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Monday, November 14, 2011

How much Alcohol is actually in your beer?


Have you ever wondered what the alcohol content of that drink in your hand is? I know I Have. It is easy to find that label when you are reading a liquor bottle because it is right there on the front. However beer cans sometimes don't even say anywhere on the can how much alcohol is in it.

So for your information, in case you ever wondered..haha..
Here is a link that you can go to to find out what the alcohol content is in your favorite beer! Enjoy!

A List of Beers with the Alcohol Content

And here are a few of the more popular ones that I can think of and that my husband had me look up..haha..

BEER Alcohol Content
Budweiser 5
Bud Light 4.2
Coors Light 4.2
Corona Extra 4.6
Heineken 5.4
Keystone Light 4.2
MGD 64 2.8 <-- Yep, you read that right!

Your 64 calorie beer will not get you drunk unless you are a serious light weight and drink about 12 of them...lol..

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Getting close..


Well, we are now 29 days away from our move to Illinois. I have most everything taken care of for the move but I Have a few more calls to make this week. I am still working on getting us a bigger place to live when we get there. Hopefully housing will cooperate with me. I also have to make sure everything is ready with the mazda as well.

The van is pretty much all set, I just have to clean it out and make sure there is enough room for all of our things. I am praying for a gentle winter at least until we get to Illinois. I have to admit driving through the ice and snow is worrying me some.

I still have packing to do and some Christmas shopping. Kris and I were able to get some shopping done today but the bulk of it will be taken care of on black friday.. Man I love black friday..lol.. It caters to the super saver in me! haha..

So with piles of paperwork and many things that never seem to get done (like cleaning) it seems we will never leave. Yet time is proving to us otherwise.
It seems to be dancing away from me faster and faster as I prepare to say "see you later" to my friends. Ahh Military life. However, I feel lucky to have had this time with them to get to know them. If we weren't in the Navy, I wouldn't even have had that option in the first place, so for me.. This life is a good one.. even with all the goodbyes ..

Sad Goodbyes & Happy Hellos,
~Pamela

Veterans Day

Horse Soldiers, you don't hear about them in the news, but they were the first U.S. armed forces on the ground in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001.

Veterans have been a big part of my life. My dad and my Uncles are Vietnam Vets. I am thankful that they all came through that time alive. I married a man that decided the Navy was his calling, so only a few short months after we were married, he joined. I supported him because it is what he wanted to do and I still support him. I salute all of the military men and women in our Military and all of the Vets who served before them.

We should also remember the animals that help, for they are also working on the front lines as soldiers. You can read more about them by following this link.
Secret Missions of the Horse Soldiers of 9/11

Friday, October 28, 2011

Car Maintenance


It is getting close now.. In only a little over 6 short weeks we will be heading out of Washington .. making our way to a new home. Hoping and praying that the weather during our trip is not bad.. We could use lots of prayers for that as we will be driving through the mountains, Montana, & South Dakota, among other places that are notorious for bad winter weather.

I have done all the maintenance on the van that I can to get it ready for the trip, including new tires, alignment, new plugs, wires, oil change, outer tie rods, and a coolant flush. I think that was everything.. but I can't remember now..lol..

I replaced my wiper blades but that will need to be done again before we leave because apparently the ones I purchased suck.. lol.. that is what I get for trying to buy the cheaper ones..haha..

The mazda is also getting worked on right now.. I took it into the shop because there is no way I wanted to deal with taking off the intake just to replace the pcv valve.. stupid mazda making everything complicated. So it is in the shop and has been there for about 4 days now because I had to order a valve hose and it took 3 days for it to get here from CA.. figures it would have to be a dealer only part.. bleh.. but at least now the mazda will be up and going.. I will be doing the maintenance on the car when we get to Illinois.. it hasn't been driven as much as the van so it doesn't need as much care..

Which reminds me.. I also replaced my battery in the van.. No there was nothing wrong with it.. But ladies this is what I mean by maintenance.. Batteries usually need to be replaced every 5-7 years.. Our battery is the one that originally came with the van, so it was 6 years old.. Why wait until we are in the middle of no where and break down to say, crap, guess I should have replaced it.. This is called PREVENTATIVE Maintenance. It prevents you from being stranded somewhere and dealing with all of that headache.

I replaced the battery on the car back in 2008.. but I had waited too long to do it.. It was at almost exactly 5 years old when that battery just died and the car wouldn't start.. I learned my lesson.. of course I was at home when it happened so I was lucky and it wasn't a big deal, but it gave me great information for future dealings with my vehicles.

If you don't know how to do all of the maintenance on your car that is fine.. It is going to cost you more but take it to a shop but be wary and do not let them tell you that you need something you don't! I have had shops try to take advantage of me as well but since I know a little something about cars that never works out well for them. If they say there is a problem with your car... make them SHOW you where the problem is cause there is always that chance that they are just trying to jack up your bill .. I even had this problem with a big name company.. AKA SEARS! Yes! SEARS! Now don't get me wrong, I like sears.. but the guys they have working in the shop are commission based.. the more "work" they get.. the more "money" they get.. so you do the math.

Anyways.. this was supposed to be about our move and ended up about car maintenance.. but really this is stuff every woman needs to know.. so I hope you take something away from this.. If you don't want to learn how to fix your car that is fine.. but just make sure you take it to someone to get regular maintenance done on it.. It will elongate the life of your car and keep it running smoothly...

Love & Spark Plugs..
~Pamela

5 weeks post op

Well, it has now been 5 weeks since my 2nd lipo surgery and I have to say the results are so much better this time. I am thrilled with how my jeans look and how I don't have bulges under my shirt when I am standing. I actually look good in my clothes again.
Here are the before and afters of my surgery.. from the very beginning to the very end.. but not the in between this time.

