Happy 4th of July!

I wish I could say I'll be out shooting fireworks tonight and dancing around the yard with sprinklers, but due to the dry weather we're all waiting for a massive rain before that will be happening. I did, however, go to the lake last weekend for an early 4th of July celebration! I had a blast hanging out with my family and friends even in the triple digit heat weather. It was too hot to be out on the boat, but we hung out at the pool, watched the parade (which consists of everyone decking out their golf carts), had a bbq at a friend's camper, and watched the fireworks later that night!

The camera decided to poop out on us so the only picture I snapped besides the beautiful lake you can see here is my brother-in-law at his finest in the parade. If you're thinking he reminds you of Larry the Cable Guy you'd be correct on that.

But on the more serious note, 4th of July isn't just about fireworks and get-togethers, it's the celebration of our freedom. Though this country has a lot of issues and a lot of things that wrong with it, there is a lot of good too. I'm reminded of a few things today like how I am allowed to believe in God and go to the church of my choosing, as a woman I can wear what I want in public and never have to hide my face, I can speak my opinion even though sometimes it may not be the best thing, and I can pursue so many dreams that I want to have in my life. I think sometimes, especially with how things are at this moment, we forget how lucky our lives are here and how thankful we should be for all the service men and woman who are keeping and have kept that freedom for us. If you are one of those fine people, thank you thank you thank you.

I hope you all have a very fantastic (and safe) day of freedom!

a must list of summer

. :Summer 2012 Must Haves: .

cute polished toes

 flip flops, flip flops, flip flops

upbeat tunes

favorite pair of sunglasses

air on me 

lots and lots of water or fruity drinks
fresh fruit
homemade ice cream 

. :Summer 2012 Must Do's: . 

more aunt/niece and aunt/nephew days

swim my little heart out

spend more time with friends

sunday dinners with the family

take more photos

go to the ozark empire fair

go to an art walk

 fourth of july celebration at the lake 
(picture above is of that)

harry potter marathon
work on crafting ninja skills

. :Summer 2012 Must Feels: .

relaxed

breezy

excited

blessed
happy

Weight Loss Sucks - 15 POUNDS DOWN!

Sooo I haven't did a monthly update on my weight loss since March mainly cause the last two months of school killed me. I started out at the beginning of the year at 195 then went up to 197 and kinda yo-yo around the 189 for a while and maintaining it for a couple months. I've been fighting some bad stomach issues for a year (as of the beginning of June). I've had just about every test you can think of done, and then started doing things for myself like cutting out a massive part of gluten from my eating. While I still have some bad days, I have more good than normal and a lot of issues are fading away. Since carbs were a huge part of my diet (I'm the head baker at my work for crying out loud!), I've dropped a little more weight which brings me to the grand total as of two days ago to.....

182 pounds!

That means I have lost 15 pounds!!! 

Because of all my stomach crud I had went into my old doctor's a few weeks back to get put on a new medication. I hadn't been there in two years and she told me since my last visit I've lost 21 pounds! Looking back at photos I can definitely see a difference with my body which I plan on posting on the next month's update. I know going semi-gluten free isn't going to necessarily help me loose ton of weight since most gluten free products do have a higher calorie count, but since I don't have a lot of products available in my area, I am making healthier decisions on what I eat. Tons of fruits, veggies, and leaner meats! And water is like my favorite thing now which is so odd to say, but since it's about a billion degrees outside (PLEASE GOD LET IT RAIN!) I am sucking that down like I'm a friggin' plant. 

Today is my first day of Hip Hop Abs. Oh, this is gonna be fun. (<-- I'm using my sarcasm font in case you didn't catch it.)