An Amazing Journey

Weight....it is a dreaded word that I absolutely hate!! I have always had a fear for the scale and I usually always found a way out of actually ever having to stand on a scale...except for at the doctors!
Diet....it is another word that I actually do not like but lets face it, most of us try multiple diets throughout our lives to get into shape and to become for thin and more healthy.  Diets are no fun, you don't get to taste all of the yummy stuff that you love.
Looking at these two words now I am grateful Craig and I made the decision we did this past January.  In January 2012 Craig and I realized that it was time to become more healthy; we also decided that if we want to have a family in the future it was a must for me to loose weight because I have PCOS (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome), having this makes weight a difficult thing, that is why I hate the scale so much, because I have always had weight problems.  So anyways back to the story...Craig and I started a diet called Ideal Protein back in mid January so that we could drop some weight and get healthier.

Before picture:

I liked to hide behind Craig in pictures because I has ashamed of what I looked like.

The diet in the beginning sucked! I was so used to having food whenever I wanted and it was whatever food I wanted! Now I was restricted to only specific foods including veggies which I am not a huge fan of.  I can't remember how much weight we lost each week but with each weigh in it made Craig and I more confident and gave us the will power to continue on with the diet.  The diet got easier each week, especially since we didn't have any foods that would tempt us! Craig stopped the diet at the beginning of April with a total weight lose of 45 pounds! I was and still am so proud of him...he looks great!! It took me until about mid June to end the diet for just a little bit but I plan on starting it back up in July so that I can reach my weight loss goal. I have lost a total of 43 pounds!!

After:

This journey has been difficult but I am so grateful that I have had my husband by my side to do this diet with me! My mom also is amazing...she is just finishing up the diet and looks great!
I am so happy and grateful that Craig and I made the decision to make this change in our lives now; I still hate the scale but knowing that I have lost as much as I have I now have no desire to gain it back! :)

Our Home

Craig and I have been homeowners now since October of 2011 and yet I have failed to post any pictures of our place.  The reason I have not posted pictures is because I have a little bit of what is called OCD; I cannot show people pictures of a messy house!! It took us so long to unpack things because of both of us being in school full time! So the long awaited pictures are now here! :) (I also figured I better post some pictures now before we start our painting project at some point in time this summer!)

Our cute kitchen (We are going to refinish the cupboards eventually to blend in better with the floor)

Our dinning room, the door on the right is our half bath

Our back door/backyard (Thor wants to go outside)

Our cute laundry room/storage area

Our living/family room area

We have a "Harry Potter" closet! And a coat closet; and there is our TV!

Our full bathroom

Master bedroom

Our bed; I had to show because it is a new headboard :)

Spare bedroom that is still a mess; I am working on de-junking

Our office and my new craft desk! :)

School

I have been going to school since I was 5 years old and I am now 23.  I remember when I was little wishing to be old enough to be done with school and yet after I graduated from high school I have been willing to pay money to continue going to school.  I have accomplished a lot actually, I have obtained two associate degrees with one being in health science and one being in nursing.  I am now working on my bachelor's in nursing and I just realized it will shortly be coming to an end.
Today my friend Lori and I just registered for our last semester of college classes.  We will both be taking 3 credit hours this summer and then taking 16 credit hours in the fall.  It will be tough and rough but it will be sooooooo very much worth it to be done finally!!
After hitting the submit button I had to call both my hubby and my mom and tell them the good news even though I am super nervous for the 16 credit hours I will be taking.  As I was talking to both of them it hit me....what on earth will I do now that I will be done with school next fall?! I have gone to school for so long that I may just feel a little lost without having to worry about it.
I am excited though, after next fall I will have BSN behind my name at work and everyone will know that I have worked hard to get those three letters behind my name.  I am excited to know that I will have accomplished so much being only 23 years old.  I am also excited to see what life will bring to my husband and I once school finally comes to an end for me.  It will be nice to know that my hubby will have classes and I can focus on helping him as much as possible when school is finally over for me.
So there you have it, all about my life with school. I have a love-hate relationship with it.  I am so excited to know that I will soon be done with it for a good while!! :)

Update.

