"It's all coming back to me noooow...."

to quote a famous song.
What is it that is coming back to me now, you ask? My old self! Growing up I was always the super happy person. Always smiling, no matter what. Don't get me wrong. I am still very happy. Just that super happy feeling has not been a constant in quite a while. We have dealt with a lot of ups and downs in our marriage and are currently in a down again. Not with each other, but with factors outside of what we can control. But even when those downs turn back into ups, I haven't been back to that constant super happy.
It has bothered me not being like that any more. Many thoughts have run through my head as to what contributes to it. One thing I know that I need to fix is finding a church home. I found one when we moved to Plano, but didn't go like I should and then we moved. I have recently started researching again, but not putting an effort into going and visiting like I should. Just a few here and there. I use everything with our busy life as an excuse for why I haven't done it. I need to make those things wait and start going.
I had figured out some time ago what really has effected my mood change, but due to pure laziness and desire I haven't faced it. The main thing is I am no longer a teenager! I can not eat like one! I also have to actually make an effort to be active and exercise! I have put on quite a bit of weight in the past few years. Part of it is just getting older and my body changing, another is married life, and the last is due to happenings post surgery. Before the surgery I had already put on more weight than I liked just due to growing up. I was just starting to workout and get control of things when BAM! tumor appears. Side effects after kept me inactive almost immobile for a few weeks. It also effected my taste. I suddenly had a constant sour taste in my mouth on the left side (just thinking about it makes it come back). So I ate often to try and cover it up. And then the things that did taste good were super bad for you. Fattening, fried, or sugary. So that set me up for a bad habit and a lot more pounds gained.
I had read that exercising put you in a better mood, and found this to somewhat be true back before the holidays when I was doing good at walking/exercising. I had fallen off that wagon though. I just wasn't getting enough results in the weight or happy departments to keep me going strong. 2 weeks ago yesterday I saw something on T.V. that changed things. I caught the end of a show that had two woman talking about their book. I can't remember the name, but it was a cookbook for better eating. They were also giving tips. One was for a quick tummy reducer. They said for 2 weeks cut out sugar. Obviously this is hard to do since almost everything has sugar. But just really watch how much is in things and cut out sugary snacks, deserts, drinks, and so forth. So I decided to try it. I carry a lot of my weight in my belly and am very conscious of it. The first few days I did it I felt really off. Like I might pass out any minute. Then we had Easter, which is when Larry's mom's family has their family reunion. And passing up on desert just wasn't happening. I took a large amount of desert, but only one. And really it wasn't huge. I noticed though I felt a lot better. So I changed my plan. I didn't cut sugar out completely, but really started paying attention to how much was in things and chose more things that had A LOT less sugar. I am also paying more attention to when I am hungry. Am I wanting food, or a drink, and what time is it? I also noticed that as I eat I become more hungry and when I finish my meal am instantly craving a desert. I have started eating smaller amounts of things at meals and force myself to wait a little bit after eating my main meal to see if I am truly wanting that something sweet. And if I do I make better choices.
This week I have also been a lot more active. I have done a ton of work outside around the house. And Holly and I are now walking most evenings. I took a rest today due to all the rough work the past days, but most week day mornings I do a work out or go walking.
My point to all this: Tonight I was at the computer just poking around until time to go on my walk with Holly when I noticed I was in the super happy mood and I couldn't figure out what had me in it. I had just had a super rough time making dinner. I have bills to deal with, and my hubby is not home and probably won't be for a number more days. So what has me so happy? Oh yeah, this is that feeling I had been hunting for. Constant Super Happy. Thinking about it I realized he had been trying to push his way in for the past few days. I could kind of feel it. WELCOME BACK OLD FRIEND! AND I HOPE YOU STAY AROUND FOR A WHILE! To help I am going to continue my work outs and especially my new eating habits that really aren't too different other than I am learning to take control of the sweet tooth. And I noticed sugar fills me up a lot faster now.
Bonus: I've lost 10 pounds in the last two weeks!!!

I promise I am alive!

I've just been busy working on the outside of the house. And I just found out I will have the weekend to myself, so I will be trying to get all my inside chores done tomorrow. Hopefully I can get a post in some time too!

