Could It Be???

I just ran 2.5 miles straight...ME!!!...STRAIGHT!!!!! And honestly felt like I could have kept going... Could I actually run the half-marathon with Matt THIS year?!?!? Nah... Maybe?!? ...wow...

40 in 4

I am proud to announce that I've lost 40 lbs in the first 4 months! My initial goal was to lose 40 lbs by my birthday (June 2nd). This puts me a full month ahead of my goal, which thrills me to no end! :-)

One thing that I have wanted is to take up is running. I know, crazy. I have NEVER been a runner! In middle school, we used to run around the school in P.E. and let it be known that I NEVER made it around the entire school, let alone two times! In high school, we ran the track of course, and I rarely made it around the track one time, let alone four! However, as you all know, I am married to a runner. Matt has completed one full marathon, five half-marathons, and various 10K's and 5K's. This last November he ran with a co-worker's wife, a very slender, very fit, gorgeous woman. Not that this was my motivation... ;-) BUT it does help fuel the flame. Could that be ME running along side him one day?!? No way could I do that, I can't even make it one time around the track!

After three months of exercising on our elliptical religiously, the weather started warming up which allowed me to hit the pavement. I walked the first few times, then thought "hey, might as well try to jog to the next mailbox." That grew, I noticed I could go further than I was giving myself credit for, and I am amazing myself! This morning I jogged 1.5 miles...straight...ME!!! Can you believe it?!? I started with a half mile walk and ended with a half mile walk, and I can't tell you how good I feel! The first time I ran a mile straight, I busted thru the door, gave Matt a high-five and was practically leaping out of my skin in sheer joy and giddyness of my accomplishment!

I don't know when I'll be ready for a half-marathon (notice I said "when", not "if!", but mark my words, one day I WILL run a half-marathon with Matt! And I am already proud of myself :-)

So here I am, at my half-way point. 40 down, 40 to go!

One Step at a Time

Have you noticed I'm trying to get up to date on my blogging this week?!? I'm getting there! One step at a time. That's a good segue into my weight loss update! :-) I'm getting there! One step at a time. I'm currently at a total of 29.8 lbs lost, a mere 0.2 away from 30 lbs! It's funny how those measly two tenths of a pound can keep me from saying "I've lost 30 lbs!" Drives me batty, really. Anyways, I'm getting there, and I'm super pumped about it! I've noticed me giving myself slack lately, not working out as many days each week, letting myself indulge in little treats more often, etc. So I'm getting back on the band wagon now! I just know if I had made even ONE smarter decision within the last week, I'd be at a firm 30 lb loss tonight, and I'd be able to say "I've lost 30!" It's the little things...

BUT I am still proud of my loss, I've been working hard overall and have been seeing great progress, both in how my clothes are fitting and on the scale. I'm finally getting to wear my old clothes again. Yet I am definitely not content with that! I have at least 50 lbs to go, I'm not even to my half way point! So I will keep chuggin' along, and am excited to keep seeing and feeling the progress!

The other day I bought yet another box of cat litter, and it was a 31 lb box. I handed it to Matt and said "This is how much I've lost!" He held it for a few seconds, really taking it in, and just looked at me wide-eyed and goes "That is INSANE!" And it is! It is SO crazy for me to hold that super heavy box and realize I am no longer carrying that around!!! And even FAR MORE crazy to think about losing another 1 1/2 boxes worth (or maybe even two!). I feel like I'm going to be FLOATING around whenever I reach that point! Insane...and so wonderful...I can't wait!

My goal is to lose another 14 lbs by my birthday (remember, one step at a time, I'm making mini-goals all along the way). That means losing 14 lbs in 10 weeks. I can totally do that! I just need to stop cutting myself so much slack! Anywho, when I reach that goal (which I will!), I'm going to FINALLY use a massage gift certificate my boss had given me when I quit McKinstry a couple years ago. And am also going to go get my hair chopped off! A little "pamper me" day in celebration of passing my half-way point and hitting my next goal by my birthday. WAHOO!!! I'm already excited :-)

So there's my update, I'm getting there, step by step, and am SO happy about it!

