From Inmates to Playdates

Posts Tagged ‘Weightloss’

It all started when I bought my mom a cute pair of capris for her birthday last year. They were the wrong size so I had been to five different stores looking for the right size.
 
That same week, three of my sisters-in-law and I went to the YMCA on guest membership passes so that our kids could play on the indoor play gym.
 
Because it was 47 degrees outside.
 
In May.
 
Anyhoo.
 
While we were there, I inquired about a gym membership and pondered it for a few days while clearing the cost and idea with McDaddy. .
 
So, while I was making one last futile attempt to find those capri pants for my mom, I got the sign I had been waiting for.
 
I was in JC Penney and I saw it.
 
The big “save an additional 50% off on all sportswear sign.”
 
My 50% radar went off and I knew this was it.

I bought this cute outfit in three colors because it was sportswear and because it was on sale. 
 
So, you can imagine how cute I looked when I mozied up to the counter to purchase a family membership.  All the while I’ve got a two-year old hanging off my leg hollerin’ he wants his juice.
 
And a snack.
 
And my keys.
 
I was a sight alright. And, I had a full workout standing right there at the help desk.
 
I signed the kids into the play room and made my way to the fitness center.
 
For starters, I had no idea where to start.
 
The gym attendant was a guy I graduated from high school with and I just couldn’t bring myself to ask him where to start because I was sure he’d inquire about why I didn’t start sooner.
 
Instead I sashayed to the elliptical machine as if I owned the place. That, and because I heard the elliptical burns more calories than the treadmill and it is much easier on your knees. I set the timer for ten minutes and opened the latest edition of US! magazine. I did awesome.
 
For the first two minutes.
 
Then the burning started.
 
I continued for about five more minutes and thought it best if I moved on.
 
The treadmill.
 
It felt really good and I stayed on it for twenty minutes.
 
Granted, I wasn’t running at light speed, but, I could feel my heart rate soar and noticed that beads of sweat had gathered on the back of my neck
 
I decided to try one more thing before leaving.
 
I made my way over to the stationary bikes, plopped down on one and wondered why my legs felt like they were still moving. The bike looked like it was designed by someone a lot smaller than me. It had a wee little seat.
 
I glanced at the two people who were riding to glory on the stationary bikes.
 
It was me.

And them.
 
The woman looked like she had just stepped off the cover of Cardio Magazine (is there such a thing?) and it was obvious she meant business. The guy was in his own little world and I didn’t see one drop of sweat. That should have been enough for me to shag out of there. 
 
Instead, I mounted that monster.
 
And, started off slowly.
 
The girls My thighs felt the pain within mere seconds, but, I stayed steady at level 3.
 
I looked down to make sure I didn’t see flames. After about three minutes, I remembered I left my bottle of water in the diaper bag that I left with the kids in the play gym. I decided it really didn’t matter because the 16 ounces in the bottle would not have been enough. 
 
I needed a keg.
 
Or a water-hose.
 
Kill me. Just kill me now.
 
I’ll cheat high blood pressure right out of it. And kill over right here.
 
Meanwhile, Barbie and Lance Armstrong upped their game.
 
My butt started burning.
 
Which made perfect sense, seeing that the seat was about 6 inches long and 4 inches wide! I wondered how much an ambulance would charge to drive my dead hind-end to the Ville.
 
I slowed the bike down. And tried to breathe.
 
I felt really good afterwards. I felt accomplished.
 
Maybe it was the new outfit.
 
Or knowing that I was doing something I should have started years ago. After my hour workout, I felt good. And free. And after I caught my breath, I made my way to the door without collapsing. (The thought did cross my mind.)
 
I wasn’t sure either of the sorry saps on those bikes would have stopped long enough to pick this ole’ girl up off the floor.
 
My new outfit was soaked. The girls were burning.
 
But ohmyword! I felt fabulous!
 
Which is Y I went back the next day and the next day and the next day.

9 months later I have lost 25 pounds.

And that works for me!!!

Visit Rocks In My Dryer to find other things that might work for you too!

It’s Thursday… Let’s go with 13 reasons why I love the gym.

1. It provides me with a blissful uninterrupted hour of peace and quiet with no one needing to potty, a phone answered or a nose wiped. Hallelujah and Amen.

