Getting Fit for Summer, making lifestyle changes

Its a new year, and I've already wasted 3 months. I am ready to get a move on and get fit. I have gained so much weight over the years and I am ridiculously unhappy with myself. Loosing weight is a battle, but its also a major life style change. A big problem for me is I am a very picky eater and I also have to be very careful because I get sick with my stomach so easily. I have tried to eat more vegetables, and I love salads, but salads are the worst on a problem stomach, and I can only eat them about once or twice a week. So I've decided that I'm going to do what I did last time that I lost about 20lbs ( gained 10 back), and that is pushing myself and exercising with change the amount of food I eat in a day and watching my portion sizes. Now I know that all of the health guru's out there are going to tell me I'm going about this the wrong way but I have to try it my way first. (I'm one stubborn southern girl!)

So I am going to sign up with a friend at the gym she works out at and go 3 days a week, sometimes 4, and then use my Jillian Michaels (love her!) videos at home

I also have to report that my husband and I are quitting smoking, we are both down to 3 or less a day (which is  a HUGE deal!) and I am hoping by the end of the month we will both say goodbye for good. Its been a major struggle, especially when I find myself getting anxious or stressed out. but I know I am strong enough to overpass it. I will get through it and I will quit. i will say if you have NEVER been a smoker than do NOT judge me. It is very difficult, and its a huge lifestyle change, and for me it was not possible overnight. 

I have been proud of the choices I have been making lately, of the opportunities that have come my way. I am working full time as a medical assistant at Park Ridge Hospital, I work mon-fri, and often get off at noon on Fridays. I am taking my certification exam next month and I am picking up on my writing again. My talent is not artistic, it is not a creativity that goes along with sewing or painting or even decorating, my talent, my passion is in my writing, in the worlds I create and the words I develop.

From my heart to yours, I hope everyone has a good week this week, and may all your dreams come true!

Bring it on!

I have decided to start writing again. Its been over a year, and I sure have missed it. I had to put it down due to my crazy life. I was in school full time working towards getting my certificate in medical assisting which I am happy to say I finished in December. I was also working full time most of the time, and doing clinicals with Park Ridge OBGYN. 2013 was a crazy year for me, and I am looking forward to what 2014 has to bring. I am scheduled to take me CMA exam on May 17th and I am nervous but excited to put this chapter of my life behind me and to move forward.

My goals for this year are to write at least twice a week. If not more. (sometimes i get on a spree and end up with more the one entry a night. oopsy!) I also plan on doing some decorative changes in my home, so I will share those too! I plan on building up my relationship with God, My husband, family and friends. I would also like to grow in myself. I plan on working on my novel, and reading more. Its already March and I've already started working towards these goals, which makes me happy and proud.

Between Shades of Gray

"Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning my brother's was worth a pocket watch." Ruta Stepetys

Between Shades of Gray is a book I recently read that is such a powerful story I had to  write about it. Its about a girl named Lina and her family back in 1941, she lived in Lithuania. Did you know that the prisons and concentration camps for the Jews were not the only type of wrongful slavery going on? The Soviets came in to Lithuania and Latvia and imprisoned families just as Hitler did the Jews. Theo only difference was Stalin and the Soviets hid this from the rest of the world, including the United States. The men were separated from their families and sent to prisons, and the families were stuck on trains with what belongings they could carry for days and days living off rations and what food they were able to bring with them. The outside of the trains were marked "prostitutes and criminals." There were no doctors to heal the sick or broken bones, and there wasn't enough food to go around, but the soviet guards were eating like Kings. They were then sent to something similar to a labor camp and if you were unable to work you did not eat. Some were then transferred to the Artic where they were forced to build huts out of drift wood or anything they could find, and were not given any heat. The story is of how Lina survives and the steps she takes to protect her brother and friends she has made along the way.

