Happy Dance!

If you haven't heard already…. I got the all clear from my doctor on Thursday!!!!!

Whooooooohooooo!!!

Yayayayaya!

(insert happy dance)

I was so stinkin' excited!  He checked my incision, turned around, and shook my hand to let me know I was all done!  That was by far my best check up yet :)

4 months, 10+ packs of gauze pads, 8 rolls of gentle paper tape, too much antibiotic cream, 3 doses of antibiotics, a little bit of lavender essential oil, and I am finally healed from surgery!  Thank the Good Lord!!

This also meant I got to start swimming again this week!  First thing I did after work on Thursday was head to the pool.  It felt so good to get back in the water.  I could tell with every movement and lap that it had clearly been 4 months since my last swim, but I didn't care.  It just felt good to get moving again. I was only able to do 10 laps in 30 minutes (about half of what I had been doing) but it was the best 10 laps ever!!

My piece of Heaven today :)

I was able to go swimming again today after church, and got up to 18 laps in 45 minutes!  That's much closer to where I was pre-surgery.  It amazes me how quick my body can get back into swimming now.  My goal is to get back to doing at least 20 laps for 45 minutes, 2-3x/week.  I'd love to get up to swimming a mile each time (which is certainly attainable) but it will probably take a few weeks.

I'm just so happy to be cleared and able to swim again.  I forgot how good I feel after a good cardio workout.  Plus it's helping to strengthen all those back muscles again, which is huge!! And hey, maybe I can get that fitness goal on track now.  I've put on wayyyy more weight than I wanted to during this recovery.  It's time to get all of that (and more!) off!!!

Thank you all so much for praying over my recovery!

And just for fun, can we all take a moment to appreciate how cute this sweet little puppy dog is?!?

Happy Memorial Day Weekend :)

Fourth of July

Happy 4th of July everyone!!!  

While I'm a little bummed out that the fourth fell on a Wednesday this year, I was very excited to have a day off in the middle of the week.  I love day camp, and I love the kids, but this break has been lovely!!  I got to sleep in this morning, enjoy some TV time with a Criminal Minds marathon (my favorite show ever if you did not know that), did some grocery shopping, and went swimming with mom.  I'm really sore today, from swimming and doing strengthening exercises this week, but I still managed to get 45 minutes of swimming in.  I'm up to swimming 18 laps now in 45 minutes which is half a mile.  This is the furthest I've ever swam and it's a great feeling!! I'd love to get to where I can swim a mile in 45 minutes, but for now I'll take 1/2 a mile!  I haven't seen many pounds falling off these last few weeks, but I think it's because I'm gaining muscle weight. That can easily be discouraging, which is why I keep track of my inches. I haven't measured for this week yet, but I'll let you know once I do!

The job search is still going.  I haven't heard from the Charlotte position yet, and I've applied to about seven other places since.  I'm getting antsy and really struggling with my patience while waiting for the right job.  Right now I'd just love to get an interview and get the process rolling.  I'm dying to have a full time job, get an apartment, and get the next stage of life moving.  Unfortunately right now I'm stuck waiting.  This is not my strong suit.  Nonetheless, I still must wait it out and trust God has a place for me.  Please keep me in your prayers!

Well I'm off to enjoy the rest of my night! Hope your 4th has been fun!

Workout Buddies

After reading about my exercising at HPU and how much I love swimming, Mom decided she would become my swim/workout buddy for the summer at the Duke pool.  We started last Monday, and have tried to get to the pool every day.  She did better than I did since I took a day off for not feeling well.  Despite that, we made it to the pool every day except Wednesday (because of Church), and Friday because of the weather.  The first day was difficult seeing as how I haven't been in the water for quite some time.  I quickly noticed how much I had lost the stamina I'd worked so hard to build up last semester.  Regardless, it felt good to be back in the pool and I swam my thirty minutes! I'm trying very hard to get back on track with my weight loss goal.  I've lost 13 pounds so far, and as rewarding as it is to see those numbers on the scale dropping each time, I'm still not at the 20 pound mark like I had hoped.  Hopefully, this swimming every day routine will get me back on track and the pounds will start shedding off again!

