  50"

Thighs:  27"

Calves:  17"

 

I can't believe I am posting these photos.

I hope and pray that next year at this time

I can take a photo's of half of me!

 

The Flower Girl and the Dress I Made for Her

My granddaughter Leigha was Lexie's flower girl.

 

It was hard to get her to smile,

 

but

 

she looked adorable!

 

 

I made Leigha's dress out of a wide prepurchased headband, a couple of regular prepurchased headbands, tulle, ribbon, daisies and a slip made out of a layer of muslin (so she wouldn't itch, organza and then a thicker tulle.

 

 

The whole dress and headband cost me about $22.00 to make.

 

Not too bad and she looks so cute!!

 



My oldest son Jeremy and his daughters,

 

two of my beautiful granddaughters,

 

Sabrina and Leigha

Here Comes the Bride

My beautiful daughter Alexis

 

got married last Saturday.

.

 

 Lexie

 

 

 Alexis and Jake

.

the ring

 

 

 

The wedding was so nice and I had such a good time.......

 

too good of a time if you ask Ezie and Mallory.

 

I visited, drank, and actually danced.....and danced.....and danced.

 

I DON'T dance,

 

but I just let go and danced and had so much fun!

 

Anyway,

 

Lexie was beautiful and I hope it was the day of her dreams!

 

Silly Kids!

My silly kids make me smile!

Welcome to the World Little Owen!

Grandbaby #12 was born yesterday

April 6, 2011

at

8:12 am

he weighed 7 lbs. 5 ozs.

and is 19 inches long.

Now were waiting for October when Grandbaby #13 is due!

Tomorrow Is The BIG Day!

Yes,

Tomorrow is the BIG Day! 

 My beautiful daughter, Lexie, is having her second baby. 

 Baby Owen should be here bright and early in the morning

 and his Nana can't wait to finally meet him!

Good Luck Lexie and Jake!

...and then there was 12!

My daughter and son-in-law, Lexie and Jake, are having another baby!

Their son, Anthony, is 3 now so they decided now was a good time to get pregnant with baby #2. Anthony is very excited to have a new baby coming to his house.

Lexie is 12 weeks now and doing great!

and this is grandbaby #12.

We're hoping for a girl

but

boys are pretty special too!

Congratulations!!

Help! My Kids are Growing Up to Fast!

My oldest daughter Lexie turned 19 on December 27. I didn't get to post about it before because her birthday was the same day we left for our trip. I can't believe Lexie is 19!!

I don't usually buy the older kids birthday gifts because between the kids and their spouses and the grandkids....I just can't keep up with all of them. I usually just cook the kids a special dinner if they request it. This year though I got Lexie a quilt from my dear friend, Val (who's birthday was yesterday!). Her Granny is 96 years old and makes these wonderful quilts. Lexie had been wanting one of Granny's quilts for a long time and I couldn't resist getting her one. The quilt is even in the color that Lexie is going to be doing her bedroom. Yay! Good choice Val!

and today is my Grandson #5,

Chad,Jr.'s, 1st Birthday!

Happy 1st Birthday Chaddy!!

It's My Birthday!

This is the cake that Lexie made for me on Sunday for the surprise party.

It was so yummy!!

Thanks Lexie and everyone else for a wonderful day!

I am 48 today.....but I thought I was 48 for over half of last year,

until my sister corrected me,

so I don't feel like I aged at all!

A Surprise Party for Me!

My sneaky daughter, Lexie planned a surprise party yesterday for my upcoming birthday. She had all the kids (except 1 who was at a wedding) and grandkids there and she definitely did surprise me. I can't believe that all the kids and Earl kept the party a secret. I had so much fun!!!

Me and my girls

My sneaky daughter Lexie

Earl and the two Jesse's being silly!

I'll show some more pictures tomorrow.

Thanks again guys!!!

You made your momma very happy!