It really made me grateful for everything I have here, the luxuries of just being able to eat a home cooked meal. We all take so much for granted these days, and complain when our power goes out because we can't watch tv or charge our cell phones. These people had nothing to eat but bread, if that, and had no forms of communication with the outside world, they didn't know if their families, fathers, husbands, brothers were alive, or if they themselves were even going to make it through the night. It really makes you step back and look at what you have and say Thank you Lord for blessing me in so many ways, because honestly we are blessed more then we could ever imagine, even if we don't have all of the expensive clothes or gadgets.

So from my heart to yours, go to  your local library or bookstore and get this book. Read it, and remember that you are blessed.

 

http://www.betweenshadesofgray.com

Just a short update... :)

So It's been a little while since I posted but I am back. Life was hectic with work and Christmas so I'm just going to do an update...

I just want to let everyone know that I am officially a student at South College and will be pursing my degree in Medical Assisting. After a lot of praying and talking with the hubs and parents I decided it was the right place for me to be. I start classes the 10th of January. I'm going to be taking math, English, medical terminology and Anatomy & Physiology. I am super stoked.

My husband is back at work (he was temp laid off) so lets just hope its permanent :)


We have decided that once I finish school and get a job, as long as he is still working we will then start trying for a baby. So that will be in 2014. So I have a lot to look forward to in the next upcoming couple of years.That's not set in stone, just something we have talked about, things may change by then so who knows what's in store, all I can say is I'm excited for the journey.

PS- my only new years resolution is to finish school! 

From my heart to yours....an update on me. :) Whats new for 2013 for yall?

Future...

Today I felt like my future was ripped out from underneath me. I went to a college today to see about their Medical Assisting program, and let me tell you the school was amazing, and the program was perfect. It was a perfect fit for me until I went to the financial aide office to see about a pell grant, and since I got married this year I had to include both of our incomes and even though we made LESS than 40,000$ I do not qualify for a grant. I know there are people out there with worse problems, trust me I know. But it scares me half to death to get a loan. I have been praying and praying and I just don't know what to do. I don't want to jump into this and screw up again. I jump into things and mess up, and I just don't want to do that here. I want to make something of myself, but I don't want to screw up by going into debt. I am just so conflicted. I honestly don't know what to do.

Life as we know it..

Sorry for the delay my blogging friends! I have been working a lot and have not had time to sit down on the computer!


I have been thinking about this the last couple days though....what if your life was portrayed in a movie? Would it be interesting? A drama? A romance? Have you done anything exciting that's worth being in a movie? Even though I am happy with my life I can't help but think that its boring. I feel like nothing exciting ever happens, and I guess that I am just not looking at it clearly. I find myself looking into Tv shows and books and wishing I could do what they do, but then again, I have my own little love story to tell with my husband. I don't know, it's just something that's been running through my mind and I needed to put it out there.


I have been re-reading one of my book series, and its the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld and basically its a series of 4 books. It breaks down to talk about a city, a new city thats based in the future where everyone has an operation at 16 that makes them "pretty." Making everyone look a like, but the truth behind the operation is not only do they alter your body...they alter your mind as well. I can't help but think is what if we lived in a world like that.  Can you imagine looking like everyone else in the world? Everyone being perfect? I can see some advantages (SOME), like disease and obesity and things. (Because the city feeds you and keeps you healthy...basically controls you) but other than that, you would never know what it feels like to be different. you would loose ALL creativity, individuality....I can't even imagine it. Its like you loose your brain, the city thinks for you, takes over you, makes you who they want you to be. When you first look at the books its as if they are all about appearance, but it goes deeper then that. It makes me thankful for the freedom that we have today. I personally hate to be controlled, and I couldn't imagine living somewhere that controlled every aspect of our lives.

If you havn't read the series I defenitley suggest you do.




From my heart to yours....happy Sunday!

[instert title here]

Has anyone else noticed that the hardest time to write is when you WANT to write? I have enjoyed writing my blog so far, but I have to say after working ALL day today, I have zero inspiration. I will say that I was really looking forward to going on a motorcycle ride with my sweet hubby tomorrow, but unfortunately he is helping his uncle out. Looks like this will be a short post today, but from my heart to yours I'd like to leave you with a quote from my all time favorite series...
[yes I am a Harry Potter nerd]

 “Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” Albus Dumbledore.