Biggest Winner

I used to say, "I would do anything to lose weight, except diet and exercise..." I thought I was funny!

8 weeks ago from yesterday I had my first weigh in for the Biggest Winner thing my school does. Today I had my last weigh in. Ready for the results.............

I LOST 20 POUNDS!!!

Well, technically I lost 19.8, but I'm going to round up! I lost the most in February, I kinda slacked off since I got back from the wedding! But I'm still pretty excited about my overall results!

Counting calories is pretty tough, and not really all that fun at all. I had a friend tell me, "You know what is easier than counting calories... NOT counting calories!" Boy is he right! Not counting is 10000x easier. But counting calories is the biggest eye opener I have ever had. I used to eat WAY too much in a day. I learned through this program that I don't really need a lot of food to get me through the day. I need a cup of cherrios and a banana for breakfast, a sandwich and some carrots and and apple for lunch, and maybe a frozen Weight Watchers dinner for dinner! I don't have to have deserts, I don't have to eat snacks all day long, and I don't have to eat right before I go to bed.

My workouts have been really good too! I used to go to the gym for a half hour and hop on a bike and feel satisfied about my workout. Now I know how to really work out, and I'm excited to keep up a good work out habit for the rest of my life.

My take-away from this program is that living healthy is a life changing decision. If I can study my scriptures every day, then I can work out everyday. Its just one of those daily things! Eating healthy is hard, and I'm going to have bad days here and there, but I can't just stop eating healthy! I am determined to keep it up forever!!!

Now that I have said all that about healthy food, I really must admit that more than anything right now I want a soda. It has been... 54 days since I last had a soda. So I can't decide if I want to wait until next Wednesday and make it an even 60, or if I want to go to Horkelys right now and get a big ol cherry coke!

Goals

First I want to start this blog by showing everyone what was on my facebook wall yesterday...



That was from my old roommate Bri, basically one of the greatest people you will ever meet! I just thought this was super funny and felt like more people should see it! She's the best!


Okay, now for the real reason I'm blogging. I have always been the kind of person making goals for myself. But I'm not really the best at keeping my goals. When I was in YW, they rewarded me for the goals that I finished. So I decided that I should do the same sort of thing. Yesterday I bought a calendar and some stickers. I have decided that each sticker is going to represent one of my new goals. Every day that I do said goal, I will reward myself with a sticker. At the end of the month I will be able to see how many stickers I got in total! I'm actually quite thrilled about this new idea! I'm not going to go into detail on each goal I have, because some of them are a little personal, but I can tell you one of them is working out! I need to get back in the hang of it so bad! I have been known in the past to be really good at it, and then something happens and I lose my rhythm, and it is so hard for me to get back in the swing of things. I am re-starting tomorrow! (Ok how many times have I said that before!) But really, I have my stickers, and I am determined to get one each day! Also there is a program at my school called the Biggest Winner. Its run by students, and students can join it. I wanted to do it a while ago, but my body fat percentile was 2 less than the required amount. I'm not sure what I'm at now, but I have gained weight, so I'm thinking I should be good! Hopefully if I get into that, I will be working out a lot next semester! If not, I have some back up ideas, like working out with my dear roommates in the mornings!

I had an eye opening experience while I was sick with pink eye! (Eye opening... Pink eye.... Its a pun!) -if you don't find that funny, it may be that you are on the outside of an inside joke, sorry! Anyway, I was watching Say Yes to the Dress. One girl on the show was a little bigger than the average girl. She found her perfect dress, but they didn't have it in her size. Then she found another dress she loved, but it cost an additional $1600 to make it in her size! I am not going to be the bride who can't find a dress or have to pay so much more for my size!!! Also on that show an episode later, there was this tiny little 23 year old looking for her dress. Her mom wanted her to have a more fitting dress to show off her new figure. This girl went from 200 lbs to about 130 by working out and eating right! If she can do it... SO CAN I!!! Hence the goal calendar idea!