2. It is a great place to people watch and I do more than my fair share of it. I love to watch me some people. There are all kinds of people. And, I do  mean all kinds.

3. The leg press. It is my favorite apparatus. (Don’t you love that word, apparatus? – It reminds me of the Olympic Games and my beloved US gymnists).

4. New workout clothes. One of the main motivators for joining the gym was the purchase of several new outfits to kick off my weight-loss effort. They are so very comfortable and I wear them pretty much everyday.

5. The stationary bike. I spend about 25 minutes on the bike and I spend that time reading the book (or rag-mag) of my choice. The main YMCA in our town replaced their old bikes with new, video-game type stationary bikes complete wth handles that actually steer and a choice of 40 different courses based on your level of difficulty. It was way cool.

6. The treadmill. I only spend 10 minutes on the treadmill, but, it’s a hard 10 minutes and it feels good to know that I have increased the slope and the speed over the course of 28 weeks. I actually run about half of the time.

7. Knowing that everyday I put in time at the Y, I am one day closer to my 50-pound weight-loss goal.

8. My iPod – I look forward to my vast musical selections when I work out. When the right song plays on the iPod, it gives me some pep in my step. I have everything from Natasha Bedingfiled, Selah, Whitesnake, Warren G, Elton John, TLC, Kenny Chesney to Kutless. I told you it was vast! My little iPod has been with me every step of the way.

9. The Scale – Although I really try to make this more about feeling better instead of losing weight, I would be lying if I said the weight-loss didn’t matter. It does. On the weeks where I don’t lose the pound (as suggested by my medical Doctor), it makes it difficult to keep on keeping on. Every tick of that scale means I’m one number closer to my goal.

10. The idea of it - Going to the gym was a long-shot for me. I had no experience and no knowledge of the equipment or apparatuses (is that even a word?). The fact that I have made it work on my own (without the help of a personal trainer) is a great feeling.

11. The Magazines. Now that I am working out, Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears and Jennifer Aniston don’t make a move without my knowing about it thanks to US! Entertainment Weekly, People and OK!

12.  My sweet Alex loves playing in the play room and I don’t have to worry about his well-being while I’m there.

13. The way I feel when my workout is over. It is unexplainable, but it feels oh.so.good.

I am a dancing fool.
 
Or, maybe just a fool who likes to dance.
 
Either way, dancing is something that I have always enjoyed. I spoke about my love of dancing with the stars here. I might have even hinted about my desire to be on the show.
 
So, it should not surprise you to find out that I ordered this…

Oh yes I did.

My initial thought was that I would do this workout on my off days from the gym. (I’ll let you know how that works out when I actually start doing it regularly because oh. my. word. it is a workout!) When I ordered the DVD, I was excited about learning basic steps of the Cha-Cha (don’t you love that word), Samba, Paso Doble and Jive while at the same time gettin’ the ole ticker elevated. (Oh, little jive, please be easy on me.) I’m also seriously hoping my klutzy tendencies don’t get in the way of a fun time with Ashly, Kym and Maksim (who by the way abandoned any thought of stealing me away from McDaddy last month when he proposed to Karina Smirnoff.)
 
I am however, starting to rethink the whole dancing thing.
 
Because back in November, I started this too. 

Except I look nothing like her.
 
Or him for that matter.
 
I don’t think anyone has ever died while doing Zumba, but the first time I did it, I was quite sure I was going to make history. On top of that, I was wondering if I would even be able to stand upright after my first Zumba class.
 
We did some fabulous moves. Moves that required some serious hip shaking. Moves that required me to flex muscles that have probably not been flexed since my days as a majorette when I did toss illusions. Which was like 20 years ago. And, might I add that just because you have the hips, that doesn’t mean they will do what you tell them to do.
 
I’m just sayin’
 
Google had this to say about my Zumba….

Zumba is the new Latin dance fitness craze that is sweeping across North America. High energy and motivating, Zumba incorporates Latin dance moves into a sequence of workouts done to the beat of fun, hot, pulsating Latin music. Zumba utilizes the principles of fitness interval training and resistance training to maximize caloric output, fat burning and total body toning. It is a mixture of body sculpting movements with easy to follow dance steps. Workouts often incorporate merengue, samba, salsa, flamenco, calypso, bachata and the tango. You get a full workout, burning 500 to 800 calories during a one-hour class.