I have to say, for not working out for such a long time, I thought for sure I would have put back on all of the weight I'd lost.  To my surprise however, I've kept it off! I've been using this great little app on my iphone that lets me track my food intake, exercise, and weight loss.  Having to visually see how much I'm eating each day, what the calorie intake looks like, and entering my exercise has really motivated me to eat better and exercise more. I feel so guilty on the days that I don't exercise and can't enter a workout for the day.  It's all a process that I'm having to slowly teach myself.  Breaking habits that have been in my life for 22 years now is difficult, but not impossible!

It felt very good today when I got back to my normal swim routine.  I usually swim 24 lengths of the pool aka 12 laps in 30-40 minutes.  Today was the first time I've been able to do that since I started back swimming.  I definitely felt the burn, and was breathing heavily at times, but at no point did I feel like I was gasping for air or about to die!  When we started Monday I had to pause at the end of each length to catch my breath.  Today I was able to get up to four lengths (2 laps) before I really needed to take a minute to stop and catch my breath.  I love seeing/feeling this improvement!  I'm finally getting back to where I left off when I was at HPU, and the only place to go now is up!  My goal is to add two laps or four lengths to my swimming each week. More importantly, my goal is to lose at least one if not two pounds a week.  Fingers crossed I can keep that goal a reality!  It definitely helps to have my workout buddy! Love you mom!  Thanks for doing this with me!

Oh hello again

It's been so long since I have written, I almost forgot about my blog.  Whoops!  Sorry about that!  For a quick little update on my not-so-interesting-life here it goes:

I have been working away like crazy at Day Camp.  Last week was our first week, and despite a few minor issues it went about as smooth as I think Stephen or I could have hoped for.  This week Stephen and Erin are in California, so my job duties have tripled.  I'm not feeling too hot this week so it has been a minor struggle, but I'm pushing through and trying to smile my way through it!  It's wacky tacky day at camp and I think our counselors enjoyed the freedom.  Here see for yourself:

We have great counselors!

Mom and I started swimming yesterday.  The Duke pool was a bit more crowded than either of us had hoped for, but we shared a lane so it wasn't too bad.  I was quite entertained watching mom swim for the first time in a while.  I may or may not have made fun of her once or twice :)!  It's all in love!!!  Faith is going to join us today, and then tomorrow I get to take a break since it's church night!

On another completely random note, if you are tuning into my blog about Haiti click here, here, here, here, and here for the posts I wrote during our trip.  Thank you again for all of your support!

Oh and one last thing, I'm still waiting to hear about the job in Charlotte.  Please keep it in your prayers!

That's about all I've got for you today!

Too Random for a Good Title

Whew.  It's been a whirlwind of a weekend!  These last few days, while they didn't seem to busy in the moment have worn me out.  After getting back from Haiti on Thursday, I spent most of my day Friday cleaning, doing laundry, and getting my life back in order here in the states.  I washed more clothes than I ever wanted to, did some cleaning around the house, and organized everything back where it goes.  Saturday I spent the majority of my day on the computer downloading, editing, and uploading pictures from Haiti.  I didn't think I took nearly as many pictures this time, but I ended up with over 200!  It's crazy how quickly pictures add up on these trips.  Erin made me dinner last night at their place, which was delicious, and we did a little catch me up on what needs to be done for camp this week.  Since I've been gone for almost two weeks, camp has arrived quickly and there is still a lot that needs to get done.  Most of it is small tedious administrative things, but they are all very important nonetheless.  Today was graduation Sunday at church so I walked for that, did some grocery shopping after church, made lunch, and cleaned the kitchen here at home.  I also cut up a watermelon because I have been dying to have some!  I'm so glad summer is here and all my favorite home grown items will be here soon!

Tomorrow it's back into camp full force.  We've got parent orientation night on Thursday, counselor training Friday and Saturday, and then camp starts next Monday!  I can't believe how quickly it's gotten here.  I am very excited to step into my new roll as assistant director and get to work with a different side of camp.  I love the kids and working with them, but I also love the administrative side of things as well.  I'll get the best of both worlds as the assistant director.  It's going to be a great summer and I can't wait for everything to get started!