The hardest thing for me won't be the working out... it will be the eating right! I eat out WAY too much, my roommates will attest to that, and I love to buy myself treats! Both of those need to stop like... now! Its going to be very hard for me, but I am determined to lose the weight!!! Feel free to be my support system! If you know of a good healthy food I can easily make, email me! If you know of a great work-out routine that you love, put it on my facebook! If you just want to send me words of advice, text me! I am totally available and want to hear everything you have to say!

So here is to me and my goals! I hope I can read this post in a few months and say, yup... that worked out GREAT!!!

Christmas in the 205

If you didn't know this about me... I LOVE MY ROOMMATES! We are a family! And this is the last weekend all of us could be together. So Aubrey told me she wanted to do something crazy and fun! So this is what we did!

At 12:30 - Went to see Home Alone in the theater!
Then at 5:30- We went to Wingers and all got the same burger! haha
Then we went looking at Christmas lights
Then we came back to the apartment and opened each others Christmas Presents
Then we made peppermint bark, poppy seed cake, hot apple cider, and sugar cookies
Then we went on a rescue mission for our flamingo that has been stolen for almost 2 months now!
Then we watched While You Were Sleeping!

It was so much fun! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!

I'm going to miss them...













(Jessica got me Jacob for Christmas!)

Best Break Ever!

I have absolutely loved everything about this week! Spending time with my family, enjoying the 60 degree weather, eating food I didn't pay for! Everything has been so wonderful!

On Saturday my parents took my to see How the Grinch Stole Christmas at the ASU Gammage theater, and it was so much fun!

On Sunday I got really sick at church and almost threw up during Sacrament meeting, so I came home early which was super depressing because I was really looking forward to going to Vintage Ranch Ward and seeing all my old friend.

Monday I went to ASU with Kyle and went to his Kinesology class and then went to Institute. I was so excited because I got to see my old seminary teacher Sister Brinkerhoff teach again! Then Kyle and I went out to lunch and then played games with my mom.

Tuesday my mom and I went to the movies, and then Keri and I went to the temple. Then we went to Bahama Bucks!

Wednesday I hung out at Kyle's apartment! We also went to Bahama Bucks! I love that place! Then I went to the store with my Dad and we picked out a bunch of new lights to put on our house to change up the lighting display a little bit. Then my BFF Amy came over and we went to Sonic and then went to our other friend Janessa's house to watch her open her mission call! She is going to Warsaw Poland!

Then Thursday my dad and I put the lights on the house (and missed the entire Macys Day Parade... I'm not bitter though!) Then my cousins came over and we had the best day ever! We ate dinner from 2 to 3, talked from 3 to about 4, went to see Unstoppable at like 4:30, then we came home, ate some pie, and played games!

Friday was really fun because I went shopping with Keri and completely finished my Christmas shopping. Then Friday night, all of my high school best friends came over and we talked forever! I don't know how I would have survived 8th grade and all of High School without the help of my best friends Amy, Alix, Morgan and Staci! Oh how I love them!!!

Today was supposed to be it. I was going to hop on a flight and get into Salt Lake about right now, and then drive to Rexburg. But I guess there is a big snow storm that my parents didn't want me flying home in, so instead I will be coming back first thing Monday morning. And I mean 1st thing, my flight is at 6am. So I have to leave at about 4:30 am... YIKES! Thankfully I got someone to teach my relief society lesson tomorrow, and I got people to cover all my hours at work on Monday. So I just have to make it back for my classes! And if I miss those, I'm not going to be too heartbroken!

I LOVE THANKSGIVING!!!

I fail

Ok, so I don't really fail, in fact I have only ever failed 1 thing in my life, and it was an accounting test. But in the end I got a B- in the class, and a GPA of 3.7 for that semester, so I didn't consider it a failure.

But last night, I went to a straw maze with my roommates and FHE brothers, and let me tell ya, nothing more humbling than being stuck in a maze for 40 minutes and walking out of the entrance. The worst part was the fact that the entire rest of my family was standing outside waiting for us, and they had finished a long time ago. One of my brothers actually went through it twice. :( Dang it straw maze...