I just realized that it has been a long time since I last blogged. A lot has actually been going on since graduation in December and I have felt like there really has not been much time to do anything!
Craig and I are still working on getting all settled into our house that we bought last fall, by the end of this summer things will all be put together.  I know I promised pictures of our new home, and they will come....this summer :). 
Christmas was wonderful, I had to work 6 hours in the morning but after that I got to spend time with my wonderful husband and family!
My birthday was in January and I was surprised with a Kindle that I have wanted for a very long time! I love it and since I got it I think I have actually read 10 new books because it is so easy to take the book with me!
So I decided to be crazy and continue on with my schooling instead of taking a very much needed break.  I am currently in the bachelor's program for nursing at Weber State...it is just a bunch of bull crap busy work in my opinion but hey I'm getting my BSN and that is something to be proud of!!  When I am not at work I am sitting at the computer getting my blasted homework done, I have never written so many little and big papers in one semester.  Craig is also going to school working on getting his bachelor's in business; he has been such a big support this semester. 
My job...I love being a registered nurse, I don't love the before the sun rises shift at 5AM.  Since I passed boards I have been able to work full time on the Joint and Spine unit where I started as a CNA :).  The hospital provides a residency program and I was able to work on different units for a little while, learning how each unit works and get more hands on experience of working as an RN.  The floor I loved the most was Labor and Delivery; after just being on that unit for 2 days I think I have finally found my future home for my job...one day I will get up to the Labor and Delivery floor but until then I have to be patient I guess. 
In January after my birthday Craig and I decided it was time to become healthier people and to follow through with our new years resolutions of loosing weight and getting back into shape.  We have been on a diet every since with Craig loosing 44 pounds and passed his goal and I have lost 26 pounds and am still going until I reach my goal! Craig looks absolutely amazing and I am so proud of him!
My Grandpa Baggs passed away in Feb., it was very difficult and still is a little bit when I think that both my dad's parents have passed on to the other side.  I am grateful to know that my grandpa was proud of me and my accomplishments.  Having him pass away has been a great blessing in reminding me that thanks to the blessings of the temple we will all be together again as one big family.
My little nephew, Harper, turned one in March and we had a fun time celebrating his birthday, I can't believe he is already 1! Time sure does fly!  And good news, found out Craig and I get to be an Aunt and Uncle to a new little one on the way...we are so excited!! :)
So there you have it in a nut shell of what has been going on over the past few months!

Graduation!

Graduation has come and gone very quickly, I was able to walk on Friday December 9th 2011 to receive my Associates of Health Science in Nursing! I can't believe that i have made it this far, that I actually no have a full degree in nursing meaning I finally get to become a Registered Nurse!

One of my closest friends who has helped me through nursing school...we did it all together!!

I remember back when I was 9 years old when my little brother Bryson was born and placed in the NICU for several weeks due to him coming early. Every day after school my little sis and I would sit at the NICU window and watch the nurses take care of the sick babies, we loved seeing the new babies! And that is when I decided....I decided to become a nurse, at the age of 9 so that I could one day take care of sick little babies like the ones I watched through the window, like my little brother.
I never thought the day would actually finally come that I would graduate with my RN, getting into nursing school itself was a hard and long process filled with many rejection letters.  It was a day for celebration when I was accepted into the OWATC LPN program and then into Weber State Universities RN program.
I am grateful for all of the love and support my husband, parents, siblings, in-laws, extended family and friends that have helped me make it to this pivotal turning point in my life....Thank you for everything you guys!!

Brooke and I graduated together! 

My cute, wonderful, supporting hubby! :)

My mom and I...I couldn't have made it this far without her!

What is next now that I have graduated you may ask....I am now getting ready to start the BSN program at Weber State starting in January 2012. I feel a little crazy and overwhelmed about doing this right now but I know it is the right thing to do. The sooner this next step is over the sooner Craig and I are to starting a little family of our own! :)
Thanks again to everyone who has helped me make my dreams and goals come true since I was 9 years old!!

Days of Gratitude: Day 8

Today I am grateful for the *seasons* the bring us beauty all year round. My favorite seasons are fall and spring when the world is really going through changes of old life going away and a new one starting. Each season has its own beauty and I enjoy each one of them even if winter means it has to be cold!!

Days of Gratitude: Day 7

Today I am grateful for the *Temple.* This is one of my favorite places to go and yet I don't get to go often enough due to school and work. When I go to a *temple* or *The House of the Lord* I feel a sense of peace and comfort and know that no matter what things will work out as long as I put my faith and trust in the Lord. Through this wonderful gift of having a *temple* Craig and I and our future children are blessed with being together forever.