My new obsession: Oatmeal breakfast cookies

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast. So much so that I usually eat two breakfasts a day. My latest obsession is an oatmeal breakfast cookie, created by The Fintessista (who is such a doll). You can even watch her video tutorial on how to make them here.

So for the past week, I have been preparing two of these babies the night before - one for me and one for B before he heads to class.





I love the texture (soft and chewy)and I love being able to use a variety of mix-ins for whatever I am feeling that day (cocunut, dried apricots, cinnamon, dried cranberries, etc).

I have been kind of in a 'rut' as far as a fitness routine...so to mix it up a little I have been swimming laps with one of my besties at this beautiful pool way up in the foothills (the picture doesn't do the view any justice).

I am NOT a swimmer. Like at all. My heavy breathing and sky-rocketing heart rate during a swim makes me feel like a 400lb smoker trying to walk up the stairs. Little by little, I think I am getting better though. Yesterday I swam 1000m. It was glorious. I also did a 30 minute weight circuit during the day for my lunch break.


This morning the little nugget and I got up super early to crank out a 3 mile run (with a break at the dog park in the middle) before it got too hot. She is so dramatic when we get back from runs....


But then she pulled it together for a glamour shot (I don't know how her eyeball got cut off....)

Foodie bucket list: Home-made Energy Bars

I have a food bucket list. It is made up of foods I want to learn how to cook, foods I want to 'conquer' and foods that I want to make better than Brad. More or less.

One of the foods I want to 'conquer' is home-made energy bars. I LOVE granola/energy bars. I feel like any craving I have can be fulfilled with that wonderful combination of salty nuts and sweet fruit.

I can't take full credit for creating this recipe....it came from my work bff. I changed a few things here and there, but nothing major.

The only downside to home-made energy bars is that most recipes have a lot of ingredients. This was daunting at first because I assumed it would be a really expensive Sunflower Market run. Bulk bins to the rescue! The total cost wasn't bad at all.


Preheat oven to 275. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Cook 1/2 cup of Quinoa on the stove-top (no picture of that, sorry). Side note, I love Quinoa.

Combine 1 cup roasted almonds, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/4 C pecans and 1/4 cup sesame seeds in the food processor - pulse a couple of times until the nuts are pea sized


Some of them will grind finer than that, and that's ok


Now add 1 cup of dates, 1/2 cup of raisins (I used golden), 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup of apricots (or mango) to the processor and pulse until the fruit is also pea-sized. I cut the fruit up a little before I put it in there - just so I wouldn't have to over-grind the everything to get the fruit right. While it is running, drizzle in about 2TBSP of pure maple syrup.


Dump it in a bowl. This is what it will look like when you dump it into a bowl


Add 1 cup oat bran flour (I used spelt flour), 1.5 cups rolled oats, 1 cup of shredded coconut.


Stir mixture together and gradually add 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 1/4 cup almond butter (or any other nut butter), 1/4 cup of coconut oil (needs to be heated first), 1T vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon sea salt and one egg. Lastly stir in cooked quinoa. Let's be honest...mixing is much easier with your hands.

If the consistency is too dry, add more wet ingredients, if it is too wet, add more wet ingredients. duh.

Dump the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out evenly - making sure that all the pieces are stuck together so when you are done baking them you can cut them into bars.


Cook on the middle rack at 275 for 35 mins or until edges are slightly browned. Once baked, allow to cool for at least an hour before you cut them into bars.


Put the finished bars in the fridge so they harden and combine even more.

Yum-o



Recipe for Naomi’s Ah-mazing Energy Bars



Ingredients*

1 cup roasted almonds
½ cup walnuts
¼ cup pecans
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 cup dates
½ cup raisins
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup dried mango
½ cup cooked quinoa
1 cup oat bran flour (you can sub spelt flour, wheat flour, etc)
1.5 cup rolled oats
1 cup coconut
½ cup pure maple syrup, plus 2 TBSP
¼ cup almond butter (can sub any other nut butter)
¼ cup coconut oil warmed (can sub canola oil)
1 TBSP pure vanilla extract
1 tsp sea salt
1 egg

*all ingredients should be organic when possible!

