My First Salad!

So I'm soooo sorry I haven't posted anything in a REALLY REALLY REALLY long time...

So to catch you up, I thought I'd give you some highlights.

(translation: So I thought I'd give you a REALLY REALLY REALLY long post. Sorry 'bout that.)

(Oh and these highlights are chronological not ordered by importance. Although I do think that Carrot Cake with REAL cream cheese frosting is up there. Just sayin'.)

Highlight #1

Father's Day...

I made Carrot Cake with

REAL cream cheese frosting

for my Daddy.

My mama made oatmeal raisin cookies for my uncle.

She's the BEST at that.

It was my first attempt to make something unhealthy and still live to tell about it. I think I did okay, after every one was gone, I only ate half of it by myself! But it's got carrots in it, so it's healthy, right?!?!? :) We quadrupled the cream cheese frosting recipe, 'cause...ya know....you can't have TOO much frosting, and we decided that warm oatmeal raisin cookies with cream cheese frosting is quite a good thing. But a warm oatmeal raisin cookie SANDWICH with cream cheese frosting is pretty much the best thing. YUM!

Highlight #2

My dear roommate and friend Sara is gettin' hitched this Saturday. Last month, her sister and I threw her a shower. It was super fun, and I have to admit, the food was YUMMY!!!

This is Sara, and her super fly pooch, Denver.

This is super mama, Carrie.

She's 8 months pregnant, has a two year old

and STILL had time to make cupcakes with lemon frosting for her sister.

YUM!!!

I made a Watermelon Fruit Basket

a Brie Cheese baked with apricot marmalade, pecans, and chilis...

artichoke heart dip...

chocolate covered strawberries....

and my favorite....

SANGRIA! So yum!

Highlight #3

I took a two week vacation to FLORIDA!!! It was AWESOME, BEAUTIFUL, and HOT! (I realize this could be a post in itself, but I am trying to do highlights here people.) I walked and swam every day, and I even MAINTAINED while I was on vacation! Write that one down in my baby book, that's a first for me!!!

This is my Sister of my Heart.

She is the most amazing woman, mother, friend, counselor,

and encourager that I have ever met in my life.

I love her so much that I flew to Florida and slept in the same room as her mom, her three children and herself. They must all love me a lot too. :)

We made Thai food one night. It was DELISH!

Laap Moo (minced pork with lime, cilantro, chili, and galangal)

Massaman Curry

Tam Kha Guy (coconut milk soup with chicken)

Chicken Satay

My favorite little Katie.

And I wonder why I'm single. Sheesh.

Highlight #4

I also got to visit with one of my dearest friends from college, Meika, and her husband, Josh. They moved to Florida some time ago, and Meika is 7 months pregnant. She is sooo cute pregnant. It's funny when we all grow up and do grown up things. Like get married and have babies. I still feel like we should be in our college dorm room with her on the top bunk and me on the bottom bunk just TALKING about what we want to do when we grow up...

Fireworks at Fort Lauderdale

Baby Shower - I made a diaper cake with denim diapers.

I am proud to say it turned out pretty cute.

If I don't say so myself.

Highlight #5

One of my dear Bangkok Peeps, Natasha just happened to be in Florida at the same time.

I got to hang out with her a couple of times while I was there.

She has just flown her bad self to Africa, namely Tanzania.

I'm very jealous but excited for her new adventure.

I'm hoping she can find me an Irish-speaking black man...ya think???

well...one can dream.

Highlight #6

Now I'm back...and the BEST part is....my garden is GROWING!!! I made my first, and now SECOND salad of the year! I'm so in love with just being able to walk outside and pick greens and spinach and onions and nasturtiums - yes you can eat nasturtiums! It makes eating your vegetables FUN!!!

Feelin' Sad and Binge Eating

Hey lovelies. I just wanted to write to say that I'm doing okay, but have been dealing with some super tough issues that have happened to a couple of my loved ones and I'm just feelin' a little blue tonight.