Some Updates...

Well hello there! I sure haven't been blogging much lately :-) I update people a lot on Facebook and don't even think to blog very often, and when I do, I feel like I'm saying a bunch of things people already know! Anywho...enough of my nonsense rambling :-)
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Jacob's eye doctor appointment went well, very quickly actually. The doctor said that his eye is definitely turning in, and even turns in when wearing his glasses, but not as much so. So he's to wear his glasses for 2 months, then will be going back in for another appointment at which his eyes will be dilated and they'll do a more thorough exam. I don't know much more than that, to be continued... He's doing well wearing his glasses again, we're back to going in fairly regularly to get them adjusted over and over, argh...
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Juliana is doing SO well in dance class! She sure has come a long ways since she started back in September! It's been so fun watching her have fun in dance class, and even moreso, watching her dance at home!!! She closes her eyes and practically floats around the room! The funny thing is watching JACOB practice with her. If she isn't quite getting something right, then he goes "No no, I'll show you, it's like this..." and off he goes :-)
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I'm also happy to report that my weightloss is going well. Lost another 3.4 lbs last week, for a grand total of 17 lbs in the first 5 weeks. My goal is to hit my half-way point by my birthday (23 lbs to go to get there, in 4 months). I'm working very hard on this, I am SO motivated and SO excited!!! I've been working out every day, watching every little thing I put in my mouth, have been trying to be more active in general, and it's really paying off! I'm starting to notice the changes, both in my body in general, and also in how I feel, and I love that!!! I have so much more energy, feeling "tighter", and am finally getting back into some of my old clothes. Anywho, I'm getting there, still at least 63 lbs to go over all, but I'm getting there!!! YAY!
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Also, as for my bible reading, I'm definitely reading more often, but need to keep working towards making it a daily thing. I'm finally done with Mark and have started Luke. It's been really neat reading these books of the bible during the months between Christmas and Easter, it makes the "holidays" much more meaningful, brings them to life and helps me keep in mind the REAL "reason for the season".
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Let's see...anything else?!? Jenna finally learned how to roll over, at 9 months of age! She's also learned to wave Hi and Bye, and just started clapping this week :-) Big month of development for her!
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I hope this blog finds you well and that you have a great February! Who else has been enjoying this WONDERFUL WEATHER?!?!? We've walked to the park twice this week already and the kids have been playing outside a lot! LOVE IT!!!

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Fun With Juliana & Mommy!

15 Years Of Blessings

15 years ago today Matt & I began dating! But lets go back further... 29 years ago our moms met at a bible study my mom was holding at her house (I was 2 and Matt was 5). They quickly became best friends, even worked together for a while! The best friends took notice of how close two of Marie's boys and two of my mom's girls were in age, and thus decided that Matt & Karen should get married, and Greg & I should get married. Well, as you know, Matt & I shattered that dream! (but as Jimmy & Karen and Greg & Stephanie would agree, it was for the best!) :-)

In the summer of 1993, we went on our every-other-year trip to Sun Cove. We were sitting around the campfire one night, and Matt mentioned that I deserved better than the person I was dating at the time (which happened to be his best friend). All of a sudden Matt & I began to see each other in a different light, we were no longer brother/sister, we were a boy and a girl. We spent many nights at Sun Cove laying on blankets together while staring up at the bazillion bright stars in the sky, and counting the MANY shooting stars that passed overhead.

Upon return back to reality, I quickly broke up with "the other guy" to make room for "what could be." Matt gave me a tape to play, it was Sammy Kershaw's "She Don't Know She's Beautiful." Well as you can imagine, my heart soared and I fell madly in love with him. :-)

On October 2nd, Matt and I stood next to my car outside his house for HOURS making small talk and watching what seemed like about a thousand cars drive by (he lived on a well-traveled street), all the while both wondering who was going to make the first move. Finally at 5:00 in the morning, he pulled me close and kissed me. It was wonderful, I was on cloud nine! I slipped into my car, drove the half-mile home with a humungous smile plastered on my face, looked at my clock and quickly was SCARED OUT OF MY MIND when I realized I was 5 hours past my curfew and knew my dad would be getting up at ANY moment! Well God must have had mercy on me because I slipped in the house and into bed without hearing anything from any room, but man alive you better believe I was staring at my door in horror of getting caught! :o)

We were in youth group together so we went on many excursions together, ferry rides, bike rides, etc. We spent one of our anniversaries going on the Victoria Clipper (which I promptly threw up on!), walked around "Beautiful BC" while I tried to get the puke-taste out of my mouth, and enjoyed a much better boat ride home.