Side

Front


What is even better is that since my surgery I have taken charge of my eating habits and lost a few pounds too! I am not yet where I want to be but I will be there by the end of the year of that I am sure. :)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Still sick..


I caught a cold right after my surgery and let me tell you this is the worst one that I have had in awhile. I mean congestion, phlegm, coughing, fevers, body aches, I got it all.. and it sucks because coupled with the pain and bruising from my surgery and the fact that I can't freaking get a day off to rest with a family of 6.. I am not getting well fast..

I have even been sucking on cough drops at night and my percocet do nothing for me.. Sleeping hasn't happened much either.. between the coughing and getting up about a billion times a night to pee, yeah.. not doing so hot..

Other than that though.. lol.. I am doing ok.. Looking forward to Halloween, getting everything ready for our move.. Happy to be able to sell some of our gently used stuff so that I can at least make a little money to help us out. At least with going through all of our stuff I finally found my Halloween masks..lol

The move is getting closer now, we have about 2 1/2 months till we leave.. I will be getting our address sometime around the middle of October.. so I am looking forward to that. That will allow me to get all of the other things set up that I need to take care of.. like delivery of our car.

The boys are doing well in school and so is Mystry.. hopefully that will still be true once we get to Illinois.. As for me.. my goal once we get there will be to actually decorate our home for once. It will be the longest we have ever lived in one house. 3 years of shore duty.. I am interested to see how this goes.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Surgeries...

Yes that is plural on purpose.. As many of you know I had some micro-body sculpting done back in May. I can't say that I was pleased with the results. I felt as if I looked almost the same as before after waiting 4 months and seeing no real improvement.

So, after discussing my feelings with my doctor she decided to do a second surgery for me .. free of charge of course since I had already paid a crazy amount of money for it the first time around.

I can honestly say I do not regret having my surgeries and now I am actually seeing some results.

I had my second surgery yesterday and can already see a change. I don't feel as bad after this one as I did with the first and I am not sure if that is because I did not have my breasts done this time or if my body just got used to it. Either way I am walking around pretty normally, just a little slower.. Feels like I worked out for way to long.

So these are the pictures I have..
this is me from the front.. before, 4 days after the first surgery.. and 1 day after the second surgery.


Now here is me from the side, in the same order, before, 4 days after first, and 1 day after second..



I think my down time is going to be a lot less than it was last time.. especially since I won't have the breast problems to deal with..lol.. In a couple of weeks I will be posting some updated pictures.. Thank you to all of my wonderful friends that prayed for me during my surgery and for a quick recovery.. Love and blessings to you all!

Extreme Makeover Military Edition!

I was recently contacted by Corby Pons about previewing a season premiere of Extreme Makeover Home edition and I was thrilled to receive the opportunity.



I can honestly say I love this show, always have, and to see them doing a show dedicated to our military makes me very happy. So much has recently been taken away from our military. We struggle to make ends meet. Our veterans suffer through the trials and tribulations of war and return home to have their VA benefits cut and nowhere to live.

EMHE is giving our military another chance by helping Jubilee house to offer more services. It is hard for all military to transition from Active Duty to Civilian life. Even harder for those who have nowhere to call home once they sepearate from the military.

I have always enjoyed Extreme Makeover Home Edition and feel they are giving a face to an unknown problem. Our military is an important part of our lives whether we know it or not. They have fought and served to protect all of our rights and freedoms. It is only right that we give something back to them.

Being a Navy wife myself there is a special place in my heart for all military and I feel they deserve our respect and support the same way that they did for us by fighting for our freedom.


Be sure to take time out to see the Season Premiere of Extreme Makeover Home Edition on September 25th! You will not be sorry! It is a very moving episode!

A big thank you to all the Men and Women of the US Military who have served and continue to serve! God Bless you all!

Monday, August 29, 2011

School time...


Today has been a busy day.. but it won't just end with today.. my days are about to get a lot busier. I just finished enrolling my niece in the High School here but because we are moving on Dec. 14th she isn't doing regular high school.. she is doing the drawbridge program. This program allows her to earn half a credit in whatever class she is taking in only 3 weeks .. or less if she wants to move faster.

This will allow her to catch up and once we get to Illinois to enroll in regular school at a Junior level! I am excited for her! She will be taking one class at the actual school and that will be math.. So I will be driving her to school every day for her one class and for her 5 hour requirement to be at the school for drawbridge class...

Once we were finished with all the enrollment stuff she asked me to take her down to open a checking account.. her very first! I am proud that I was able to get her into NFCU because she is living with us. Normally they only let the children join if their parents are members, immediate family they said. But... since she is living with me she qualified! Woo for free checking and savings!

Since I was there and I had Mcleod's bday money in my purse from taking him to the store to buy an MP3 player last week that he just HAD TO HAVE NOW!!! haha.. I went ahead and opened a savings account for him as well.. Next time I will be doing them for Tristan and Alora with their holiday money. ..

Sooo.. Mcleod starts school on the 7th .. and Tristan & Mystry start on the 8th.. I am going to be running all over the place on a daily basis now, so if you see me out and about in my PJ's .. don't be surprised.. hahahaha

Thursday, August 25, 2011

cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning....

Move day is getting closer and closer.. We now have a little over 3 1/2 months until we are leaving Washington and I can tell you that the stress of it all has not been lost on me. Although I have already gotten the major things done, such as scheduling the move with the Navy and turning all our paperwork in with housing in Illinois... There are still somethings that need to be done.. Downsizing for instance... I have been working on getting rid of the things we don't need, want, or use.. seems like a simple task.. but, not really.. as our things are randomly stored all over the house in not so easy to access areas.