Directions

Preheat oven to 275°. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Cook quinoa on stovetop. Place all nuts in food processor and chop briefly until size of peas (some will grind up to a finer consistency, that’s fine. Add all dried fruit to food processor and pulse grinder until pieces are the size of peas. While machine is running, drizzle in 2 TBSP of maple syrup until mixture binds. Dump mixture into a mixing bowl and add spelt flour, oats, coconut. Stir mixture together while adding maple syrup, almond butter, coconut oil, vanilla extract, sea salt, and egg. Lastly, stir in cooked quinoa. You may have to use your hands to get all pieces evenly coated with binding agents, so the consistency is like sticky, lumpy dough. If consistency is too dry and crumbly, add more wet ingredients, if it is too goopy, add more dry ingredients. Once combined, dump out mixture onto baking sheet and spread until mixture is evenly distributed. Ensure all pieces are stuck together so when you’re done baking it can be cut into bars. Place in middle or top of oven and bake at 275° for approx 35 or until edges brown slightly. Once baked, allow to cool for at least one hour and then cut into bars. Place bars immediately into refrigerator so they harden.

My BF has his J.D.

Three very . long . years . later . he is DONE.



We had such a fabulous graduation weekend. Lots of family in town, lots of eating, drinking and being merry. I know B is glad to be done, but I am SUPER glad he is done. I feel like i have finally gotten rid of "the other woman" in his life (law school), and I have him back all to myself! Oh, except for that whole studying for the Bar thing.

I am so proud of B. I cried when graduation was over - which was very unexpected....and odd.

To celebrate, we went to California. It was a blast.

First stop was Catalina Island. Other than it being really chilly....we had fun just relaxing, driving around in a golf cart, and renting a boat to take ourselves on our own dolphin watching "cruise."


Then we went to San Diego. And loved it. It was so great to spend uninterrupted time together.

One year

My friends here and here have kids who just turned one....I have a dog that just turned one. And she weighs more than both of those babies combined...and then some.

Here are some interesting tid bits about life with Brooklyn:
1. She can finish 3 cups of food in one minute flat. The house could be burning down and she wouldn't dare take her snout out of her food bowl for a hot second to even consider escaping.
2. She sleeps under our bed. Not on top. Under. She has to wedge herself under there....i am waiting for the day when she gets stuck. It will be funny.
3. She startles herself when she farts.
4. Going up and down the stairs is the most stressful part of her day. She cries and cries and cries during the whole ordeal. It isn't that she doesn't know how to walk up or down them. It is that she mentally pysches herself out. I don't know what her issue is.....it could be that her little claws slip and slide all over the place.






Back when Brooke was just a month old...she played with this same dog

I am proud to be a Tucsonan

In the midst of this horrible tragedy...the past few days I have woken up in the morning first with a sense of fear, quickly followed by a sense of pride and admiration.

(*Side note...Obviously you the viewer reading this in January or 2011 knows what happened and all of the turn of events. I am writing this for my own good....so that 20 or 50 years down the road, I can re-read this entry, or show it to my kids)

Saturday morning was a regular morning in the Hibsman/Wilson house. I got up around 9am to keep Brooklyn company downstairs and watch a few recorded shows of Modern Family on the DVR. Bradley was sick all weekend, so he slept in until around 11. We finally got our act together and headed down to campus so that he could buy his text books and we could grab lunch. As we were just getting out of the car to head to the Union, we faintly heard the news over the radio. I don't think either of us were really paying attention. All we heard is that Gabby Giffords was shot.

Then I started receiving texts from my dad, friends, mom, etc asking if we were ok, and where we were in relation to what was happening.

We ate lunch at a little vietnamese place down on University - where I asked the manager if he could change the channel from the 'asian music videos channel' to something like CNN. He said "ya, we had that on earlier, but then it was just getting too depressing" Nice...you don't want to watch the events that are totally rocking our country unfold right now because it's 'too depressing'

So there we sat. Eating Pho and watching the TV, then listening to the news in car all afternoon while running errands. Running errands IN THE SAME TOWN where some naive heartless scumbag woke up that morning, and in his is pea-brain of a head decided to load a glock with 31 rounds and an extra magazine clip and open fire on innocent by-standers at a 'town-hall' event. Just 15 minutes from our house...in an instant....he took 6 lives, wounded 13 others, and scarred the lives of all who either knew the victims, knew someone who knew the victims, or anyone in this country who simply HAS A SOUL.