On another note, I have decided for now that I am not going to move to Haiti, but instead keep doing short term trips.  I did a lot of soul searching these last two weeks, and have decided it is not my time to move there right now. While I still believe I will do long term missions there one day, I don't think that time is now.  When Dorothy challenged me with understanding the difference between a calling and having a heart for the need, I really began to realize that what I'm feeling is more of a heart for the need than a calling at the moment.  I absolutely love Haiti, I love the kids, the country, and the way of life there which is why Haiti will always play a large role in my life.  For now however, that role is going to be short term trips so that I can truly explore God's calling for my life and determine exactly where and when he wants me there.  I hope to visit different organizations over the next few years to truly get a wide sense of what options are available to me and where I will fit best.  Please keep me in your prayers as I begin this long journey.

Because I have decided to put off moving to Haiti for a while, I am now having to start looking for jobs again.  I searched a bunch of different listings this weekend and applied for four positions.  Two of them are in Raleigh working for furniture companies, and two are in Charlotte as design assistant positions.  I kind of have my heart set on the two in Charlotte right now, as I believe they would both be perfect starting places for my career.  They were the first listings I've seen in North Carolina for entry-level designer positions, so my fingers are crossed that they are still available and I'll hear from them soon!  Please keep my job searching in your prayers!  I need to find a full time position soon!

Also on my last random note for the day, I weighed myself today and I have lost 12 pounds!!  While I did not successfully complete my graduation challenge on time, I am still pushing myself to lose the weight.  It is a difficult and long process, but I am up for the challenge!  Cassie and I are going to be work out buddies this summer and we will be getting a gym membership soon.  For now, I'll have to stick to my walks around the neighborhood and the last two guest visits I can make to the YMCA pool.

Life Update

It is 6:40pm on April 19,2012.  I am currently in Norton, doing nothing other than waiting for our Steakhouse reservation at 7.  I have completed, PDFed (yes I made that up), and submitted the last phase of my Senior Seminar project.  Aka I'm basically DONE!!!!!!!!!!! Ha!  And it's an entire day early (I think that's a first!)

While this day has been nothing short of chaotic, it has turned out to be a pretty great day.  I got some training in for Market, took a final exam, presented my portfolio, and submitted my project.  I'd call that a successful day!  Not only that but I also realized this morning that this is my last day of class.  Ever. 

Try to wrap your head around that for a moment......I know I can't either! It's absolutely insane! I never in a million years thought this day would come.  I still have a few minor things to do for my portfolio class, I have to present my Senior Seminar project, and take my sociology final exam, but basically I'm done with college.  Insane.

On another note, I have spent the last week working very busily in the Lazar Showroom helping set up for market. As you may know from past posts, I've worked in the Lazar showroom for the past three markets assisting the Florida sales rep with his clients.  This time, I contacted Debra Venti who is in charge of all of the fabric selections, applications, and setup for market, and asked to be a part of the premarket.  It has been an incredibly long week, but I have absolutely loved getting to see this side of market!! This is one of the first times I have actually gotten to have hands-on experience with design.  I was a bit hesitant and unsure of my abilities at first, but once we got into it I got really comfortable with things.  I learned floral arranging is not my strong suit, but I love to accessorize. Design is definitely not a glamorous job, but it is so rewarding! I learned a lot and took a lot of inspiration from Debra and how she set things up.  It's true, only 10% of design is taught in the classroom, the rest you learn in the field!

When we started the showroom basically looked like this, except it was completely empty minus a few tables and lamps:

As we worked and unwrapped all of the furniture that slowly came in, the showroom began to look a little more like this:

With a lot of this:

Sadly, that's only the wrappings from about 20 of the 240 pieces of furniture we unwrapped this week.  I told you, it's not glamorous!

For a while there, Debra was worried the showroom would not get done, but we did the entire space in 5 days! Kind of crazy, but so rewarding to see!  You'll have to wait to see the after pictures until later this week :)!