Two days before Christmas of 1996, Matt brought me to Dash Point, carved my initial in a tree, and proposed to me in the rain! It was very memorable :-) [a quick journey back to explain: when he was a kid, he, Greg and some friends carved their initials with a heart in a tree, saying that one day they'd carve the initials of their future spouse in the empty spot - so that's how he proposed!] The rain just made my engagement ring sparkle all the more! :-)

As you can imagine, our moms were ELATED to learn of our engagement! The best friend girlfriends were about to be RELATED!!! They giggled through the entire next nine months until our wedding day. We got married at Faith Baptist on September 20th, 1997 and celebrated our honeymoon at Disneyland and Ocean Shores.

We have spent MANY more vacations at Sun Cove, that destination will always hold a special place in our hearts as that's "where it all began."

We are so thankful for all of the close family and friends we've shared our journey with, both old and new. God has placed them all in our lives and we are so grateful. Thank you all for adding to our 15 years, I can't wait to see what will hapen with us all over the next 15 years! Below are some pictures of our journey :-)

Matt and Denise boarding a ferry in Seattle during our dating years.

Matt & Denise at Jimmy & Karen's first house,

I'm sure a game & SNL night!

Denise & Matt celebrating their anniversary in Victoria B.C.

What cute newlyweds!

Matt, Denise, Karen & Jimmy at our parents house.

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Matt's parents got to be Best Man & Maid Of Honor at my parent's

vowel renewal a few years back. What a special time!

Matt & Denise with their first son, Jacob!

(cutting down a Christmas tree)

Matt & Denise with their best friends, Ron & Lisa,

about to go on a DATE NIGHT!

Denise & Matt at the Kubota Gardens, where we also

had our engagement pictures taken years back.

Juliana, Matt, Jacob & Denise at Teanaway on Father's Day.

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Two whackedy-whack homeboys at Creation.

And their silly wives...

A crew of camping friends that we're super thankful for!

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We got to celebrate Matt's birthday in Vegas last year, we even

were participants in The Price Is Right - Vegas LIVE!

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Matt, Denise, Stephanie & Greg laughing while out on a date night.

Good Times :-)

The couple getting their Christmas pictures taken in 2007.

- Our Complete Family -

Juliana, Denise, Jenna, Matt & Jacob!

11 Years In The Making

Matt and I have been married for 11 years today! I was telling him that it's kind of a big one. It's not a 5-year, 10-year type of thing, it's more that we are officially done having children and are moving forward! A lot has happened over the last 11 years...in a nutshell: we bought our first house in Kent, got two cats, Matt started gardening, we helped start up the Newlyweds class at church, ventured on to the Young Families class, moved to Maple Valley, got more cats ;-), more elaborate gardening, we had our first child, I joined the worship team, Matt started a lifelong career at McKinstry, we had our second child, lost some cats :-( and got one more, I resigned from McKinstry, we've both taken various schooling and Matt has since finished both GRCC and the UW program (YAY!), Matt began ushering, we had our third and final child, and here we are!

We feel like we're at a more (dare I say) "settled" stage of life now, we're moving forward and are excited to see what God has in store for us next. I thank God for our marriage and all that's happened because of it. We are such a great match for each other, we balance each other out in some areas, we are replicas of each other in other areas. We're growing in our relationship, our spiritual lives, our parenting, and are so thankful to God for what's He's done in our lives.

So now I head back upstairs to continue celebrating our 11th anniversary by fixing our bathroom... :-)