So guess what? I'm losing weight! I've come down from a size 16 to a size 12!!! I'm so proud of myself; I'm so happy!! Have my health problems gone away or gotten better since I've lost weight like many thought would happen? NO!!! I told my my weight has absolutely nothing to do with the diseases I have. Unfortunately I still suffer from those problems, EXCEPT, my acid reflux has lessened, and obviously it's cuz I'm not as fat! LOL.
I've been eating soooo much better!! It's been one of the HARDEST things I've had to do since my mission, on this scale of self-control. I don't over-indulge AT ALL. I follow my diet very strictly and I feel energetic, happier, and I get more done. As I come off this strict diet I will follow the plan given to me and do it very gradually, slowly adding more things here and there, but still sticking to a GOOD diet, a healthy one!
If you would only practice self-control with your diet you will not only feel better, but you'll probably lose that weight you've been wanting to get rid of and look better, too!!
I don't eat ANY sugar, oils & fats, carbs & starches, pop, chocolate, etc. I just eat simple, healthy food. Fruits, veggies, whole grain, protein, and LOTS of water! It's been wonderful! Sometimes I have a bit of cottage cheese here and there, too, for my dairy.
Like I mentioned above, my health issues haven't gone away, unfortunately. I had quite the experience this week that I don't want to go through again but I don't doubt that I will.
I experienced pain like I was in full-blown labor and it came on quite suddenly and I could not even take ONE STEP, I could barely sit, I couldn't move. It was HORRIBLE!! It made me really nauseous, tired, sick, and just plain awful! My sister and brothers were life-savors!!! My dad took me to the ER and they did a full check on me and a C-scan, my mom watched my girls and took them home to bed while waiting, and the results came back that I'd had a large cyst rupture. My abdomen was full of fluid, as in blood, and tissue. They at first thought it was my appendix. Not fun!! I was pumped full of morphine and for 2-3 days afterwords I had migraines and headaches thanks to those pain meds. I've been on Lortab since because of the pain that's followed this ordeal. Trust me, it's BAD pain!! No exaggerations here!! lol
Tyler's doing really well at BCT! He's doing EXCELLENT with his shooting, never missing a shot!! If he continues doing so well they'll recognize him at BCT Graduation for his Marksmanship skills and that's soooooo exciting and cool to me!! He's pushing his hardest, doing his best, and coming out on top! He's working so hard and he's providing for his family and I'm SO PROUD OF HIM!!!! I love him with all of my heart and I really feel that God knew what He was doing when he put us two together! I really feel that we boost each other up and we're so patient with each other and compliment each other. I am SO SO SO SO SO excited to go see him at his BCT Graduation!!! I hope I can have alone time with him, and that our little family can be together, ALONE. It's been so long since he left, well, at least it feels that way to us!! We literally take it one day at a time!
The girls are doing okay. Sophie had to get another cast on her broken foot since after taking off the first one and she wouldn't/couldn't walk on it they did another x-ray and saw SOME new bone growth but not quite enough. I could still clearly see where the break was, and it looked like a clean break to me, not a green-stick fracture like the ER doc had told me. Anyway, she went from a purple and green cast (for Tinkerbell) to a bright pink cast. She's so cute with it! What a trooper! She even runs with it and it's so cute! My sister called her a "gimp" and I thought it was so cute and funny! lol
Speaking of my sister, she's Andrea Pearson and we're SO EXCITED for her!! Her first book of a series of 6 books, is coming out on July 6th across the country! It's call The Key of Kilenya! I'm so proud of her!!!!
Okay, I'd better end this. It's coming out a LOT longer than I'd anticipated!! lol
Keep praying for us.... we DO need prayers, take my word for it! And thank you SO much to all our friends and family that have been such huge help and support for us!!!! God will bless you for what you do, because whatever you do for others you are doing for God.
Okay I realize it's been FOREVER since I blogged! Okay not forever, that was a slight exaggeration! I figured since some time has passed that I might as well update y'all on our little lives!
So to address the main title of this particular blogging of mine I'll let you all know that my little sister Andrea Pearson has officially signed with a publishing company and her young adult fantasy book called The Key of Kilenya will be published NATIONWIDE on July 6th 2010!!!!!!!
It will be available at all the major bookstores and online! I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO happy for her! It's been an emotional roller-coaster for me as well for many reasons but mostly because I'm just so happy for her, so happy actually that I cried my eyeballs out today after hearing the great news!!
Andrea had several great publishing companies offer to publish her book, but being the Spiritual giant that she is she completely and entirely relied on that to know which would be the best to go. You can't argue with that!! lol She chose Valor Publishing Group LLC
She'll be starting a book-signing tour arranged and managed by her publisher in July when her book comes out traveling all across the States to Barnes & Noble bookstores. Wow I wish I could go with her! What an adventure!!
This woman is just amazing. Whoever gets to have her for their Eternal Companion is one incredibly lucky dude and he better know that or I'll have to block him one!! lol
Now the family update!