The police chief was very hesitant to release the names of the deceased victims. I think that through all this mayhem, Tucson authorities were sincerely trying to safe-guard our community from any more hurt and more national attention. This is Tucson, Arizona, for god's sake. Where hippies and intellectuals collide, where locals and immigrants can come together over a juicy sonoran dog, where native americans meet hispanics, where the University is the heart beat of the community, where you can walk around downtown in your bare feet beating your bongo drum and no one thinks twice about it, where meeting people that have lived here their whole lives is more common than not...where there is only one degree of separation between you and the person in line behind you at the coffee shop....

I digress....

Brad had mentioned that Giffords had attended University High School (Brad's alma mater) and therefore she had several UHS grads on her staff. He could only think of a couple that he knew...one of them being Gabe Zimmerman.

A few hours later, Gabe's name was released as one of the 6 who didn't make it out alive. Thirty years old...recently engaged to be married. Some of his former classmates put together an impromptu vigil outside of UHS, so we attended with one of Brad's friends/co-workers.

News crews showed up, doing the standard "I'm sorry for your loss, can you come on camera and share a few thoughts about Gabe?" We listened to a few of Gabe's closest friends share some words, then just as quietly as we arrived, we left...leaving notes, candles and flowers as sweet memories.

After dinner (which oddly enough was Pho again), we headed to University Medical Center to see the vigil that had started earlier that day. By the time we arrived, there were only about 20 or so people left. But - the media presence was overwhelming.

I have been glued to the latest updates and breaking news that they are still finding out about the event. I can't get enough of it, I want to know more about the victims, the survivors, and even the killer himself.

More later...but in the mean time, watch this clip. I have watched it at least 5 times already.

Arizona Shootings Reaction

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
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Confession....

I have a confession.

I am not perfect.

This (humbling) fact has been made perhaps even more clear after 11 months of living with my significant other (read domestic partner, or DP).

I've lived with a fair share of roommates - and I even lived with my parents post-college graduation - and still I was able to keep my issues to myself, my emotions hidden (for the most part) and my skeletons safely in my closet.

Nothing compares to or prepares you for dating your roommate.

I have weird quirks and (supposedly) annoying habits. If you asked me a year ago what those were, I would have told you that I have to wash my feet before bed and sometimes I leave the milk on the counter.

Until I lived with a DP. Now all of my dirty laundry is aired out for him to see. And nothing has ever made me feel more vulnerable.

Sometimes....

• All I want for dinner is spoonfuls of peanut butter dipped in honey.

• If my jeans are too tight I dramatically throw myself on the bed, cry, and refuse to leave the house.

• I say ridiculous things (translated: embarrassing) in front of big groups of smart people.

• I start reading a 'big kid' book and don't have the patience or attention span to get past page 15 (ok, that is pretty much all the time)

• I like to watch documentaries about mass murderers and serial killers....like for hours and hours

• I google really ridiculous searches...that aren't meant to be found on my search history later by another user.

• Facebook stalking can keep me occupied for HOURS. 743 not-private photos? Don't mind if I do!

• I laugh at things that aren't funny to the general population. And I laugh LOUD. So that everyone around can hear me.

• I shop online. too much. As evidenced by deliveries to our house on a twice-a-week basis.

When I first moved in with my DP, I had a really hard time letting these 'secrets' go. Ok - so they may not be exactly 'skeletons,' but they also aren't something I voluntarily share when asked "what's new?"

But now? It makes me feel even more loved that after all of this, all of my ridiculousness, he still kind of likes me and wants to call me his girlfriend.

Finding a cure....

I am so excited about this. Brad and I have talked in the past about getting more involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, but we just weren't able to make it work.

In about a month, we will be taking part in JDRF's Walk to Cure Diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is a devastating disease that affects millions of people. B was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was only 18 months old. The disease is something that affects our life (more of his life than mine) every day. From finger pricking, carb counting and insulin injecting, Type 1 really controls every hour of every day of your life.

This cause is very special to us. We would love your support in our upcoming walk. We aren't asking to break the bank - even $5 helps us to reach our goal (one latte from Starbucks!). Here is a link to our fundraising page:

Brad and Jess Walk to Cure Diabetes.