If only I could get my kids to do this!! haha



Then there is the cleaning that has to be done.. I am slowly working on getting things cleaned up from the tornadoes called children that I live with to a point where I can keep it decent until the heavy cleaning begins a few days before we move. I will also be hiring someone outside of the family that was recommended to me to help me with the cleaning.. as apparently housing here does not clean up after people move out the way they are supposed to.. Don't get me wrong, I expected to leave the place clean.. but I think that wiping the tracks that the kitchen drawers run on is a little excessive.

So.. it is replacing light bulbs, scrubbing tubs, sweeping carports, washing walls, and sorting through toys and clothes for me. If anyone wants to help grab a magic eraser and come on over!! haha

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Yn-Labet is our runner-up Winner!

Yn-Labet You have won this beautiful Navy inspired key chain from Bits and Pieces of my Heart Jewelry


I used random.org to determine the winner and runner-up.. Congrats! Please post on this blog to accept your prize!

Thanks to ArielR for purchasing one of these beautiful key chains from Bits and Pieces of my Heart Jewelry and giving this one to the runner up! I hope both of you ladies enjoy your beautiful key chains!

Monday, August 22, 2011

ArielR is our winner!!!

Congrats to ArielR!! You have won this beautiful Navy inspired key chain from Bits and Pieces of my Heart Jewelry



Ariel, please post a response to this blog within the next 24 hours to claim your prize, then please message me at phughens1@yahoo.com so I can get the key chain to you!

I used Random.org to choose the winner of this drawing. There were 4 entries so I assigned a number to each of you in the order that you entered. The number that came up was 2! Ariel was that number! Congrats again Ariel.. Remember to claim your prize with 24 hours or it will be given to the runner up!



Sunday, August 14, 2011

Giveaway time!

Hello my fellow Navy Wives and SO's.. it is that time again for me to support a fellow Navy Wife in her home based business endeavor! This young lady at Bits and Pieces of my Heart Jewelry makes some very pretty jewelry and key chains. So I will be giving away this beautiful Navy inspired key chain.


Ok, now for the rules..

1. You must be a follower of this blog.
2. You must post your reason for wanting the key chain.
3. You must claim your prize within 24 hours of the winner announcement or the prize will be given to the runner up.

I will post the winner on August 20th by 9pm Pacific time. I will be using the random number generator to choose a winner. Good Luck Ladies! :)

Monday, August 8, 2011

The summer is coming to an end..

Summer has gone by so quickly .. we have been busy these past two months. In June my two oldest nieces came to spend the summer with us and with 7 people in the house we were crowded and busy all the time. My nieces are great girls.. sweet, helpful, and loving, I hope that my own children grow up to be so sweet.

Mystry & Kami

Both of the girls celebrated their birthday's here with us.. and we enjoyed every minute of it. :) On the 5th my sister arrived to take Kami back home. Mystry has decided that she wants to live with us for now so she stayed behind with her moms blessing.

We look forward to seeing Kami again next summer and of course there is always skype.. :)

A new Giveaway!!!

Hello everyone! It has been awhile since my last giveaway so I thought it was time to do another one! I enjoy supporting fellow talented navy wives who have their own businesses. This time around I am going to be supporting Bits and Pieces of my Heart Jewelry

This young Navy wife makes cute jewelry for both children and adults. I will be giving away a Navy inspired key chain that she made. I have already purchased one of these for myself!! I love it!


Keep an eye out for my next post where I will have information about the drawing and you will be able to post your entry!

Monday, August 1, 2011

“Friendship is a privilege, not a right.”

&#8220;Friendship is a privilege, not a right.&#8221;

This Article says something inspiring to me. A very good friend of mine today said to me that it is a privilege to be someones friend and if they do not treat the friendship that way that it is best to walk away. I agree, and I am privileged to have her as a friend as am I the other wonderful friends I have in my life.

So treat your friends like it is a privilege to have them, because it is, and they deserve no less than that.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Getting well again..

So, after all the fluid that was drained from my breast the first time I still felt like they had missed a pocket. So I went back in to see Dr. Patel once again and he sent me down to ultrasound to have it drained.
The did it in ultrasound so they could see where the pocket was exactly and guide the needle in.... The needle was HUGE.. when I say huge, I mean in length. I couldn't even give you an exact of how long though, but it scared me. They tried numbing me up before putting it in but that didn't help. It feel like they had lit my breast on fire as they guided the tube in.
The pain was so intense I could not help but scream. I even cussed at them once when they continued to tell me it was all done now, repeatedly (while the tube was still in) because it still hurt extremely bad. They pulled another 110 CC's of fluid out and it was the same yucky brownish color as the first time. Here is just a small sample of what they pulled out that they sent to the lab.

After pulling out the 110 cc's they stopped but left the tube in and attached a drain that they referred to as a grenade. The grenade had slow suction that would pull more fluid out over the next almost 2 days that I had to wear it.
This is my "Grenade"
The doctors were rather amusing even though I was in pain.. They joked that I should most definitely not call the hospital and tell them I have a Grenade I need help with.. haha..

I had that in until Friday July 22nd then went back to have it taken out. It hurt just as bad taking it out as it did putting it in.. I screamed.. LOUD.. Poor Rachael who was there with me probably got her ear drums split by how loud I screamed.. or at the very least it probably made the baby in her belly jump..lol..I got a sudden wave of nausea and dizziness after the drain was removed.. but Rachael helped me out and gave me some water until I felt better.