In other words, it will help you unleash your inner Latin freak.

Oh, and in between dancing and working out at the Y, I’ve lost 24 pounds in 28 weeks.

Between my new DWTS DVD and Zumba, don’t be surprised if you happen to be flipping through the channels and see me cuttin the proverbial rug on Dancing With The Stars some night. Until then, I’ll be off practicing my moves and flexing my muscles.

After all, a dancing fool and her hips are soon parted.

And losing these hips would totally work for me!!!

Find out other things that might work for you at Works For Me Wednesday over at Rocks In My Dryer.

If I were a writer, it would be safe to say that I am experiencing a case of writer’s block. But since I am nothing more than a Stay-at-home-mom who rarely stays at home with her own blog that typically includes a daily dose of crazy, it is safe to say that today’s post will be random.

At best.

I guess I could talk about the economy [boo, hiss!] or PMS [you can thank me later for passing that one up] or any number of off the cuff topics. Or, I could just empty my brain right here and call it a day.

I love to clean things out, so let’s get to it.

———-

We had a great weekend here in WV. Seriously, the  60 degree temperature was kind enough to melt almost all of the snow and I couldn’t be happier. It is so nice to see the ground again. It makes me happy. Just days before he left on his 6-month vacation, me and McDaddy had to deal with this.

I am totally playing fast and loose with the whole “me and McDaddy had to deal with this” thing. Because truthfully, I just stood there with a blank look on my face wondering what in the heck I would have done had the Great Snow Fall of 2009 happened after McDaddy had left the premises. Oh, and in case you can’t tell what that is. It is our carport on top of our cars. Apparently the carport got all bent out of shape (pun intended) and caved under pressure (ha!). The victims are my beloved 4-runner and McDaddy’s heap (ahem! I mean Jeep). Within an hour or so, McDaddy had the thing dismantled. Apparently a carport has a weight limit. Who knew?

———-

On Saturday, I took the boys to see this.

Yes indeed. The Princess took the boys to Monster Jam 2009. And in case you didn’t know it, Grave Digger is the “Saster of Disaster” according to my sweet Alex. It was totally worth it to watch the excitement on my boys’ face. Alex lasted 45 minutes before he fell asleep. Although honestly, I have no idea how he slept. Even with earplugs and ear phones, it was really, really loud.

———-

Last May, I joined the YMCA  and began a rigorous workout plan in an effort to lose 50 pounds. My medical Doctor suggested that I only lose 1 pound per week and to take it easy on my bum knee which I messed up while trying to prove that a 33-year-old-ex-majorette could still do a split.

Dumb.

But true.

In 28 weeks (and after breaking off a rocky relationship with Little Debbie) I was able to lose 24 pounds. (Which totally translates to 2 pant sizes). I took the holiday off. (And by holiday, I mean my birthday, Hanukkah, Christmas, Winter Solstice,  New Year’s Eve, Inauguration Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Groundhog Day). I started back on Thursday. I ran 1/2 mile on the treadmill and did 6.5 miles on the bike. I wrapped it all up with 50 leg presses. I felt good and hope to lose another 20 pounds over the next 25 weeks. I will keep you posted.

———-

And this will not matter to some most of you, but the writers at the Young and the Restless have lost their minds and killed off my beloved Brad. This is one time that I hope they bring him back as his evil twin. Or his nice twin. It really doesn’t matter. He is sexy and I will miss him.

———-

If you were here at this precise moment, at the McResidence, you would be treated to the delightful sounds of my 3 year old screaming at the top of his lungs because he does not want to poo-poo. He is doing a great job on the potty, but, he sometimes he just doesn’t want to sit there. Often, he is impatient (ahem!) Here he was earlier this month, unleashing his inner thug on the potty.

———-

We spent much of the weekend talking to McDaddy. Thankfully, he can call us frequently although the connection is rarely really good. On Friday night, the boys waited up to talk to daddy. After they said goodnight they moved to the couch to watch “more monster trucks.”  Exactly 3 minutes later, this is what I saw. 

If you look at Stevie’s right hand, you will probably notice that he was holding the remote. He dropped it while I was getting my camera. Alex plays with his belly button when he goes to sleep. I love this picture. I am truly blessed. 