On a completely other random note, I figured I should update about my graduation challenge....or lack there of.  With the last phase of my project being due today, finals right around the corner, and market starting I have had very little time to workout.  Plus when there was time, I was so tired from running around High Point all day that I was just plain to tired and lazy to go workout. Does helping unwrap and move 200 pieces of furniture count at all?? I know, I know, those are just excuses.  I'm letting myself fall back into my lazy ways, but I'll get back on track after market!  I had hit the 10 pound mark, but unfortunately I'm back to more like 8 pounds lost now.  That's still progress, but not nearly where I wanted to be at this point. I just need to make the time to go workout and not let tiredness be an excuse anymore.  This summer Cassie and I will be workout buddies, so I'm hoping that will keep me motivated.  I can do this, I just have to put in the effort!

Speaking of tired, I think I will head to bed now.  Seeing as how I started this blog post at 6:40 and it is now after 11pm.  My first day of real market begins tomorrow!  Time to bring in the money!!

Goodnight!

Life and Graduation Challenge: Weeks 3 & 4 Update

Sorry it's taken me so long to post an update.  I was on spring break last week, which was heavenly, but I've been struggling to get back into the routine here at school.  This is always the hardest readjustment time for me.  Spring break is just long enough to give you a taste of summer, that it makes it so incredibly difficult to come back.  This year that seems to be proving even truer for me.  We only have 53 days left until graduation (yes that includes weekends) and lets just say senioritis has kicked in full force.  While graduating and moving into the real world is scary, I am so ready to be done with the school work aspect of college.  I cannot write another paper, do another project, give another presentation, or sit through another 3 hour studio course.  I'm plain burnt out.  Unfortunately, I have to push through for another 53 days.  I have one major paper due on Thursday, 2 tests, my senior seminar project/presentation, my portfolio and then I am outta here!  I just REALLY need some motivation.  I need summer.  Or just college without classwork!

I can do this.

As for after graduation, I'm still kind of unsure where I will be working.  I will be shadowing the position I interviewed for a while back, sometime in the next week or two.  While I'm excited to see things moving forward, I have to honestly say it's still not quite sitting right with me.  I'm not sure what it is, but I don't have a peace about taking that job. I'm hoping things will clear up for me after I shadow them.  Luckily I've been offered a position at our Church's day camp, which I am SO excited about.  Either way I'll have a job for the first few months of summer.  As of now, unless something comes up, I think I'll be working at camp over the summer while actively looking for a full time design position.  This job searching thing is stressful! I could really seriously use your prayers.  I also still have the biggest calling on my heart to do full or long term missions in Haiti.  Honestly that scares the ever loving crap out of me, but it's a calling that has been on my heart for three years now.  The other day at church I was brought to tears at the push God was giving me to go forth with it.  I know He wants me there but I don't know if it is now.  And if it is, I have no idea where to start, how to raise funds, where to go, what I'd do there.  There are so many unanswered questions, and the thought of living in a different Country is terrifying (hence the tears).  I just really need all the prayers I can get right now. I want to follow God's calling and I need all the guidance I can get.

As for my graduation challenge update, I am excited to share that after weighing myself yesterday, I have lost another 4 pounds!!!! That puts me at 6 pounds lost in four weeks!!  I was so excited when I saw that number on the scale.  I didn't lose many inches this week, but I did see a 1" loss on my stomach.  So exciting I tell you!!

I've found exercising is becoming less of a chore and more of something I enjoy now.  There was a point during spring break where I didn't work out for two days, and I could really see and feel it's effect.  I got really irritable and anxious after not working out for two days.  Luckily, it only took 40 minutes at the pool to fix that!  I find it hard to work out at home because I'm not a member at a gym, but I still managed to make it work even through spring break.  I will, however, have to get a gym membership once the summer begins.  I'm just excited to see the pounds shedding off.  That's some great motivation! As for the eating portion, I have done really well at cutting all bread out of my diet.  This was not nearly as difficult as I expected.  I am actually having more trouble cutting out fried foods.  I didn't realize how many fried options there are on campus, that can be difficult to avoid.  I'm trying my best, but some days I still give in.  I'm working on it!