I think my journey is going along great...I'm happy, I'm doing fine....and then.... BUMP.

I fall head first into a giant road block. I get stuck. Like mud-up-to-my-knees type of stuck and I really think it's going to consume me. The food, the emotions, the lack of self control. All of my old thoughts, ways and feelings all pile onto me as I'm stuck in this muck. I feel sad, angry, frustrated, ugly and unworthy.

I feel this little nasty voice in my head saying, I'm not worth it, I'm just gonna gain everything back, so why bother trying. And then this other voice in my head, it's actually a softer voice, but firmer says... NO! You have come too far to turn back and you need to think about just how far you have come! We are NOT giving up!

So here I sit. In the muck. I know that things will look better soon.

I just gotta climb outta this muck. One step at a time.

A Day At the Park!

This past weekend my kiddos were here with Erik and Laura. I absolutely LOVE it when we all get to be together. Wyatt loves the Fun Fort, a local favorite at my old elementary school so we loaded up the fam damily and heading on over.

This is Wyatt's excited "I'm going to the PARK!" face.

This was their little snail family that they found...much to Grandma and Mama's dislike...

But Aunty didn't mind. :) Exploration is good for the soul...

nothing a little scrub down wouldn't clean!

My favorite Little Man!

I could just kiss him all day!

This picture cracked me up! First of all, I LOVE my SIL Laura...I can't believe she puts up with all of our crazy antics! But what I love the most is...

Wyatt and Erik have the same "fake smile"!!!

I can't believe Wyatt learned Daddy's trick already!

I love my Abby girl! Such a sweet spunky little lady!

Grandma and Ryan in Grandma's "Castle"... She's the Queen after all, ya know!

My Garden!

This is my Garden. I love it....

These are my helpers. I love them even more.

(Do you see the Radishes in the background??? I'm sooo EXCITED!!!!)

We planted Sunflowers, Pumpkins, Zucchini, and Squash together.

I can't wait for our harvest!

It sure is fun growing things with God's help!

I DID IT!!!!!!!

I DID IT!!!!! After 22 weeks of healthy living, I have dropped FIFTY POUNDS!!!! Check out the video for cool Before and After Pics and to see what 50 pounds equals in potatoes, butter, chihuahuas and children! :) (What can I say....I'm a tad bit excited!!!!)

So here's to THIS Fifty and to my future Fifty! :)

Oh the Joys of Gardening!!!

I have been sooooo excited to start a garden this year. I even bought my own barn boots and everything! My parents' garden has lain dormant for quite some time and I have visions of fresh garden produce all summer and Indian summer long.... unfortunately Washington weather is just not cooperating! I think that perhaps May thinks for some reason that her name is March...'cause that's the weather we have been having!

Anywhooo....I am rambling...

I was all set to start planting today but I woke up to rain. MURF. I decided that I still wanted to plant, I would just plant the seeds as starts. So I took some old egg cartons of the cardboard kind and planted bush beans, snap peas, sunflowers and nasturtiums. My mom has always had a nasturtium border around her garden, so in keeping with tradition I wanted to do the same. Did you know that nasturtiums are not only beautiful, they are also edible? :)

I also have my Grammy's Topsy Turvy so I finally planted my 5 different types of tomato plants and my 4 different types of peppers, ranging from red bell to Thai knock-your-socks-off spicy. I'm pretty excited.

I'll post some pictures soon.

Not sure....but feelin' GREAT!

Hello all of my wonderful friends and supporters,

A lot of you have called or texted me to find out what my big number was today....and I'm SOOOO bummed because I'm not at home this week so I don't have my scale to weigh in!!! I'm house/dog-sitting for my cousin Tracy. So I guess I'll have to report to ya'll on Tuesday when I get home. I MIGHT get a chance to sneak up to my place and grab it this weekend.

Anyway, i feel great and am super excited!

Thanks for all of your love and support! Get on out there and enjoy that sunshine!!!

xoxoxo
Katie