———–

My sweet sister-in-law Angie who lives in NH is now selling Arbonne. Every product from Arbonne is pure. safe. and beneficial.  I ordered 2 products from her and have found a gold mine. I really had no idea what to order because I had never heard of Arbonne. At her suggestion, I ordered their virutal illusion make-up primer. It is fantastic. I would say it is amazing, but the arbitrary use of that word would no doubt make McDaddy cringe, so I’ll just use fantastic.

Imagine you are getting ready to paint a wall and the wall is filled with holes. Before painting the wall, you need to fill in the cracks and the holes. You purchase some putty to prep the wall before painting. The virtual illusion primer is the putty. Your face is the wall. Fantastic I. tell. you. Totally worth the $32.50 and a little bit of it goes a long way. So, thank you Angie for suggesting a great product. I’m off to putty my wall.

———-

That’s a wrap.

Have a great day ya’ll.

If you are one of my 8 loyal blog fans, you know that today is an important day here at Inmates. Can you believe this is my 100th post? And what better way to celebrate than to tell you 100 things about me. Because you know, you may want to buy me something sometime.

Here we go!

1. I was born on a Tuesday
2. In December
3. Back in 1973
4. I was the youngest
5. Of three kids that included twin brothers
6. I was a loud child who talked constantly
7. And am still loud to this day according to some  most
8. My favorite year in elementary school was 6th grade and my teacher’s name was Ms. Brick
9. My childhood room was purple with a big canopy bed
10. I met my husband in high school
11. We dated for 4 years
12. We were engaged for 2 years
13. And have been married for 10 years
14. Which means we’ve been together for 16 years
15. If my math is correct, which in unlikely
16. Because I suck at math
17. I rarely use racy words on my blog, but might throw friggin’ and suck around everynowandagain.
18. I probably use way too many commas… what can I say, I like to think before I speak (ahem!)
19. Both McDaddy and I played the saxophone in our high school marching band.
20. We also both play piano
21. I love to travel
22. And have been to 31 states
23. We also took an awesome tour of Europe
24. And have been to Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas
25. We honeymooned in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
26. I was a May Bride
27. And we each had 7 attendants
28. I get bored easily
29. But loved planning my wedding
30. I am a military wife
31. My hubby is currently deployed
32. My hubby is my best friend
33. I have been to the Price Is Right twice but never got to COME ON DOWN!
34. I have touches of ADD and OCD
35. I have hiked the Grand Canyon
36. I am very impatient
37. But am married to the most patient man on the planet.
38. I have very serious opinions about my funeral.
39. Which is proof that I am a control freak.
40. In May, 2008, I started going to the gym 4-5 days per week. I have lost 24 pounds.
41. But would like to lose 26 more.
42. Which is why I had to break off my relationship with Little Debbie.
43. TiVo is the greatest invention of my time.
44. I like fonts.
45. I am not crazy about birds.
46. I am addicted to Facebook and mySpace and check them both several times each day… those darn status things are so interesting.
47. I am the nosiest person I know (which probably explains why I love the status things on facebook and mySpace so much!)
48. I drink way to much Dr. Pepper
49. I love Michael Phelps. In fact, I refer to him often as my boyfriend.
50. I have watched The Young and The Restless for over 20 years.
51. I am a reality TV junkie.
52. I listen to KLOVE all the time. (KLOVE is a Contemporary Christian station)
53. My favorite movie of all time is Dirty Dancing
54. I love Mexican food and always order fajitas.
55. The sight of guacamole makes me gag.
56. The only thing I craved during both pregnancies was water.
57. And now I drink about 4 bottles daily.
58. Both of my babies were born via C-Section and were high risk pregnancies.
59. If I were to hit the lottery today, I would make my way to the Saturn dealership and buy a 2009 Saturn Sky Redline.
60. I eat blue cheese on my salad.
61. I enjoy scrapbooking and have scrapbooked about 84% of my boys’ lives. (I totally pulled the 84% out of the sky.)
62. I don’t like Kathy Griffin
63. Not sure where the random thought about Kathy Griffin came from, but it’s true.
64. I am afraid to drive in inclement weather.
65. I don’t like any kind of berry unless your talking about a strawberry poptart or blueberry muffin.
66. I don’t like vanilla scented candles or vanilla body wash stuff
67. I hate to dust
68. I don’t really like using the word hate unless I’m talking about dust.
69. I desire to be like Christ. However, I fail daily.
70. I have a Psychology Degree
71. I breastfed both of my boys for a year
72. McDaddy and I have lived in 4 homes in 11 years.
73. I would like to save a life one day. If all else fails, I am an organ donor.
74. I should floss more often.
75. I am a big-time klutz
76. I will never use “LOL” -  I think it is silly and unnecessary.
77. So I use these  =)   a lot
78. I have used an iron maybe 3 times in my life and never with much success
79. I have not had an uninterrupted night of sleep in probably three years.
80. I often forget to write transactions in the checkbook.
81. This fact drives McDaddy nuts.
82. I do not like coffee and it always puzzles me when people question my drinking Dr. Pepper or coke for breakfast. It is caffeinated after all.
83. While McDaddy is deployed I plan to strip wallpaper and have carpet installed in our basement.
84. If I spent less time on MySpace and Facebook, I could have it done by now.
85. I can drive a stick shift
86. When I was a senior in high school, I had extensive oral surgery that included breaking my jaws and being wired shut for 6 weeks.
87. On top of that, I had 8 teeth pulled and braces and retainers
88. Needless to say, I have pretty (expensive) teeth
89. I have a sign in my kitchen that says “I kiss better than I cook”
90. And it’s true.
91. But I can make a pretty mean pancake.
92. I don’t like snow
93. But I collect snowmen
94. I have always liked my name
95. I love my inlaws
96. I love the new year because it means I get a brand new calendar to fill in
97. I have had acrylic nails for 13 years but I hate getting them filled
98. I have perfect vision after lasek surgery in August, 2007.
99. I sell and collect Longaberger baskets.
100. And, I love getting a new purse.
101. Which is why I’m having a Longaberger purse give-away today!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling me one random fact about you. A winner will be chosen by the accounting firm of random.org on Monday, February 9th at noon. The contest is only open to US Residents. (Sorry to my international loyal blog fans.)