Well for now, I have to go finish this paper.  The last long paper of my life.  I cannot wait to have it done!

Graduation Challenge: Weeks 1 & 2

Well as of today, I am technically two weeks into my graduation challenge.  I have done very well at exercising for at least 45 minutes every day these last two weeks.  I haven't seen a lot of pounds shed off, but I can tell I've lost some weight.  A friend recommended tracking my inches along with my weight loss, because inches count more than pounds and will reflect my status better!  I can definitely say that is true for me these two weeks.  I've been doing a lot of strength training with weights, so I think the muscle gain is balancing out the weight loss.  What I can say for sure though is that I already feel so much better.  My favorite exercise is still swimming, but I try to switch it up.  We go to the pool Monday/Wednesday/Friday and all the other days I work out in the gym.  I've lost a little bit of momentum these past few days, but I'm not allowing myself to give up.  I push myself to go workout and every time I feel 100% better afterwards.  This is definitely a process that I am new to, but I know if I stick with it I will see progress!

For the dieting portion of this challenge, I have not done as well.  I've tried very hard to limit what I eat and cut out unnecessary items throughout my day.  However, old habits still catch me some days.  I've decided starting this week, I am going to cut out fried foods and bread from my diet. Bread is going to be harder to give up because sandwiches are basically all we eat around this campus, but I'm going to try my best!  I also think it is absolutely necessary to give up fried foods.  I don't eat a lot of them, but they have absolutely no nutritious value and are very bad for my diet. Plus, if I'm going to allow myself to have pasta occasionally, I need cut out carbs in other areas of my diet.  This is probably the harder portion of the challenge for myself.  I've learned over the past few years that I am an emotional eater.  I eat for comfort basically. I love food and have a very hard time giving up my favorite items, but I really am trying to be better about it.  Portion control and not eating for comfort or out of boredom is where I have to start.

Anyways, on to the exciting news that I know you've been waiting for.  The numerical update on my progress!  I checked my weight and measured my inches on 2/23/12 and this is what I found:

I lost 1/2" around my arms, waist, hips, and calves! 
I lost 1" around my thighs!  
And the best news:
I lost 2 inches around my stomach!!


As for weight, I lost 2 pounds these last two weeks!  Like I said before, on the scale I haven't seen as many pounds shed off as I would like, but I think it's because of the muscle gain. Either way, I'm still down 2 pounds and 2 inches around my stomach!  I'd say that's progress even though I've got a ways to go!  You have to start somewhere though right?  Here are some before and after pictures as of now.  I think I can see it most in my face and a little bit on my stomach.  What do you think?  I can't wait to watch my progress through these pictures over the next few weeks!

BEFORE  ( 2/15/12):

 AFTER (2/23/12):

 BEFORE (2/15/12):

 AFTER (2/23/12):

Week three here I come!

Not Me Monday

I did not throw myself a little inner dance party when Cassie said I looked like I had lost weight this weekend.  I would not be so childish to respond with dancing.  I always respond with a reserved and polite thank you when I receive a compliment.

And, I most certainly did not give into my cravings yesterday and eat a piece of my favorite cake after enjoying a bowl of macaroni and cheese.  I would never break my diet so soon.  Nor would I give into both temptations at once. Especially not after receiving a compliment two days before.  That would just be pathetic.

And, I also did not swim extra laps today at the pool because I didn't break my diet and skip my work out yesterday.  I've stayed right on track every day with my dieting and workout. I would never have to plan in extra time at the gym to make up for the day before. That would just be lazy.

And, I did not not take the elevator today because I was too lazy to walk up four flights of stairs after class.  And I absolutely did not force myself to take the stairs after the pool, because I felt guilty for skipping them before.  I always take the stairs.  I would never take the elevator.

And at the end of the day I don't feel an extreme pride in myself for sticking to my goal.  I have always worked out and never been lazy before.  This routine is not new at all for me.

Nope.  Not me.