Before I met B, I really knew nothing about the disease, let alone what it is like to live with it. I found this really interesting "Diabetes Simulator" on the JDRF website that does a pretty good job of explaining a day in the life of a diabetic...here is just a short clip:
Your 24-hour Schedule with Juvenile Diabetes

Time/Action
7:00 a.m. Blood Glucose Check (Reading: 269)
Eat Breakfast (Calculate carbohydrate grams)
Insulin administered (Amount determined by # of carbs and anticipated activity)

9:30 a.m. Blood Glucose Check (Reading: 60)
Have juice to bring blood Glucose up.

11:51 a.m. Blood Glucose Check (Reading: 106)
Eat Lunch (Calculate carbohydrates)
Insulin administered (Amount determined by # of carbs and anticipated activity)

3:05 p.m. Blood Glucose Check (Reading: 167)

6:10 p.m. Blood Glucose Check (Reading: 109)

6:45 p.m. Insulin administered (Amount determined by # of carbs consumed)
Eat Dinner (Calculate carbohydrates)

7:45 p.m. Blood Glucose Check.
Insulin administered (Amount determined by # of carbs consumed)
Eat Dinner (Calculate carbohydrates)

9:00 p.m. Blood Glucose Check (Reading: 56)
Have juice to bring Blood Glucose up. Have snack whether hungry or not.
Check Blood Glucose again in 15 minutes.

9:15 p.m. Blood Glucose Check (Reading: 70)
Coming up, but not high enough yet. Check again in 15 minutes.


Here is a silly picture just for fun..I felt like this blog post needed a cheerful ending.

All grown up...

Introducing our family's newest grad....

After 8 humbling (read embarrassing) weeks of storming through the front door at PetSmart with a wild, out-of-control, limbs-flying, tongue panting, stare-warranting Marley look-alike....Brooklyn has officially graduated from puppy class. It was a long and rough ride, but she did it, and we are very proud puppy parents.

Here are a couple of photos from our recent trip to Grandma's house (my mom and Steve's house in Las Vegas). This was Brooklyn's first overnight trip, and first time sharing a house with a cat. Meet Ozzie the Harry Cat.


Here is a pic of the 5 month old and the 11 year old. Brooklyn brought out Daisy's youthful side.


Brooke was a perfect pup the whole weekend....except for this minor lapse in judgment when she wanted to sit on the couch next to grandpa.

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Don't be an Eeyore

My friend Susie is like my own personal Dr. Phil. Seriously, the advice and insight that comes out of this girls mouth is TV show worthy.

Tonight we were talking about this: "Ladies, don't be an Eeyore in your relationship" - an article on CNN.com that she had found.

I am (a recovering) Eeyore. And it took me 2.5 years in my relationship to admit I had a problem (you know, like a 12 step program type of thing.)

First of all...you should make sure you read the article before you read the rest of my blog.

Did you read it?

Great.

I feel like this article was written for me...for me to read at this moment.

I have a hard time receiving criticism - doesn't everyone? But a couple of weeks ago, B totally called me out on a few things that were "blocking my blessings." Ok, ok, he didn't use those exact words, but that really was what he was saying. I was constantly looking for the faults in our life together, I was looking for the shortcomings of 'us' - even if these faults and shortcomings were totally bizarre and not validated, I was looking for them...it was almost like I wanted these shortcomings and disappointments to be there. Even when they weren't.

It was really hard to hear - but mostly because I knew it was true. I was very caught up in the 'what COULD go wrong' at 'some point in the future' that I wasn't enjoying the blessings of the present. And to be honest, when asked why I was doing that...I didn't have an answer. All I could say was "I'm an anxious person."

And then I read this....I think the author really summed it up.

So, why do women tend to ruin the one thing they claim to want the most? Is it unresolved issues from past loves, insecurity, a self-loathing feeling that they don't deserve happiness?

Actually, it's a lot simpler than that. Women have been conditioned to believe that in order to succeed in this world we always have to be a step ahead of all potential problems. We need to always be ready for when the bottom falls out. We need to prepare that safety net so we cannot be caught off guard.

As a result, women are so busy analyzing what could happen in the near future that they are destroying any possibility of nurturing the present. The mind set is not just limited to our love lives.