After all that I drove home feeling a bit better but still having some pain. My pain has slowly been subsiding as I try to heal from all of this. My running has been put on hold until I am fully healed because I do not want jar anything and cause anymore fluid build up.. that is a pain I don't ever want to feel again.

So that is my update.. I am working on getting better and I so appreciate my wonderful friends Betty & Rachael who have helped me and spent time with me. I am also very thankful for all of your prayers. I know how blessed I am to have such wonderful people in my life. I love you Kris!

Monday, July 18, 2011

See Jane Run


Well, yesterday was my first ever 5K event. It was a nice event, I really enjoyed it after I finished my run..haha.. I have to admit I was very disappointed in myself during the run and after.. My time ended up being 38 minutes.. which did mean that I beat my goal of at least 45 minutes. However, I know that I can run it faster as I have done it in 33 before but with all the crazy health issues that I have had recently I lost some speed. sigh..

It was hard to make myself keep going after my niece left me in the dust.. lol.. She is much faster than I am and finished in only 32 minutes.. where as I finished in 38. Don't get me wrong, I am super proud of how well she did as this was her first 5K also! I think I just need someone next to me pushing me along to do better.

So my goal is to get my speed up as much as I can while dealing as best I can with my breast pain. I am able to control it with high doses of ibuprofen so I did fine during the run.. after it though.. well, lets say when I went to bed last night percocet was my friend..haha.. but that was the only thing that hurt as I am used to running 3 miles.

Making my way to the finish line.


I want to thank the ladies that got me started and pushed me to keep going .. Thank you to Elizabeth for being my inspiration.. Thank you to Photina for helping me to get started running in the first place, being my coach, and making me believe I could continue even when I wanted to quit. I would have never even started running if it had not been for these women.

Big congrats go out to both Elizabeth for her full marathons and many other runs and Photina for her two recent completed Half Marathons! Also congrats to Nicole who recently finished her first Half.

I hope that one day I make it to where I can complete a half marathon too.

Remember.. If you think you can't .. you won't .. but if you think you can.. YOU WILL! (unknown)

I would have loved to get pictures with Photina & Nicole after they finished but Kris & the girls were ready to leave because of the rainy weather.. :(
So here Mystry & I are after we finished. :)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

The pain of it all..

Well, it has been a little while since I have posted.. I have been having some major issues with one of my breast. My right one began to swell and hurt. I went to the doctor and they sent me home with pain meds and antibiotics even though there was no sign of an infection.
I saw another doctor, and another, and another, this includes the original surgeon that did my natural augmentation. She seemed nice and caring, but never tried to do much to help me because I am sure she did not want to have to pay for it. She blindly extracted 10 cc's of fluid from my breast and stopped there.

The difference in size.



I once again went back to my pcm asking for help but expecting none after being turned away 3 times before. Finally she took pity on me and referred me to a surgeon. He didn't want to see me at first but after I went in to talk to him he was wonderful! He sent me to have another ultrasound and needle aspiration. The two doctors that removed the fluid were great! They pulled out 125 CC's of gross brown fluid!

I am so thankful to God and to them that finally helped me. My breast feels much better.. the pressure is gone.. It had grown to two sizes bigger than it had been previously. It still has mild pain, but it is mostly soreness from the needles and all the fluid that was removed. The doctor is hopeful that the fluid won't return but in case it does i have his number to call him directly. He told me all my labs came back good and there is still no infection. He believes it to be a bad reaction to some dying fat.

So, that is my story.. I am thinking that the natural breast augmentation isn't worth the agony that I have gone through the past few weeks.. I couldn't even use my right arm.. I don't recommend this procedure to anyone.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Hard Copies..


Well it looks like we are going to Illinois again! Kris got his hard copy orders yesterday and that means barring any unforeseen event with the navy .. we will be reporting to Illinois no later than Jan. 8th!

I have say I am looking forward to it mostly because we will be closer to the east coast and have more chance of seeing family! Another huge reason is we will have a bigger house in Illinois than we do here.. a MUCH bigger house and Air Conditioning!

So in a little over 5 months .. we will be once again packing up and making a move.. I will miss the ladies that I have made friends with here.. but I am looking forward to meeting some new people and seeing some old friends.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

7 years ago

I married the love of my life. Times have been rough here and there but times have been good too. We have worked hard on our love and will continue to work on it in the years to come. I wouldn't have it any other way.

There are so many things that happened after we first met to draw us to one another. Because of all of those random occurrences I cannot believe anything else but that everything happens for a reason.

This was our very first picture together.. so young!

That was almost 9 years ago.. and I am happier today than I have ever been.. even with all of the random problems that we go through I would not change anything.
I love you Angel! Always!!

This one is from back in Jan. but it is still a good picture.. :)

Runners Expo!

A friend of mine told me about a runners expo in Seattle on Friday so of course I was interested in going. Especially since I really needed some headbands for the 5k next month. It was the Rock -N- Roll Expo for her Half Marathon which she TOTALLY ROCKED btw!

So Mystry and I got ready and met Photina & her girls at the ferry terminal.. we barely made it onto the boat.. we had to high tail it down the ramp to get there on time.. it was rather amusing..lol..

The trip was quick over to Seattle, then we walked over to Qwest field.. and other than some super slow walk lights made it there fairly quick.

Our first stop (other than the bathrooms.. haha) was Hippie runner for some headbands.. I was very happy to find some matching headbands for Mystry and I to wear during the See Jane Run 5k next month..:)
Our awesome headbands! The two on the left are the ones we are wearing for the race..hehe..