EDITED TO INCLUDE THE WINNER

The Winner of the Longaberger purse is…..

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

10

Timestamp: 2009-02-09 20:09:53 UTC

 And the #10 Commenter is Darcie @ Such The Spot. 

Congrats! Darcie. Send me your mailing address and I’ll send some Longaberger Lovin’ your way.

It’s been an exciting couple of weeks in McVille.

With Christmas, the croup, a trip to Florida and our annual family trip to a ski resort, I’ve learned all kinds of great stuff.

And, what good would learning that stuff be if I didn’t share. I say it all the time people, this blog is about so much more than just entertainment.

Here’s the stuff… in no particular order…

• If you are packing for a trip to Florida and the question, ‘Should I pack the nebulizer?’ enters your mind, you should most definitely pack the nebulizer.
• Once your kids reach a certain age, it is never a good idea to leave ‘Santa presents’ in your closet. Especially if your kids love to hide in there.
• While 75 degrees is beautiful weather, it is not quite warm enough to enjoy the hotel pool unless of course you are a killer whale.
• Killer whales like their water temperature to be 52 degrees (you can thank the trainers at Sea World for that tidbit).
• Having a sick child makes you question every single decision you’ve made the past 24 hours.
• Meeting two boys at the hotel pool from Brazil can be very educational for your six year old (and his mother, too).
• When purchasing a frozen pizza for dinner back in your hotel room, it is generally wise to make sure you have an oven in said hotel room.
• If you purchase the pizza without prior knowledge about an oven, you can attempt to cook the frozen pizza in the microwave. You may be surprised to know that the pizza will cook, but the crust may have the same consistency of bubble gum.
• When driving home en-route from Orlando to Charleston, WV, it may be best that you stop somewhere other than the IHOP in Statesville, NC for your dining needs. (and your sanity).
• Wal-Mart will take back absolutely anything.
• When you pack your scrapbooking tote to take it on a trip, it is typically a good idea to actually get the stuff out or the pages will not get done.
• If you neglect the gym for an entire month, it is probable you will not continue to lose a pound a week.
• When losing 24 pounds, it is a good idea to try on your bathing suit before taking it on a trip if you have not had it on since before the weight loss.
• Even though Lightning McQueen is a creation of Disney Pixar, you will not find him in character form at the Magic Kingdom (what’s up with that?)