I think that is very true. Things are great in our new life of sharing a home. And I am truly, truly happy. But it was really hard for me to stop analyzing what COULD happen in the near future and instead, nurture and enjoy the present. The 'what COULD' happen wasn't just limited to my relationship with B, but just a lot of what-ifs in life.

What do you think? Have you ever found yourself going through this phase of being an Eeyore in your relationship or in other aspects of your life? Or maybe I am the only one....and that's ok, too. :)

The truth hurts....

My friend Mark told me he had a few suggestions for my blog. I said I wanted to hear them. And this is what I got.

me: so what's your suggestion?
Mark: ah.. you're back
well, im sorry to say this.. but your blog is kinda boring.
its like it was written by that jessi that i knew that never made a disparaging remark about anyone.
me: hahaha
that is because i have to write it with the assumption that the whole world may read it some day
Mark: maybe.. but why would the world want to read that?
its doesn't answer any questions.. doesn't ask me any questions.. doesn't make me think.
im not trying to be mean... but my point is.. you're a lot smarter, a lot funnier and a lot more insightful than your writing would suggest.
Mark: and... now you don't want to talk to me.
me: sorry, someone came into my office
ha. well, i am wondering if this is a backhanded compliment?
honestly, it is just a chance for me to post pictures and let my friends know what i am doing
Mark: probably
me: i don't really use it the other wya
Mark: what do you mean?
me: well, i mean that i only use it as a way to document whati have been doing not what i think, or the sarcastic things i think of other people
i will try harder.

Mark: i do'nt know.. it reads like a postcard to someone's grandma.
Mark: i mean, if you enjoy writing and i know you have opinions... so even if you had a slightly less public forum... its fun to use. i used to throw out editorials to some of my friends from time to time.
me: that is true. maybe i need to invest more time into it
Mark: that's just my 2 cents. i think you're hiding your character.. and i think you can write about more things than your trip to the zoo.
me: wow. please don't hold back
Mark: im not. untapped potential is something that pisses me off. trust me... if i didn't think you were better than that, i would never have said anything.
me: hahaha
well, thanks?

what if i post this conversation on my blog?
Mark: i just don't always have the most tactful way of saying things
i wouldn't mind
me: welp - it's final. this is going on the blog
is there anything you would like to say to my blog friends?
Mark: if they agree with me, they should speak up. but then again, your friends are probably too nice.
me: they are very very nice
nicer than you
Mark: it doesn't take much
but then again.. you know what you're going to get. and i doubt you're angry about what i said about your blog.
me: you're right. i'm not
Mark: but the robot that wrote your blog... she might be, so don't say anything to her.
alright, i'll stop
me: omg

Mark: anyways... for your next post... after exposing me to your wide readership as a jackass... think of some crazy topic that always gets you going... something that pisses you off, something that gets you excited for no good reason and just.. go off about that.
Mark: maybe you could talk about something different between where you are and where you were. or how certain relationships have changed. your weight loss post was good because it revealed something about you.
Mark: or you might do better or be more comfortable expressing your opinion about something that's not too revealing about yourself.

Well blog friends, what do you think? Do you have any topics that you would like to hear about?

Puppy love

I've been lazy about posting. I'm sorry...I'm sure all five of you are very upset with me.

I may have mentioned this before...but I will do just about anything that Rachel tells me to do. Why? Because she is smart.

Today she posted a cute little video on her blog that documents her five year marriage to Sol. It is real cute. She suggested I do one for Brooklyn. So I did.

(Sorry Bradley...maybe some day in October you will get your own anniversary video)

Tomorrow Brooklyn is having surgery...surgery that will ensure that she doesn't create any baby Brooklyns. Brad keeps asking if we are sure that we won't, sometime in the future, want more Brooklyns. I remind him of the past 6 months...and tell him to multiply it by roughly six. I'm sure.

Brooklyn puts on her water wings....

When we gave Brooklyn her first bath the first week we got her, she did not like it. I was a little worried that we got the only lab in the world that doesn't like water. Quite the contrary. She loves it.

Brad's mom brought over a baby pool for Brooklyn and her cuz Midori to play in. And it has quickly become Brooklyn's favorite thing to do. When I go home over lunch, she just likes to go walk around in the pool. She doesn't even do anything, just walk around. I will have to post 'still' pictures of her playing, but in the mean time....