Also with some nudging from Photina I got some great protein bars.. PR bars have great taste and with 15g of protein and only around 200 calories.. that makes me happy!

Now I am looking forward to the See Jane Run Expo next month even more since I know what it is all about! I look forward to taking some time to look all around it..and of course next time I will bring a camera.. lol

Monday, June 13, 2011

Discovery...

I have gone running with my niece twice now since she has been here and I have discovered something important... I absolutely have to give myself a goal.

When we went running the first time I just turned on my tracker and went.. and ended up giving up around 2 miles or so.. but when we went out the second time I put the timer on for 45 minutes.. and ran the entire 35 minutes that I was supposed to run.. The other 10 minutes were warm up and cool down time.. but we ended up going 4 miles!

I need that goal set saying I have made it half way.. telling me to keep going and push myself to finish .. otherwise I just give up..

So.. timed runs it is.. :)

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Still Healing..


It has been beautiful here in Washington this past week.. Unfortunately I am still on the mend from my surgery so no running for me.. I did get out and go for a walk with Kris one of those beautiful days.. That was nice..

I have been having issues with my legs hurting pretty bad lately as soon as I slip on my flip flops and head out the door.. Hmm.. I am starting to think it is the shoes that are causing the problems.. I need to find more supportive "flip flops" ?? Do they even make such a thing.. maybe they have insoles for them.. I could try that and see if it helps.. after all.. it did help with my boots..


So far my boobs have only lost a very minimal amount of their size, so they are still pretty big to me.. I am very happy with them though.. the pain has decreased a lot in that area also.. as long as I don't accidentally squish or bump them that is..

My stomach hasn't changed any since the last time I posted a blog.. but I am hoping that will change in the weeks to come. I saw my doctor on Thursday and she was very definitive on her belief that my stomach is going to shrink a lot more.. I hope she is right!

So for this duty day I am just sitting around doing nothing.. and resting... Yesterday I took care of most of my errands so now I get to relax.. Very soon my nieces will be here and I will be posting about them! :)

I am also going to be posting in my photography blog as soon as I am feeling better about some Friendship Photo shoots I will be offering.. so keep an eye out for that my Wa. friends!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Before and Now...

That's right.. before and now.. cause I am not yet to the after stages..lol.. In case you don't know, I had micro-body sculpting (laser lipo) and a natural breast augmentation done. Everyone has been asking me for before and after shots from my surgery.. so I took some today since today was the first day I have removed my compression garment to wash it and to take a shower..

The shower would have been great if I hadn't suddenly gotten dizzy and nauseated.. it was bad.. had to sit down with a quickness.. oh well .. this too shall pass.. anyway.. to the point..

The doctor said it will take a month for all the swelling to go down so these pictures are just what I look like for now.. I don't know what i will look like a month from now.. or even 4-6 months from now as she said that it takes 4-6 months to see the final results! So without further ado.. this is my 4 day post op and before pictures... you don't get to see my boobs though.. sorry.. those are only for Kris..haha..

Front View

Side view..

I will post more pictures in the weeks to come as I progress and the swelling goes down..

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Picking Orders


We have been looking at orders for a few months now. Kris put in orders twice and we got turned down both times.. We are trying to get closer to the east coast but the navy doesn't want to send us anywhere.. sigh.. I would really like to be some where warmer and I really REALLY do not want to go back to Ca. and I don't want to stay in WA either. Don't get me wrong, it is really beautiful here.. but I could use less hills, less rain, and more warmth .. especially for my running.

I would really like to be able to move forward with my running but not having a treadmill or any flat road to do it on is hard.. it makes it even harder when 90% of the time it is raining here.

I haven't given up.. especially since I have found a love for running.. it makes me feel a sense of accomplishment that I have never felt before..

So back on track.. We will be putting in orders again in a few days.. maybe this time we will actually get accepted for some.. at least I hope so.. because other wise it means the navy will be choosing orders for us and we get no say.. and I will be pissed if we have to spend shore duty in CA! God please let us at least get to the Mid U.S. somewhere! The west coast is definitely not the place for a laid back Florida girl.. lol..

I have enjoyed being able to experience different places and I would be glad to experience another place that I have not yet been.. I just want away from the west coast..lol

Monday, May 9, 2011

2 more days....

That's right.. only two more days until my surgery... For those of you who don't read this blog much.. it is an elective cosmetic surgery.

I am having micro-body sculpting and natural breast augmentation done. I will probably post before pictures tomorrow.. as I don't have any on this computer.

I have been looking forward to this surgery for a long time to get rid of my muffin top.. I am working on eating right also and I run 3 days a week.. so I am not only doing the surgery.. but I am definitely ready for it!

My body just hasn't been the same since having Alora so it will be nice to be comfortable wearing a form fitting shirt again. Even my "baggy" shirts or should i say shirts that are supposed to be baggy around the middle show my muffin top.. it is seriously frustrating..

Other than that.. I am doing daily affirmations.. as per my sister's advice.. Whenever I begin to say that I hate something about my body... I change it to I love my body.. and then I tell myself the reasons why.. For instance, my body allowed me to run for 3 miles today! I love my body! I have to admit it is helping me to look at myself in a better light..

So that is about it for now.. I am excited!! :)

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Running!


For the first time in a long time I feel like I have accomplished something. I never in my life thought that I would be able to be a runner. Much less run for 25 minutes straight! Yesterday proved that it can be done and I can do it! As anyone who reads this blog already knows I have been doing the C25K program and preparing for a 5K in July. Well I am meeting my goals!