Tyler is getting more nervous and more excited every day to get to Basic Training next month! I'm getting more nervous, period! I am very excited for what he's going to be learning there and all the experience he'll get, and I am even just slightly envious of it, but I know that if I ever let the thought penetrate too deeply into my head and heart about him being gone I start to sob so I stop that thought IMMEDIATELY cuz I hate crying! And I don't want to look like a big, weak baby!! lol
We have been making important goals and changes in our lives, too. I just have felt greatly impressed that these changes must be made to help our family and to help each of us individually. Such changes include being more selective of what types of entertainment material is allowed into our home, more strict and consistent with having regular Family Home Evening, and scripture study and prayers, and working on personal things as well for each of us. It's a lot of work, you know, when deciding to make changes that require effort and dedication, diligence, and real strength. But I know it's right.
Since starting these changes the Adversary is paying us extra attention lately, and as I will not get into the details of that, we are realizing that his influences are just as real as God's are and if we do not stop him short then we will lose. Bit by bit, piece by piece, he slithers softly and subtly into our lives until we've gone so far that we're past-feeling and do not even recognize that he has become a regular guest, maybe even taking up a more permanent residence, in our own homes and in our own hearts.
We've had blessings and prayers and temple-going and other things to help us keep our chins up, our faith strong, and our attitudes more on the positive side.
I have been thoroughly enjoying Institute! My teacher is a riot and I totally love him! Brother Peterson. Wow, he's really fun, intelligent, educated, entertaining, and loving and caring. I love the Orem Institute! Those who choose not to go are not only totally missing out but are making it harder on themselves. Trust me on that one, even if you don't agree.
I have been feeling the Spirit so much more lately, so clearly, and IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE. To know when something is true, the Spirit speaks to both your mind AND your heart, not to just one of them. IT MAKES SENSE. That is, if you let it in and you really want to know the truth. Of course if you're angry, stubborn, prideful, spiteful, rebellious and selfish then he cannot penetrate your heart and mind thus making it nearly impossible for you to feel these feelings of knowledge and surety and peace that come with the Spirit speaking and teaching truth to you. I'm sorry you're missing out. It is your choice.
I also have started reading No Doubt About It by Sheri Dew. Can I say WOW enough?? I don't think so!! A dear friend of mine recommended it to me and I am SO grateful to her for following promptings from the Spirit and telling me to read this book!! It's helping me SO very much right now and has been like perfect medicine for my heart and soul. And I literally mean that! So go read it if you want to know more of what I'm talking about.
Lacie's getting better in school! She was struggling for a bit there, but jumped over that hurdle and is now spelling words for us and writing and reading!!!!! She's incredibly brilliant. I've noticed with Lacie since she was brand new that if you carefully show her how to do something exactly, she can take it from there and master it, sometimes even the second time she tries it. She's really amazing. She's such a sweetheart, too! She got up on Valentine's Day on Sunday and drew a "card" for Tyler and I each! She drew cute pictures, hearts, and To Mom From Lacie, etc on them. They were DARLING!! Brought tears to my eyes! My baby girl is growing up SO fast and she's such a special girl and I'm super lucky to be her mother!! I just hope I can be what she deserves!!
Sophie's such a funny girl, and so cute. She's always checking in with mommy needing hugs and kisses and cuddles, then goes back to destroying the house/toys/clothes/makeup/food she was previously working on. She's a very independent little girl and insists on doing everything by herself! lol. She changes her clothes several times a day and she demands dresses and dresses only, no matter the weather! She sings in perfect pitch, matching whatever's on the radio in the bathroom (usually classical music or church music) or what's on in the car (daddy's old country or oldies or whatever). It's so sweet! She dances and prances, being a princess, and if given a chance will tell you the funniest stories! Usually she's pretty quiet, keeping to herself, but don't let that silence deceive you!! She's a very strong-willed, stubborn, and determined little girl!
Also, last of all, we sold our truck!!! We now own no vehicles and we have to return my in-laws car that they were gracious enough to let us borrow for a couple of days tomorrow so we'll be taking the bus and walking everywhere unless we can find ourselves a decent car! We've been madly searching for cars the last week or so and even more intensely searching since we sold the truck! We've driven as far as to Ogden from Orem! It blows me away how dishonest and misleading people can be, and it really is a hurtful disappointment for me every time. When someone advertises that there are NO PROBLEMS with a car just know right away that they are LYING THROUGH THEIR TEETH!!! lol. Seriously!!! I swear I was the ONLY one telling the truth when I was advertising our truck!! I did forget to put one thing down on the ad which I feel so so so bad about, but I simply forgot! It wasn't an issue, at least not a serious one, so I'd forgotten about it entirely. But at least I wasn't purposely deceiving people and trying to con them!! We go look at a "perfect" car and it has broken lights, shorted out electrical, torn out stereo, missing seat belts, broken struts, leaking oil, bald tires, no oil, you name it! And they even go as far as to say that these same cars can pass emissions and inspections! Either they're lying out-right about that or they're taking them to some underground or black market car inspection place to pass the E&I!! Come on people! How can you live with yourselves???
Anyway, we will continue the search for a reliable and easy-on-gasoline cheap car, and meantime I must FORCE myself to concentrate on writing my play and two papers due this week, and study for 2 tests (or 3?), and clean the horribly messy house, etc etc etc.
Wish us luck and hopefully I'll write sooner next time than I did this time cuz if I wait too long Tyler will already be gone and I'll be crying too hard to be able to even see what I'm typing!! LOL