Another one of her favorites? The hose....

Visit from Mom

This post is looooong over due. My mom came to visit 3 weeks ago. It was a blast. I loved taking her around Tucson and being the "tour guide" - it made me feel like a real local! Friday night after we picked her up from the airport we ate at Mi Nidito. It is an authentic Mexican joint (authentic as in we are only an hour and a half from the border). It is in the original downtown of Tucson, and can be quite scary at night. But the food is awesome, as seen by the hour plus wait every night.

Saturday I took my mom and Brad to lunch at Canyon Ranch. Brad had never seen 'the inside' of the ranch - it is very high security! I gave them a mini-tour of the resort then we had a scrumptious healthy meal.

The rest of the day was spent playing with the pups, shopping, and eating dinner at one of our favorite fun spots - Kingfisher.

Sunday we took my mom to the Sonoran Desert Museum (photos below). I hadn't been before, and according to most Tucsonians, it is a must see! And I have to admit, I loved it. They had all kinds of desert animals, plants, landscape, etc etc. It was so cool, and reinforced my love of the Sonoran Desert!

And finally the photos:

Meet Midori

No....we did not get another puppy. We aren't crazy

Brad's mom is training a puppy through Canine Companions. She will raise/train Midori for 15 months, teaching her more than 25 commands (it's intense) with the goal being that at the end of the 15 months, Midori will 'pass the test' and move on to a more intensive training before she is matched as a service dog. See the resemblance? :) Midori is half lab, and half golden retriever. Brooke is all lab.

We are so happy to have Midori around, so finally Brooklyn can bite on something other than our hands and toes.

Exhibit A: (no puppies were harmed in the making of this blog post)

Midori's ear is green from a special 'stamp' she received right before she boarded the plane and headed all the way from San Jose, to Seattle, then to Phoenix.

Midori and Brooklyn love love LOVE to play with each other and roll around all over the back yard. No words are necessary, I will just post pictures.

Tomorrow, I will post the story of Brooklyn, the Houdini Dog.

Street fairs and airplanes

Last weekend Tucson was a happenin' little big city! It was the spring-time 4th Avenue Street Fair and the annual air show at Davis-Monthan AFB. The weather was a-mazing, and luckily, fortunately Bradley and I were able to get out and experience both events! It was so fun, and reminded me how happy I am to be in a community that has fun things like that to do over the weekend. I am sure there are things like this in Las Vegas, but nothing ever caught my interest.

The most exciting part of the 4th Ave. Street Fair was riding the electric streetcar (trolley). It was only 50 cents - and it was so authentic.

The vendors at the street fair were sub-par, but I still enjoyed being out and about and people watching. The food vendors, however, were amazing. Brad had a smoked beef (I think?) sandwich, and I had a wonderful slice of pizza from Brooklyn Pizza. Yum-O. Here is a shot of the crowd on the street. It was packed!

On Sunday we headed over to the air show. An interesting fact about Bradley...he loooooves airplanes. Anything with an engine, really. His grandfather flew planes in WWII, and Bradley learned a LOT from his grandfather. I will admit that I would never have gone to the airshow by myself, but it was very interesting tagging along with someone who knew what each plane was, what it was used for, where it came from, etc etc etc (more than I could even remember).

We waited in line to check out the inside of an E3 - and much to our surprise, we got to sit in the cockpit! Like a kid in a candy store....

Before and After

Believe it or not, this entry is not about the cutest puppy in the world.

I have debated on whether or not I wanted to blog this entry for a few weeks now...I am approaching this with very cautious intentions.

Let me preface this - working at a destination health resort makes you a lot more 'open' about weight, weight loss, and weight gain. Canyon Ranch used to be a 'fat farm' that would limit guest's calorie intake to 800 calories! That isn't the case anymore, we are much more about the integrative approach - medical, behavioral, nutritional, and of course exercise physiological (is that a word?)

I have about 8 photos in my new offices of me with a variety of people that are important in my life. There is a photo with some of my high school friends, with my college friends, with my boyfriend, with my Vegas friends, and of course with my mom. It has been very interesting to watch my new Canyon Ranch co-workers come into my office and ask permission to look at my personal photos. Of course you can look!

