Day 39: 45 and Counting

As of today, I have lost 45 pounds since the birth of Nico. The best part is, the last 6 of those pounds is beyond what I weighed pre-pregnancy. A friend of mine gave me a slew of clothing recently -- all of which were just a little too tight. Until today. This morning, I pulled on a pair of pants I have been eying for a month now and they fit like a glove! It was an incredible feeling.

I have been doing Weight Watchers to lose weight. I have done it before, but this time, I really feel as if I was able to embrace the lifestyle change component more so than ever before. My understanding of food and exercise and how my body responds to it has completely changed. For the first time, I feel in control of my health and body.

I was not happy when I turned 30 in September. I didn't feel good about myself physically and I was in the deep throws of PPD. I know, I mean really know, that making a lifestyle change with food and exercise has played a huge role in in repairing my mental well-being.

A healthy body and a healthy mind! For this, I am thankful!

Day 38: Home

Today I am thankful for my house. I feel so fortunate to have a roof over my head and a place that is safe for my children to be. My house has just the right amount of space to keep us cozy and not cramped. It's the kind of place that I love driving to at end of a long day or a weekend away in the mountains. Most of all, I love sharing my house with people we care about in a way that allows us to give back to those who have been so kind to us.

These are things that make my house a home. And for this, I am thankful.

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Day 37: An App For That

Ahhhh! I left my laptop power cord on my desk at work on Thursday. Thus, when my computer ran out of gas last night, I was worried about how I would be able to post today. After a little searching, I found a Blogger app for the droid. Woo hoo! Blogging on the go! I am definitely thankful for that!

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Day 36: My Christina

The day we brought Sofia home from the hospital we met our new neighbor, Christina. We instantly loved her. Sofia instantly loved her. She became an integral part of our lives as a friend, confidant and loved one. About a year and a half ago, Christina moved back to Washington DC for a job with the VA. We were SO sad, but knew it was an incredible opportunity for her. In her absence, however, it has seemed as if she is still next door. We talk all the time on the phone, facebook, and email.

She is a true friend.

This week, she has been in Denver visiting and is now up in Aspen with us for the weekend. I am so thankful for Christina. I love that she has been so faithful in our friendship and so supportive in all our endeavors. I am thankful for this special week we have together in person as we don't get to see each other very often.

Thank you, Christina, for being such a wonderful friend.

Day 35: No Snooze is Good Snooze

For the second day in a row, I have not hit the snooze button on my alarm clock. For the second day in a row, I have not been rushing around in the morning trying to get a million things done in a short amount of time. Today, I began the day with a nice and easy pace.

And that's just the way I like it. :)

Day 34: Tomorrow

Just about everything that could have gone wrong today did. This is an extremely stressful and busy time of year for teachers in Colorado and sometimes, the only way to make it through is to focus on one day at a time.

Thus, I am thankful for one simple thing tonight: tomorrow is a new day.

Day 33: Jigsaw in Heels

If there's one thing my dad taught me growing up, it was how to make my way around a tool box. We spent a lot of time fixing things up, remodeling, tinkering, and taking things apart just to put them back together. As a result, I don't have a fear of tools or what to do if something breaks.

As mentioned in this post, Chris built me amazing frames for our Hole In The Wall assembly that is coming up on Monday. Today, I took the styrofoam to the library, where my good friends, Linda and Kristen, traced my body in wacky positions. From there, we wheeled the eight 4 x 8 sheets down to the applied tech lab where there is a wood shop.

Taking out my (well, Chris's) jigsaw, I went to town! My co-worker, Mike was astonished that I knew how to handle a saw -- and with either hand, for that matter. It was pretty funny. In the end, we ended up with what is going to be a FANTASTIC game for the teachers to compete in and the kids to laugh at.

I used a saw in heels today. Yup. For this, I am thankful. :)

I'll post pics of the final product soon.

Day 32: Dinner Is Served

This morning I left for work knowing what I was going to make for dinner. I stopped at the store on the way home and popped the lasagna in the oven when I got home. In a situation that normally stresses me out, dinner felt easy tonight. Granted, I bought frozen Stouffer's lasagna, but hey, I knew what I was going to cook!

A stress-free evening. For this, I am thankful.

Day 31: My Husband the Engineer

One of the things I love most about Chris is his perfectionism. He never does anything just to get it done - he gets it done the way it needs to be done right. So, when I asked for his help in building a contraption for one of my upcoming assemblies in a week, I knew it would turn into a "Chris Masterpiece".

...and it did. :)

Thanks to Chris, our Hole in the Wall game during the assembly will be safe, sturdy, and pretty cool-looking all at the same time. For this, I am thankful.

Day 30: Impromptu Eats

One of my favorite things about my neighbors is our impromptu dinners. Rarely does a week go by that we don't settle in at one of our homes for food, wine, laughs, and friendship. Tonight, our neighbors from below us came up for some seriously amazing burgers that Chris made. With our weekly dinners often taking place mid-week, it was nice to have Chris around for the event. It felt complete.

Our meals, though simple, mean so much more to me than a night off from cooking. They offer a unique chance for each of us to connect in a way that we may not find anywhere else on that particular day. It is through these meals that we have been able to develop an incredible support network, as none of us have family in the area.

We are lucky to have such incredible neighbors who have turned into even more incredible friends. For this, I am thankful.