Melinda's Quilt Give Away, Granny's Quilt and My Kids

My friend Melinda from Melinda's Fabric Fancies is giving away this awesome quilt for her 250th post. I can't believe she's giving away a quilt!! Melinda is amazing and so is her work so (even though I don't want to many people to sign up because I want to win!) go to Melinda's blog and see her work and you'll agree she is amazing. Someone is going to be a very happy and warm person this winter!



Next I have to share with you this wonderful quilt I bought from my friend Val's Granny. I met Val through a swap and I look forward to her posts on her Granny every week. Granny is 96 years old and she makes a quilt every week. They are machine quilted and get this, she only uses 3 pins at the most to hold the quilt in place while she is quilting it. That amazes me! I am a pin and stitch witchery freak when I machine quilt something. Anyway, I received the quilt from Val on Tuesday and Jace immediately claimed it. He threw the quilt off of him that he had on and said, "Oh, that's for me!". The quilt is going to stay on the couch because everyone wants to use "Granny's Quilt". Ezie wants me to buy one for him and I probably should buy one for myself since Jace has laid claim to this one!

PLEASE excuse my couch!!! The slipcovers are in the wash.

This is a big quilt too! Thanks so much Val and Granny! I will treasure this quilt forever!!


Lexie on her first day of college. Whoo-Hoo!

I'm so proud of my daughter!! She's going to a 2 year program to become a Medical Assistant.


The there's Jace. Yesterday he got his backpack ready and Ezie packed him a snack in a old lunch box and he was on his way to the bus stop to go to school. He was so serious and so cute!

He wasn't even upset when he didn't get to get on the bus......because him and his Dad raced back to the house and he came in and opened up his backpack and had his snack.

Jace loves this one show, Yo-Gabba-Gabba. I knew when it came on last year that he was going to like it and even though I am used to watching kids shows and don't mind them, this show was one I was hoping he wouldn't like......but, he loves it and I've grown used to it. Click on the link though and check this guy out that hosts the show. Anyway on Yo-Gabba-Gabba they have a kid show his special talent. The special talent can be anything....like putting a spoon on your nose. Jace has decided that stacking the containers of Play-doh is his special talent. He spends a lot of time rearranging and restacking these containers. Every time he does this we have to clap for him and tell him how great his special talent is. It is pretty special and so is Jace!

Tattoo's & Piercings

These tattoo's are all on my 18 year old daughter, Alexis.

The "Baby Kirker" is on her left shoulder

(she's the youngest of the kids from my 1st marriage)

The "Anthony Daniel" is on the back of her neck

(her son's name)

&

the "To Live, To Learn, To Love" is on her right upper arm
(Her Uncle Chip's favorite quote. He is also her Godfather and died when she was 3)

Lexie got her belly button and chin pierced for her 13th birthday.

She got her first eyebrow piercing done on her 14th birthday

and her second eyebrow piercing done on her 15th birthday.

Her first tattoo for her 16th birthday,

her second one for her 18th birthday and the last one last weekend.

Do I mind all of these piercings and tattoo's?


No I really don't. I had to sign for all of them until she was 18. Well except for the first tattoo, she kind of snuck that one in on me. The way I look at it is there are so many other things in life to get upset and stress out over. Lexie has always liked piercings and tattoo's and actually was doing her own piercings before I finally took her to have them done professionally. I decided I would much rather have them done right than her in her room with a needle trying to do them to herself. Personally, I like them and think she is still as beautiful as she ever was and I admire her ability to be unique and just be Lexie.

Pool Party

My grandson Anthony had another BD party on Sunday for his dad's side of the family. Lexie's friend and Jake's cousin, Amber, had the party at her house since they have a pool and she was so sweet to invite us. My kids have only been swimming a couple of times in their lives so they were thrilled!

Jace decided to help Anthony blow out his candle

The kids all playing in the pool

Amber and Lexie
and me.

Thanks Lexie and Amber for a fun day!