There you have it… stuff I’ve learned this week.

You can expect to hear more about some of these in upcoming weeks.

Lucky you!

1.   A brand spakin new bottle of my sweet smelling perfume – Romance – by Ralph Lauren
2.  Nike Shox – My favorite tennis shoes are open-mesh which is not real conducive to the harsh winter we experience here in the mountains of WV, so I needed a pair I could wear during the Winter months.
3.  BLING! -  No Christmas is complete without bling
4.  David Archuleta CD
5.  Blake Lewis CD  (Did I mentioned I love American Idol?)
6.  A new pack of Sharpies (Goofy, I know… but I use them daily for stuff).
7.  A iTunes Gift Card – yee-haw… new songs for my 2009 debut at the Y.
8.  New set of knives (You know you are getting old when you ask for knives for Christmas).
9.  A bigger and better crock pot ( See Number 8 )
10.  Some fabulous Tommy Hilfiger black boots
11.  A cute ‘MOM’ bracelet that my sweet boy picked out on his own at Santa’s workshop.
12.  A surprise visit from my sweet aunt, June from California and her new husband, Dave and his family. We had a marvelous time visiting with them.
13.  Fatter – I ate way more than I should and will be paying for it for months at the Y.

As we approach the New Year, I look ahead to 2009 with a heavy heart. If you happen to know the McFamily, you probably already know the source of my heavy heart. If you are a loyal blog fan, over the course of the next few (six) months, you will come to understand what is going on around here. It has weighed on my mind every! single! day! since I learned about it on April 18, 2008.

McDaddy and I are praying that God will prepare our hearts and more importantly the kids’ hearts for this time of separation and difficulty. We ask for your prayers too and hope that the time will pass quickly.

On a lighter note, 2008 was an awesome year for us. Here is the year in review….

In Pictures! 

[Note: I will try to keep this brief, but you know how chatty I can be]. You might want to pull up a chair and grab a ice-cold Dr. Pepper from the fridge before we get started.

——————–

2-4-08 — Alex finally began wearing his glasses all! the! time! After a full year of eye drops in the good eye, begging, bribing and praying (not necessarily in that order), he finally discovered that he could see so much better with them that he started to wear them all the time.

2-8-08 — The crazy wind storm of 2008 came through and blew McDaddy’s carport down. Thankfully, my minivan was tucked safely inside of the garage when this happened.

March 3, 2008 – Our sweet nephew, Isaac was born. I have a picture of him, but I have not asked for parental permission from the in-laws to post their kid’s picture on my blog. You’ll just have to believe me when I say he is a cutie patootie. He is #9 in the McGrandbaby line-up.

4-10-08  — The boys and I enjoyed a quick visit to New Hampshire to visit McDaddy’s sister and her family. We spent a week with them while McDaddy was in Mississippi with the WV Air National Guard.

4-12-08 — Here is McDaddy arriving home from aforementioned Mississippi trip.

4-19-08 — My first off-roading adventure with McDaddy in his heap (ahem! I mean, JEEP) with the jeepinwv.com club. This was not a good day for me. I suffered a panic attack and various levels of stress during this outing. [note: neither of those jeeps in the mud belongs to us]

4-21-08 — New life awaits in the rhododendron bush by our garage. Unfortunately the little darlins were plucked from their nest days after their arrival, no doubt by the vicious cat that lives next door. After watching these eggs hatch, I was sorry that the mama robin didn’t build her nest in a safer, securer environment.

4-25-08  — Here is me and my BFF Anita Renfroe at Women of Faith in Columbus.

4-25-08 — Women of Faith in Columbus… God spoke to me in a big way and because of that we “sponsored” Mercy from Malawi through World Vision. Finally, I have a daughter!!!

5-4-08 — McDaddy is promoted to the rank of Major in the WV Air National Guard. Here, his dad (Chief Master Sargent McGrandpa and I do the honors of pinning the Major Rank on). McDaddy is an officer and a gentleman.