My main goal was to be able to run a mile in 15 minutes. Yesterday my time not including when I was walking for my cool down stayed around 13.40 minutes per mile! I have exceeded my goal! I ran 2.68 miles yesterday and did it in 38 minutes.. I am confident that I will be able to run my 5K in less than 45 minutes and that makes me very happy.. even more happy that I believe I will be able to run the entire time!

I will have a bit of a set back next month as I am having elective surgery on May 12th.. but I should only be out of commission for 2 weeks.. No strenuous workouts are allowed for 10 days after the surgery.. so I will be taking it easy and just doing some walking..

I will still have almost 2 months to train before my July 17th run. So I am more than confident that I will be able to keep up with my training and make my goals if not exceed them!

So that is where I am today.. I had been running Mon, Tues, & Wed, but now that I am running for longer I need a recuperation day. So I have changed my schedule to Mon, Wed, & Friday.. gotta give my legs a day of rest to get used to all ... my legs are sore today, but not as sore as they were after my very first 20 minute straight run.. it is different doing intervals than straight runs.

I find that when I am running in an area with a lot of hills that it is better for me to do intervals. I can run faster doing intervals in areas like that. If I am on flat land I can get better time running constantly.. So here is hoping that the 5K that I am going to run does not have any hills to run up.. haha.. I am not so good at those.

Friday, April 15, 2011

See Jane Run Training



In case you don't remember I am training for the See Jane Run 5K..I have been doing my running to get ready for the 5K in July 3 times a week.. My walk/jog usually takes about 35 minutes and I do a little over two miles each day.

I even went down to a running store at the advice of Photina @One Guy in a house of girls to get fitted for an actual running shoe.. since my sketchers were making my arches hurt..

The people at Poulsbo Running were very nice and extremely helpful.. the guy there helped me try on a few pairs of shoes and watched how I walk and run to give me the best fit. I left feeling confident in the type of shoes I wanted to purchase.
I decided on the Asics 2160.. which gave me the most comfortable fit.

However, they shoes are $99 .. which is more than I have EVER spent on shoes before.. so I didn't buy any that day. For the next few days I discussed getting the shoes with Kris and scanned the internet for deals.. Finally I was able to find a coupon and get the same shoes shipped to me for only $75.. not bad.. $25 less is definitely a good amount of savings! I suppose it would actually be more like a savings of $32 after you include tax on the regular price.. so YAY! In case you are wondering I got the coupon codes on Retail Me Not! It is a great site to check out if you are ever purchasing anything online before you hit the buy now button!

So come this tuesday I should have a brand new nice pair of running shoes... I have to say that I never imagined myself as a runner.. but it feels good to get out and accomplish something. To be able to say YEAH! I can walk/run 2 miles without passing out.. haha.. I can now run for 8 minutes straight.. I think I may be able to do more but that is all the C25K program has required me to do up until now.. but I have a 20 minute jog coming up.. and I have to admit I am a little apprehensive.. I hope I can do it without stopping..

The hardest part for me has been that around my neighborhood where I run.. there are a lot of hills.. a lot of STEEP hills..haha.. those make me want to stop.. and walk up them.. they make my calves ache and my breathing harder.. but I am working on it.

I was going to the gym for my runs in the beginning.. but that fizzled out when I had to go by myself and got bored with it.. but I can run around my neighborhood without having to get in my car and go anywhere.. so i like that. Plus I feel like I am doing something instead of just running in place. I imagine I could do much more running in place than I could actual running outside. Smooth flat surfaces are good for that.

Well that is pretty much it on my running update. I am keeping up with my program and doing it slowly, but I am doing it none the less. :)

Friday, March 25, 2011

Stress....


The stress of life has gotten to me lately.. Normally I am very good at separating myself from all of the craziness.. but lately.. not so much..

My emotions have gotten the better of me and I have been rather sad ... I don't like being sad.. Kris and the kids have been wonderful.. they do their best to cheer me up.. and make me feel better.. but I am not even sure if they understand what is going on...

I have had to make some very hard decisions.. mostly for my own well being.. Not many things last forever... so in order to rid myself of stupid girl emotions I did what I felt I needed to do..

Sometimes things in life change and there is nothing that you can do to go back to the way it was.. and that is ok.. we all have to change and grow ... we get better as we get older.. we learn more.. we grow more..

I will continue to grow and change, hopefully for the better.. I am determined to be a better person tomorrow than I am today.. Change is never easy.. but it is the purpose of life.. to experience change is to experience new things.. to grow.. to learn.. and I want to always learn..

I want to know more tomorrow than I know today.. I want to be a good influence on those around me. .. I want to leave behind sorrow and bath in the sunshine of happiness.. My family brings me so much happiness ... all of the sorrow I have felt lately has come from relationships outside of my family.. I will repair the ones that I can.. and move on from the ones that I cannot..

I will not let myself dwell on sadness because that is what I used to do.. who I used to be.. but it is not who I am now.. so when sadness starts to invade my life then it is time for more growth.. time to study myself and see where it comes from.. time to do what needs to be done to find the right road..

Find the happiness in your life.. do not let anything external affect how you feel about yourself.. I have done that too often in my life.. Rejection is a part of life we all must deal with .. some of us take it harder than others.. I know I tend to take it pretty hard because of my past...but I am working on it.. working on myself.. working on fixing it.. still have a long way to go.. but I will get there..

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Scattered...


Things have been crazy in my life lately.. I started running to train for a 5k...

Lost some friends over.. well.. not really sure what happened ...

Found comfort from family and a couple other unexpected sources.. Been spending a lot of time alone unless I am running and then I have some great running partners that I am super grateful for..

Been staying away from the internet more and more... only going on ASA to run maintenance... and have no desire to go there at all... shear boredom sometimes leads me there.. but not often..

