It's been a while...

Oh man, it just occured to me that it's been like 4 months since my last blog! I'm such a bad blogger. Life just got busy!

To summarize the last few months:
October was a mad mess of horse shows and barn sitting, but I managed to keep up my schedule at the Studio and continue eating clean. It was a productive month, and as I noted in my last blog, I was down 14 lbs and a few more inches. I was really starting to see changes in my body, and was feeling more energetic and so much stronger!


November was an exciting month. Only one show to work, but I got off (on good behavior) so that I could take Sabrah to Dallas for our first Lure Coursing. If you're not familiar with the event, you can Google it, or look it up on YouTube for the specifics, but for a general idea, just think of it as "offroad greyhound racing". :) Sabrah had a blast, but was a little distractable toward the end of the course. She didn't finish, but we've been working on that Ridgeback prey drive, and maybe next time she'll be more interested - like her mom and sister! I finished my first 5K on Thanksgiving with the Fleming clan and April - and it was so fun! We had dinner afterwards, and then Friday morning, April and I headed east to Gulfport to spend the rest of the weekend. It was a great visit - Julie, Dusty, and Kate came over from GA, and we had a blast taking pictures on the beach, hanging out with old friends, and spending time with the family. AND, I managed to eat everything I wanted on Thanksgiving Day (and the day after) and not gain anything I'd lost! In fact, I lost 2 lbs!

December brought the last of the shows for the fall season, and a big sigh of relief with it. The first part of the month was rather relaxing, and it was a good thing, because the second half of the month was a festive whirlwind! I kicked off the Christmas season with a surprise "present" for my roomate - Daughtry tickets! We drove to Austin to catch the concert, and I fell in love. Of course, Daughtry rocked our faces off, but I found a new band that just amazed me - Cavo was the opening act, and man, they were awesome! The following weekend, I headed to Dallas for Gared and Shawna's 2nd annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Oh boy, what fun we had... Christmas itself was pretty quiet since the Browns were in Kenedy, but Julie met Mom, Dad, Kate, and I in Bastrop (halfway between here and there) at Schlotzky's for a "Kate and gift exchange." It didn't matter that we had our little family Christmas in Mom's explorer - it was probably the most fun one we've had in years!!! After Christmas, Sabrah and I headed to Kenedy to meet the Browns, the Chastains, the Cantwells, the Bowens, and a host of other friends (and much of the Vyrtuous Ridgeback pack) for the 5th annual New Year's on the Hondo Adventure. We kicked it off by going dancing in San Antonio after picking up the guys from the airport (fresh off their trip to Vegas for Gared's bachelor party), and then headed back to Kenedy for a few more days of "redneck fun" on the ranch. Our bonfire on New Year's Eve was awesome, and even scary animal sounds in the night couldn't take the fun out of the trip. ("MMMMOOOOOOOOO" ... "What. Was. THAT???")




January was an incredibly busy month, but brought some of the most fun I've ever had. Between barn-sitting and birthdays, I managed to keep up the workout schedule. When I measured and weighed in on the 3rd, I found that all the fun I'd been having over the past few months had helped me lose another TEN pounds! I was amazed. And really excited that even over the holidays, I'd been able to keep losing. It was a very good thing, too, because the event that helped spark this journey of transformation was coming up quickly! Shawna, Julie, Marly, Chelsea, Meghann, and I departed Galveston on the Carnival Ecstasy on the 28th of January, and embarked on the most excellent bachelorette party in history. It was epic. We spent Saturday in Cozumel snorkeling and cavorting on the beach, and I wore a BATHING SUIT and was not self-conscious! (Well, not much, anyway. I think the Mexican Margaritas helped with that a little bit.) Snorkeling was amazing. I'd never been before, and am now hooked.













This month has been busy, as well. Sabrah and I started obedience classes (for her, not me) at Petsmart, and so far, she's been the star of the class. We'll see how she does tonight as we learn "stay," "come," and a few other things we haven't quite mastered on our own yet. I've been running 2 mornings a week with my friend Chris in addition to my usual 2 mornings a week working out with Sharon, and have even started hitting Sharon's Saturday Boot Camps. I turned 34 this month, ew, but I'm trying to ignore that. Last weekend, my lovely friends Gared and Shawna got married in Dallas, and per the usual when our crew is all together, we had a fantastic time. Their wedding was magical and beautiful and emotional, and they make the most amazing couple. The weekend was full of friends and dancing, and a little bit of rock-paper-scissors that was unfairly won (not by me).

Now it's back to the daily grind here in College Station, and I'm ramping up my efforts in the studio. Or rather, Sharon is ramping up the work, and I'm having to rise to the occasion! It's so great, though. I realized this morning as I was squeezing out those last few reps that it really feels good. It feels good to be able to be so active and keep up, and challenge myself with things in my daily life - like dancing a fast 2 step, or a slow-ish polka, or snorkel in a really strong ocean current (and swim for shore really hard when drifting out to sea - yikes!), or wear a dress that fits and feel confident about it. I knew when I started this process that I was going to make some changes in my life, but I didn't realize how much I would change on the inside. And that's what keeps me motivated - not just that my body is changing, and definitely not that I truly enjoy working out - it's really hard! It's the change in my attitude, my general good mood, and overall contentment with life in general that are the biggest motivators, and the greatest rewards.

So today, I've lost a total of 26.4 pounds and 24 inches, with 9 of those inches from my waist alone! I'm about halfway to the point of fitness that I'm aiming for, and when I get there, you will see a serious bikini photo shoot posted on this blog. Uh oh, now I've said it, and I'll really have to do it... Maybe I'll get a "hey, WHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"