5-8-08 — I began a rigorous workout schedule at the YMCA in an effort to lose 50 pounds. 34 weeks later, I have lost 24 pounds.  (Notice my fat cheeks)

5-9-08 — The princess, the Queen and the Queen Mother attend a Mother’s Day banquet at my lovely little church. In case you’re wondering, I’m the one on the left. My mom is in the middle and her mom is on the end.

5-11-08 — Mother’s Day 2008 — Me with the two greatest things I’ve ever been a part of.

5-16-08 — McDaddy surprises McPrincess with a surprise 10th Anniversary trip. I had no idea where we were headed until we boarded a plane for Minneapolis, Minnesota to go here

5-22-08  — Stevie graduates from Pre-School much to my dismay. I was not at all ready for him to start Kindergarten.

5-22-08 — Our sweet nephew, Kirklen was born. Again, parental permission has not been received to publish his picture on my blog, so you’ll just have to trust me when I say he is a sweet, precious angel. He is #10 in the McGrandbaby line-up.

——

1/1/08 – 12/31/08 – McDaddy modifies his heap (ahem! I mean JEEP) yet again.

6-11-08 — Our sweet nephew, Noah is born. Parental Permission is pending. You know the drill. And, in case you happen to be keeping score that makes 3 nephews born within 3 months. Sweet Noah is Number 11 in the McGrandbaby line-up (all under the age of 6).

—————

6-21-08 — The McFamily camps with friends at Summersville.

6-29-08 — The Princess directs Vacation Bible School for the 7th (and in her words) and last year.

6-28-08  — Our sweet friend from high school Jodie and her husband, Scott come to WV to visit us for the weekend. They also happen to be off-roading enthusiasts.  [Pictured left to right is Me, Jodie, McDaddy and our other high school friend, Tom]

7-21-08 — The McFamily welcomes a new addition to the family. A new camper.

8-7-08 — The Princess enjoys a test drive on a perfect, sunny day in her dream car, the Saturn Sky.  (I just had to add this one).

8-26-08  — Stevie starts Kindergarten. This also marks the first day of school for my sweet nephew, Dylan who stays with us a couple of nights each week.

10-30-08  — Halloween is always a fun time at the McResidence.

11-01-08  — Alex turns ”free” years old

11-08-08 — The Princess debuts her blog, From Inmates to Playdates to the blogosphere.

11-11-08 — After a grueling experience with Lowes, our fancy, new bathroom countertop is completed, thanks to McDaddy’s tiling talent.

11-27-08 — Thanksgiving Day at the McResidence.

11-30-08  — Stevie signs up for basketball and plays for The Lakers.

12-11-08 — The Princess turns 35 years old and spends the evening volunteering for World Vision at the Casting Crowns Concert.

12-12-08  — Stevie turns 6 years old

12-25-08 — Christmas Day is spent with both sets of our parents and The Princesses extended family who were visiting from California.

12-26-08 — The McFamily sets off for Orlando, Florida. They visit Sea World and Magic Kingdom.

There you have it.

Our year in pictures.

Thanks for tuning into my daily dose of crazy. Here’s to a joyous and prosperous 2009.

You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.  Psalm 128:2

Although I am seven months into the Great Weight Loss Event of 2008, I still love to eat. I just have to do it in moderation. Here are some of my favorite things to eat.

• Chocolate donut from the Donut Connection
• Olive Garden – Spaghetti with meat sauce and bread sticks (oh heck, just go ahead and throw in the salad too).
• Famous Dave’s Chicken Strips with jalapeno dipping sauce
• A really good salad with {creamy not chunky} blue cheese dressing and pumpernickel bread for sopping (is that word) up the dressing.
• My vegetable soup
• Hot McDonalds French Fries dipped in ketchup
• A hot dog – with chili, slaw, mustard and ketchup with a Dr. pepper chaser
• No-bake cookies
• Yellow cake with chocolate icing
• Pizza Hut Pan Supreme Pizza
• Lucky Charms
• Doritos (only the original kind, none of those new fangled nasty ones)
• That DUCKS pepper butter I bought at the Arts and Crafts fair
• Dad’s cheese ball
• My mom’s or my mil’s (mother in laws) spaghetti
• Toasted Chicken Teriyaki sub from subway
• Brown sugar and cinammon {only} oatmeal with toast
• A burger king whopper with cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo and ketchup
• Fajitas after about 30 minutes of chips and salsa at Rio washed down with an ice cold Coca Cola Classic
• Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream
• Banana Pudding
• A Laidley Field Corn Dog slathered in mustard and ketchup
• My pancakes with butter and sugar free syrup poured a little at a time so as not to get soggy
• Coco Pebbles
• Sweet and sour pickles
• Fried bologna sandwich with mayo
• Coco wheat with toast
• Hot Chocolate
• Carrots dipped in ranch dressing
• Oreos dipped in milk
• Reese Cup
• Trail Mix
• Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls
• Longhorn Juicy Steak
• this one might gross you out….. toast with butter and jelly rolled up and dunked in chocolate milk (I lovingly call these toast roll-ups)
• Ice pellets
• Pumpkin Pie with a mound of cool whip
• Bob Evans Chicken Fried Chicken Deep Dish Dinner
• My chili with shredded cheese melted in it
• Hot rolls with butter