I have been watching the seasons of Heroes and enjoying it.. having crazy dreams .. a hard time falling asleep .. and a hard time staying asleep..

I scheduled my surgery for May 12th and I am looking forward to it.. happily one of my good friends has offered to drive me home in the case that Kris cannot get the day off to do it. Still have to find a babysitter though..

I have so much that I want to say..but I do not know how to say it right now..
I know this post is all over the place.. but that is really how i have been feeling lately..

Kris and my sister have been wonderful during this confusing time in my life.. They have been there to listen to me and offer a shoulder.. I don't know what I would do without them..

I have found myself at the sharp side of the sword and feel as though it has been repeatedly plunged into my chest... sounds dramatic I know.. but it is a type of anxiety that I have no other way to explain right now.

I am working through it ... but letting go of people in your life when you cannot understand why they left leaves a lot of confusion.. So I am looking to God for peace and understanding as he is the only one that can give that to me.

Blessed be..
Pamela

Thursday, March 10, 2011

It has begun!

The C25K that is! I started my running on Tuesday.. It was a beautiful day out so I ran outside for my first 20 minute run.. Then when I came back home I did some yoga.. That stretched out my muscles who are not so used to doing much of anything and made them feel much better..

Then that afternoon I went to the gym with Photina, it is great to have someone to go with that motivates and encourages me. I don't think I would be able to keep up with this program without her support. So Thank You P! I really really appreciate it, you have no idea how much!

Day 1 was hard.. I found it really hard to continue jogging for the 1 minute intervals .. which is really sad... it is 1 minute of walking and a minute and a half of walking.. I felt like I was going to pass out, but somehow I finished.

Yesterday was Day 2 and my legs and hips were very sore.. but I went to the gym with Photina like we had planned and did my routine .. and this time it was a little easier to jog for the minute.. I was going at a little slower of a pace this time but I did it non the less.

Today is my day off, mainly since Kris has duty so there is no one to watch the kids for us to go to the gym and the children area of the gym doesn't have 2 treadmills.. So we will be back to it on friday.. and weirdly enough, I am looking forward to it! Me, the girl who hates working out..haha.. I think that I am looking forward to it so much now because I have someone to do it with... that really does make a lot of difference.

So in order to lock in this routine I have also done another thing that I never thought I would do.. I registered my niece Mystry and myself for the See Jane Run 5K... I have to say, I am scared that I won't be able to finish.. but I am really hoping .. I will have to take a time out in my training because I am having surgery in May, but down time shouldn't be too long.. and I will still be able to walk.. just not jog... The run isn't until July 17th.. so I should be fine.. especially since the C25K says it will have you able to run a 5K in only 2 months.. So.. here it goes.. I paid the money.. there are no refunds... I am doing this!

Friday, March 4, 2011

C25K


I have been considering running for a long time now.. I think about it often.. I have even tried it once or twice.. but I have to say that my lungs were not happy in this cold weather..lol.. I have a sort of exercise induced asthma.. and as of yet I haven't talked to my doctor about it to get a new inhaler.. Well I have an appt. on monday so I will be doing that then..

Then on Tuesday I will be starting the Couch 2 5K.. and to say the least I am nervous that I will not be able to do it.. but I have been encouraged by Photina @ One guy in a house of girls.. She told me about an app that I can download on my phone that tells me when to walk and when to jog.. so I have no more excuses.. I am starting this on Tuesday.. I downloaded the app as soon as she told me about it..

The only thing left to do is get some head phones that I can plug into my cell and then get going.. My niece loves to run so I am thinking that if I can actually do this and get my body in shape then Her & I can run a 5K this summer while she is here.. Wouldn't she be surprised..haha..

So, wish me luck! I bought my running shoes yesterday... I am ready to get some endurance!

CT Scan....& Mammogram


On Jan. 24th I went in to the doctor for both a CT Scan and a Mammogram.. My mammogram came back good..film was absolutely clear.. great news..:) btw.. for all you ladies wondering.. The mammogram was not nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be... uncomfortable.. yes.. but the pain was minimal.... I expected to be close to or in tears with all the boob smashing from what I had previously heard about it.. but it is not nearly as horrifying as people have said.. so ladies... don't be too concerned about the discomfort.. the scan is well worth it if it can save your life!


Well, yesterday my CT Scan results came back.. I have to say that I got a little more information than I had bargained for... I already knew that I have a deviated septum.. I found that out with my last CT.. but the doctor added a few things.. I also have thickening of the nasal passages with chronic sinusitis and ......... a bone spur.. yeah..


So, now I am being referred to the ENT specialist.. I can just imagine how they are going to want to fix this.. they are going to want to do surgery and shave off the bone spur.. this does not sound fun to me...in fact it sounds extremely painful.. I don't think I would do it if they offered.. now if they offer to clean out my nasal passages I would probably say yes to that.. although I am sure it would still suck.. but not as much as shaving off a bone spur..

So now I know what is wrong with me.. and why i have constant headaches.. and now you know too..lol.. Since not many people know that I have constant headaches..... because usually they are not severe or crippling.. just constant... Luckily since I have been seeing a chiropractor those have calmed down too.. Thank God for small favors!

So the next step for me is to make an appointment with the ENT.. and I am supposed to do that on Tuesday.. but I already have an appt on Monday cause they said I needed one to discuss the results of my scan with my Doctor.. guess I didn't need that appt. after all since my doc called me..haha... oh well..

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Can you HEAR me?