About a week ago, someone was looking at them for the first time and said "who is that girl in all of your photos?"

Me: "huh?"

confusion

Me: "that's me!"

"ohhhhhhhh, wow. It doesn't even look like you."

awkwardness

Me: "well, I had brown hair in that one, and in the other 5 of them, I am about 25 pounds heavier."

Thoughts in my head: "Holy crap! Twenty-five pounds heavier?"

It hadn't really sunk in until that moment, that I had made a significant change to my outward appearance. So significant that a co-worker couldn't even recognize old photos of me? Naw....

I am not exactly sure when I was at my peak...there were several times in college when I would start Weight Watchers, only to lose 8 pounds then gain back 11. Then after college there were still several times I would join Weight Watchers to lose 6 pounds and gain back 9. Then, I thought that training for a marathon might help get me to my 'goal weight,' NOPE! That's a negative, I just over-compensated with more and more food.

I'm not even sure what my tipping point was. Or when I had this 'a-ha' moment (That is a Canyon Ranch reference...we often refer to our guest's "a-ha" moment of when they realize that something in their life has to change, for good).

It wasn't that I started thinking "I am going to loose weight, and this is how I am going to do it."

It was more "this is my body for the rest of my life, I can either choose right now to consciously make it a body I enjoy being in, or I can continue these toxic eating habits and complain that my jeans are always too tight."

Before I knew it, I was eating less (still the foods that I liked, just less of them), obsessing and thinking about food less (I still think about what I am going to eat for dinner when I am eating breakfast, but that will never change), and weighing less. I didn't notice it until other people noticed, and when someone would ask me what I "DID" to lose the weight, I would come up with these ridiculous "excuses" that really didn't give me any credit. Ready for these?

• My boyfriend moved to another state, so I didn't have anyone to wine-and-dine me anymore. (I had plenty of wining and dining with girlfriends and through my job!)


• My boyfriend moved to another state, so I was sad (dumb...I was definitely sad, but not sad enough that I didn't want to eat!)


• I was stressed out at work and just too busy to over-eat (what? was I too busy to partake in doughnut-Wednesday? no)


• I wasn't drinking as much (ok, this is partly true. I was drinking lower-calorie drinks, still just as many!)

Just recently I have been able to give myself full credit for taking charge of what I wanted my body to look like. Do I think there was something wrong with how I was before? No way...it just wasn't ME.

I am really enjoying learning about healthy eating and healthy habits. There are several "healthy food bloggers" that blog about their weight loss journey, and if this entry wasn't so long already, I would plug them here :)

I still feel like there are a few pesky pounds that are lingering on - but I'm ok with that. Doesn't everyone want to lose 5lbs? :)

Before

After

Marley and Me

I hate to admit it....as cute as she is....she exhibits qualities that are all too similar to Marley. Granted, she hasn't eaten a phone, or an answering machine, or jumped out of a car window....yet.

She has officially had her first visit to the E.R. Vet. At the ripe ole age of 8 weeks.

At the end of last week, Brad and I noticed that her, ahem, "number twos" were getting a little too runny. TMI? Welp, sorry! She wasn't drinking much water, and she was having major accidents inside and in her crate. By Saturday night, she was extremely lethargic, going to the bathroom every 30 minutes, and wouldn't eat her dinner. I was in Phoenix visiting a friend, and Brad...being the awesome puppy daddy that he is, took her to the E.R. The vet said she was severely dehydrated. Sadly, many puppies die of dehydration - their little bodies and immune system have a hard time fighting back.

They did a few tests (including one that meant sticking a huge Q-tip in her bum), and luckily it wasn't Parvo or a stomach parasite. Phew. However, something was still severely wrong.

The vet wanted to hospitalize her, and when Brad found out it would cost $950 to do so, we politely declined, and inquired about alternative options.

The vet suggested a subcutaneous fluid injection. Basically, they put a huge needle full of fluids in her shoulder. I wasn't there, but Brad said she looked like Quasimodo.

4 hours at the vet, one huge melon-sized fluid injection, two q-tip swabs and a vile of antibiotics later....she is healthy! We hope....

At least she is back to her spunky and obnoxious self, that is for sure!

I've been reading a lot on the internet about feeding dogs carrots. Not only are they a great and healthy snack, but it also helps with their teething.