Since we’re still getting to know eachother around here, I thought it might be fun to tell you about 13 of my favorite things. And, if this was Oprah’s site, she’d probably give ya’ll one of everything. But since I’m not Oprah and ya’ll aren’t here sitting in my audience, all I have to offer is pictures of my favorite things.

I have not included my hubby or my kids on this list, because I don’t consider people to be things.

13 OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

1. The Automatic Side Sliding Door opener on my key fob. My grocery getter minivan while not known for its sex appeal is certainly popular in the comfort, usability and space categories. Those automatic sliding side doors have become one of my favorite things because I am typically holding a hand, a purse, a diaper bag, a bag of something and a Dr. Pepper. In other words, I don’t have a free hand to open the door. I especially appreciate them on rainy, windy days.

 2. Romance Perfume – My favorite perfume is Romance by Ralph Lauren. It not only smells fabulous, it comes in a cute square bottle.

 3. Longaberger Baskets- I collect Longaberger Baskets and have 120+ baskets in my collection. I am also a Longaberger Home Consultant and could set you up with one or two or ten of them.

4. Cranberry Chutney Yankee Candle – My all-time favorite candle flavor. I triple love the cranberry chutney scent, although I’m ashamed to admit I have no idea what chutney is. (Note to self: Ask Good Friend Google about Chutney).

5. My favorite drink is Dr. Pepper – Before the Great-Weight-Loss-Effort-2008, I kept a never-ending supply of Dr. Pepper in my fridge. Now though, I don’t keep them in the fridge because I do not have the sense to leave them alone. I do enjoy one from time to time when I’m out to dinner though.

6. Olive Garden Spaghetti – is my all time favorite meal, although I do love all kinds of spaghetti especially my Mom’s and the Mil’s (Mother-in-law).

7. Casting Crowns – I listen to Casting Crowns more than any other group out there. I triple love their music.

8.My iPod Nano- McDaddy got me an iPod for Mother’s Day last year and I use it everyday at the gym.  I have 241 songs on my beloved iPod that looks just like the one you see here. My listening library includes Chris Sligh, Mariah Carey, Alanis Morisette, TLC, Sugar Hill Gang, Brandon Heath, Blackstreet, Faith Hill, Natalie Grant, David Archuleta, Coolio, Elton John and Carrie Underwood. See, I told you it was vast.

9. My Roomba iRobot – Although it is currently out of commission due to a dead battery, it remains one of my favorite inventions. It is the closest thing to a maid I will ever have.

10. My iPhone- It’s like an American express. I don’t leave home without it.

11. My TiVo -  In my humble opinion, the TiVo is the greatest invention of my time. Me and my TiVo are very close. We are great friends. Buds. Pals. Cohorts. You get my drift. My daily docket gets longer everyday. Oh, TiVo, I do love you so.

12. God’s Promises – His mercies are new daily. I am so undeserving of the blessings in my life, yet, he blesses me anyway. He has made me a new creature and my favorite things would not be complete without including His Word. Now you get the whole Princess thing. I will wear a crown someday and it will be fabulous.

13. Saturn Sky – My absolute favorite thing is the sexy, sleek Saturn Sky. If I were to hit the lottery, inherit a fortune or rob a bank, the Saturn dealer would be my very first stop.

There you have it. Thirteen of my favorite things.

Thanks for stopping by.

Visit Daily Dwelling for other Friday Favorites!