SOLD!

We did it! We found a house! It's kind of a convoluted story, but we ended up going back to the very first area we'd considered, and we found our dream house. The sacrifice we made is it's not centrally-located, but because I am now working from home, my commute was a non-issue. What we gained was size, new construction (!!!), and the most wonderful community ever.

It's a planned community that is based around green living and coexisting with nature. The community has two geo-thermal pools, a golf course, horse stables, about 40 miles of walking/running/hiking trails, playgrounds, a splash pad, a conservation center with animals, "A" rated schools (which is a huge deal in FL where the schools mainly suck), a lake with boats you can use for free (!!!), and so much more. They are even a dark sky community.

Our house is green star-rated, meaning it has met federal standards for energy efficiency, and is supposed to be at least 30% more energy efficient than other comparable houses. Four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and a bonus room (so happy we have a toy room!). I think my favorite two things about the house are the second-floor laundry and that the garage is behind the house. I hate when garages dominate the front of a house.

To say I am in love would be an understatement!

SOLD! Happy Homeowners!

Side view - notice the balcony! 

Living room/dining room - the family room is on the other side of the kitchen.

Elise looking at her future school - yep, it's that close. And the third community pool is slated for the area by the stop sign.

Kitchen - can't wait to cook in there!

Master bath

We're hoping to close on 7/21 and be in by 7/23, so I will probably be scarce the next few weeks as we get ready to move. But I promise to keep on keepin' on and to check in when I can!

Who's a Bad A$$?

Me, that's who!

You know why?

I've lost 150 mother fuckin' lbs!

150.

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY POUNDS!

That's 1 x 150.

Or 10 x 15.

Or 6 x 25.

Or 3 x 50.

Or 2 x 75.

No matter how you do the math, I have lost 150 lbs!

I think even more incredible to me is I only have 34 lbs left until my first goal. That's how much "normal" people need to lose. 34 lbs ain't shit!

In other news, I got the job! YEAH! The house hunt isn't going quite as well. Whoever said this is a buyer's market lied. We made an offer on one house that had been on the market for 3 days, and we had major competition. We still haven't heard, which I guess means it's not ours. We're heading out again tonight, because we have to be out of our rental in 24 days. To say I am stressed would be a bit of an understatement. Ha!

You ask, you shall receive...

Introducing me with my new hair!

The thing I like about the cut is I can flip it out, smooth it down, fluff it up, wear it to the side, wear it more forward, and about a million other ways. It's fun!

Word 2.0.

So, what's been going on with me?

• I chopped my hair off ala Sienna Miller's short style. It's not quite what I was requesting, but I still LOVE it. Five minutes, and I'm styled and good to go all day. Plus, I think it makes my face look even thinner - sweet bonus!
• DH & I are most likely making an offer on a house this week. It's super cute, in a great school district, and centrally located. I'm excited - keep those fingers crossed that it goes through for us!
• I have been back to the gym for about 10 days now. I am LOVING it. For the first time, I feel like I'm working out just for my mental and physical health. Not to lose weight, not to train for some event, not because I have to. Just because I want to. And the break from the kids is nice too!
• I have barely any appetite lately. My band got SUPER tight again, but I rode it out and now I'm at a really good place. I was getting some weird upper back pain when I ate something "too" solid, but I haven't PB'ed in months, and the pain finally went away. (Has anyone else ever had this?!). I am loving this no-appetite thing, and the only reason I remember to eat is because I get a headache and/or cranky when I'm too hungry. HA!
• On the job front, DH & I sat down and discussed me working FT vs. PT. Our lives would be so chaotic and crazy if I went back to work with the hours he's been working (12 hrs/day, 6 days/week), but we need me to work (financially and for my sanity). A friend recommended me to do what she does (search engine evaluation for Google), and I am just waiting on my test results to find out if I got the job. It pays really well for a work-from-home job, and it's really flexible (work as many or as few hours per week as you want), so again, please keep those fingers crossed. I really, really want it!
• Guess that's about it!

Word.

I'm still losing! I know, usually when I disappear, I'm gaining. But this time, I've actually been eating right, going to the gym, cutting off my hair, working on getting an work-from-home-job (yeah!), making an offer on a house (!!!), and generally trying to keep my life moving in the right direction.

I am down 144 lbs to 230.4 lbs! I am loving it. I wore a size 16 jean skirt from Old Navy today (given to me by Heidi). A SIZE 16!!!!!! My 20s are getting too big, although I don't really have any 18Ws (hint, hint - anyone need to clean out their closet and contribute to the sisterhood? Shorts, skirts, dresses, capris?)

I'll write more tomorrow. Promise promise! Smooches!

541 days ago, I took my life back.

18 months + 1 day ago, I was banded. I could go on and on about how it was one of the best decisions I've ever made, but you know what? We all know that. How about I let the numbers and pictures speak for themselves?

133 lbs lost

111.75" lost

20 BMI points lost

Body shot comparisons - click on the pic for full-size version

 Facial Comparison - again, click for full-size.

 And my fav!

the above shots super-imposed, so you can see how much narrower my shoulders are!

An Ode to Bacon

Why is it when I am on the tighter side, thick liquids are often hard to get down, but bacon (and tortilla chips) always go down just fine? Seriously, makes no sense to me, but you know, if I had to pick a go-to food, bacon would have been at the top of my list. Therefore, here it is:

An Ode to Bacon

There once was a girl who loved bacon

She even said she'd never forsake 'on.

She loved it thick and crispy

Or even thin and wispy.

Oh bacon, you're never mistaken!