Suggestions Please

Last night as I was headed for bed, I had a number of things to blog about. I thought I should write them down, but was too tired to get up and do it. So this morning it leaves me remembering only one...grr. If I remember the others I will post again.
I need some help. I am trying to start planning on buying a new sewing machine. The one I use now was purchased by my husband for a Christmas gift. It holds sentimental value, but that's about it. I am still a beginner sewer and haven't mastered all the functions of the one I have, but this machine is getting on my nerves. It is a VERY beginner machine and a bit on the cheap side. I am getting really tired of the various problems it gives me. Granted some are due to my own forgetfulness, but not all of them!
So does anyone know of a good quality beginner machine, or one that is a good experienced machine but beginner friendly too? Things are tight right now and my piggy savings is still for my trip to Georgia I will take at least by the Fall. But I would like to start figuring out what I want so I can plan and save for it to hopefully get it before Christmas (get some more gifts made this year at a faster pace).
That's all for now. I'll be back if I remember anything. Off to go return the markers I bought yesterday that were dried up :( and to replace the jar of pickles Larry and Holly requested that made it ONLY out of the jeep...oops!

Texting

Sorry for the absence. I haven't had anything interesting to say and just have been taking some time off from the computer lately. I only pop in now and then and have been mostly using my phone. And since I'm not the most internet/phone savvy, it really limits what I do while I'm on it.
This last weekend we picked up my oldest to have Easter with the family. Larry's mom's side of the family usually has their family reunion on Easter. Games and lots of food and lots of fun. This year was no different except for some family coming that we hadn't seen in years (or that I had never seen).
What was interesting though is some stuff my daughter told me over the weekend. I picked her up Thursday evening in Waco, but we didn't go out to East TX till Friday evening. I had baking to do and packing. (Which reminds me. Christy, made your cookies again for Easter and everyone who tried them just kept coming and telling me how great they were! You received many compliments. I told them all the recipe came from a good friend. A few even asked me for it.)
On the way to East TX Haylee was texting one of her friends. Her excessive texting has gotten her into a little bit of trouble at her other house. She would be texting instead of getting homework or chores done.
I'm one who really doesn't care for kids having cell phones. Especially with all this going ons with teens "sexting" now. But it is handy in emergencies, for getting to talk to her while she's at her mom's, and with her getting older and spending more time out with her friends. What she told me though gave another plus to the idea of having phones.
I asked who she was talking to on the drive, and she said it was her friend who was just sitting around bored. Haylee said her buddy was excited about Saturday because she was going on a date with her boyfriend. WHAT? DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT? HOW ON EARTH IS ONE OF MY 12 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER'S FRIENDS GOING ON A DATE?! Surely this must be a friend from her neighborhood who is older or a girl she knows due to Haylee's older brother who is in high school. So I asked how old she was. Answer: 12!! NO WAY! Haylee then mentioned the girl's parents were going along...and they were seeing a movie. Ok. That's better. I did know of kids doing the same thing with their bf/gf when I was her age.
So Sunday I asked if she had heard how it went and what they ended up seeing. She said that her friend said it was good, and she wasn't sure what movie they saw. She said the girl said they didn't really watch it much because....and of course I know the reason. Or I thought I did....they talked until the movie started and then texted the whole time through it. WOW! You are probably like me and figured they kissed the whole time (thought they would be young for that, but what else would keep you from watching it?). I was VERY pleased to hear this. She's always been pretty good at picking her friends, but this confirmed she is still at it. Also this is great! One more reason to like cell phones for kids! Talk instead of trying to act older and make out! I didn't know 12 year olds could have that much to say to the opposite sex. Normally they are SUPER shy or acting too old! So they are learning to get to know each other emotionally not physically. WOOH WHOO!

Photo 4/4

Well unfortunately my computer crashed completely recently. My brother was able to save all my pictures, but getting to folders and putting them on here is a bit difficult for me at the moment.
So instead here are a few photos from my camera I was planning to share:

I had been using my oldest daughter's room as a sewing room while she is living at her mom's. She is moving back this summer, so I had been planning on getting everything out. Since we had company last weekend, I decided to quickly move it all to my room. Obviously this left a disaster. So I spent the last couple days reorganizing my closet to move stuff in there for storing, and then reorganized my sewing corner. I am fairly pleased with it for now. Larry likes the idea of it being in there so I don't spend so much time locked in the sewing room alone. So he said he would build me some wall storage soon...yay!
Here is the before:

And here is the after:Much better!

And here is a picture of Haylee. Now that it is moved out of her room, she had the itch to do some sewing.

And here are the pillows she made:

Last night Holly and I tried making Christy's cookies again. And thanks to measuring out the dough more properly like she said, they came out great. Now if only I didn't walk past them so much doing my chores so I wouldn't keep grabbing them. Since they are little they are very tempting for grabbing just one!

P.S. Did you spot Matty (one of my cats) in the before picture?