Throughout my life I have run into some people who have found it funny to mispronounce words.. or even use them in the wrong context.. I can find humor in that most of the time.. I start having a problem when people honestly don't know the difference! So here is a list for you of words that I see frequently misused or mispelled .. with a little help from The Oatmeal of course!

Now on to the words...

I HEAR you! Not I HERE You! Hearing is what you do with your ears! You are HERE is where you are, not what you are listening to!
I take a picture, Not a pitcher! You put your tea in a PITCHER! It is not what you immortalize moments on!
I want to go to THEIR house! Not There house! THEIR is what you use when referring to PEOPLE who are possessing something! There is a place! Oh, and They're means THEY ARE!
If I am selling an item .. It is not For SELL! It is for SALE!!!

You can lose your wallet, not LOOSE it... Loose is what you would consider a girl that sleeps around not the absence of your wallet!

The correct use of YOUR is to posses something... Like Your car, or YOUR wallet.. YOU'RE Means YOU ARE! like You're an idiot for using this word wrong!

The effect you have on me is that i want to rip my hair out! This is kinda like being affected by crazy people.

Please remember that A LOT of you think alot is a word... but it isn't... figure it out..

Oh and one more thing... Monday through Sunday is a WEEK.. not a WEAK... You feel WEAK... you don't feel WEEK...

If you think I am wrong.. Well, we have already determined that you can't even use words correctly so what do I care what you think...

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Mico-body sculpting..

Coming much sooner than I had planned! I am so excited that Kris changed the rules and now I will be getting my surgery much sooner! Sometime in the next 3 1/2 months I will be ready to make my appointment and say goodbye to my spare tire forever! Oh, and hello to larger breasts with my natural breast augmentation! I will happily blog the day before I go in for my surgery and post before and after pictures.. and let you all know exactly how painful it is ..

I am expecting good results from this.. the procedure was even featured on the show Doctors .. and the doctor that I am going to was on the news discussing the way they do this procedure.. I have to say I am really looking forward to the day that I can schedule my appointment and even more so to how I am going to look a couple weeks after my surgery!
You can check out the website for the people doing my procedure here.. and take a look at the Doctors episode

Of course I will look different immediately afterward but you have to remember that it is an invasive procedure and there will be swelling.. so I will share pictures but I don't know how soon after that will be.. I will also share pictures of any incision marks so you can see just how big the "scars" are if there are any.. and don't get your hopes up guys.. I will not be sharing any naked breast pictures..lol.. bikini only!

So here is to my wonderful husband and my soon to be shapely figure! Woo!

Preparation ...

This summer my two older nieces are coming to stay with me for a couple months and I couldn't be happier! Kris and I had been discussing them coming and where they would sleep.. I have an extra room and a big air mattress.. but that is a long time to sleep on an air mattress.. even though that is what happened last time..lol.. So, we set out on a mission to find a bunk bed set that was nice enough to turn into Alora's bed later on... I was very happy that we found one for way cheap and with no tax on Presidents day! Gotta love sales! We also got two great mattresses both pillow top! These mattresses are better than what we sleep on now! lol.. So they will definitely be comfortable.. :)


This was right after I finished putting it together.. :)



I have also been cleaning out the dresser that is currently in that room so that they will have somewhere to put their clothes.. I think one 5 drawer dresser should be enough for what they bring..

They aren't coming until June and I am almost completely ready for them to be here! I would say I am completely done.. but I can't pick up the second mattress until after March 6th because it was a floor model..that I got at Macy's furniture store.. I can tell you that I never thought I would buy anything at a Macy's but it was a serta pillow top! Regular price was $709 and I got it for $139 .. what can I say the price was right! lol.. That is the one that Alora will be getting after I separate the bunk beds.. That should last her until she moves out around 18..lol..

So that is a little bit of what I have been doing lately.. :)

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Bella Bella Cupcakes....

Life has been rather full of those lately..lol..
(The small one is an orange creamsicle and the big one is a Cherry limeade!)

A couple weeks ago or so.. one of the ladies I know posted about a local cupcake place... I of course was interested because, well, who doesn't like cupcakes? lol..

So Kris & I took the kids down and tried them out.. I have to say these were some of the best cupcakes I have ever had! I have been hooked and spent way to much money there lately..

(This is an I think, Lemon poppyseed and pineapple right side up..lol)

So although I will be slowing down my cupcake intake.. haha.. I wanted everyone to know about this great little Mom & Pop place that just opened a little over 30 days ago! Help out a new business and enjoy a cupcake! They have ice cream also which I am told is very good!

Last but not least, this is a Heavenly Coconut!

Click here to Check out Bella Bella Cupcakes on their website or just go on in and order!
They are in the Midas/Goodyear plaza hard to see, but even harder to forget!

11 years ago....

I can't believe it has been that long... 11 years ago on the 18th of Feb. I had Mcleod.. Time has flown by since then and he is almost taller than I am .. by this time next year... he may well be taller than me.. He has grown up so much .. We had a lot of problems throughout his young life.. but in the past couple years he has made a real turn around.. Now if only he would stop thinking he is being funny when he talks back..lol..

I don't have many baby pictures of Mcleod online since there wasn't really such a thing as digital cameras when he was little.. yep.. thats right.. there wasn't much in the way of cell phones either! lol..

Mcleod as a little tiny baby.. although he was never that tiny at 8 lbs 12 ozs and 21 inches long!
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Mcleod was 2 years old in this picture.. he reminds me so much of Tristan here.. :)
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Bare with me after this I will try to put them in order.. but I am not sure of ages..lol..

I believe he was 5 and 6 in these..
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Now on to age 7 and up!

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And finally the picture I took yesterday for his 11 year old photo shoot..
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