But really, that straw maze was crazy fun, and it was just a small glimpse of the fun-ness I have had this semester. I have so many fun adventures to blog about, and about 0 time to do it. I had a class cancelled today which is the only real reason I even have time to write this blog.

Some fun adventures lately:
Robyn's 21st Birthday!!! I love (root) beer, I love margaritas (virgin of course), I love beer pong, I love loud music, I love pizza, I love laughing so hard I have to pee, I love my roommates, I love Letters to Juliet, I love Killers (the movie, not actual people that kill others), and I love ice cream cakes!

Going home!!! I love AZ, I love Tucson (but mostly I love Amy Webb and Staci Beckham), I love my family, I love the comfy bed in my parents guest bedroom, I love Prince of Persia, I love Costco, I love In-n-Out, I love traveling, I love Ulta (even if my makeup wasn't there...) And I love the welcome I get in the 205 when I am gone for more than a day!

Road Trip to Panda Express!!!
I love Christine, I love talking with my roommates, I love listening to fun music, I love driving, I love Beef and Brocolli, and I love Idaho Falls!

Conference Weekend!!! I love this church, I love the leaders of this church, I love that my roommates love this church, I love staying in pajamas for an entire weekend straight, once again I love Prince of Persia (HOT PERSIAN BABIES!) and I love eating!!!

And now for the best thing to happen to me all semester.... (drum roll...)
The Other Side of Down is finally out! Oh David, how I have waited for this CD to come! It totally makes me smile! I have already listened to it probably about 4 times since I got it at 1:00 today! I wouldn't have listened so much, but because I did have a class get cancelled, I have had to occupy my extra time with something, right! Oh how I love him!!!

So ya, I love this semester, also I love pictures, but I have lost my camera. So if anyone is in the Rexburg area and wants to come tear up my apartment with me to find the camera, it would be much appreciated! Then I could take fun pictures of yellowstone (which I am going to this weekend) and put them online for all to enjoy!

Hopefully I won't fail at writing in my blog and I will keep you updated more often!

Just Waiting...

I don't know if anyone else has ever thought about this, but it has been on my mind a lot lately. I feel like I spend my entire life waiting. It seems like there is always something that is going to be happening that I am waiting for.

For example today:
Went to work, and spent the day waiting to be done with work.
Sent a text message to someone, and waited to get a respond.
Went to the kitchen to make my lunch, and waited for the microwave to beep.
Then I get off work, and now I am waiting for my friend to get off work...
I'm sure when I get to Red Robin tonight I will be sitting there waiting for my food to come.

In the long run...
I am waiting for someone to get back into town!
I am waiting for my parents to come see me!
I am waiting for my birthday!
I am waiting to get my new car!
I am pretty much always waiting for a text message.
I am waiting for my roommies to return back to me in the fall.
I am waiting to get my scholarship money!
I am waiting for the day I can go home again (probably Thanksgiving and then Christmas)
I am waiting for the best vacation ever! PARK CITY! (even if I can only go 1 day)

In the longer run...
I am waiting to be done with school so I can start working!
I am waiting to see if Graduate school really is for me.
I am waiting to find the special someone who will take me through the temple so we can be married for time and all eternity.
I am waiting to be a cute little house wife.
I am waiting to go on vacations with my siblings and their spouses to Disneyland (which my sister promised we would do since I missed the last Disneyland trip)
I am waiting for the day that I will leave my kids with my husband and meet my sister at Paradise Bakery Cafe like we have talked about so many times!
I am waiting the day that I will return to Europe, even if that day doesn't exist, I am still waiting for it!

point is, I feel like I am always just waiting... Maybe if I spent more time in the moment than looking forward to future events, life wouldn't feel so long!!!

3 Day Weekend!!!

What a fabulous 3 day weekend I have had so far! Friday was what seemed to be the longest day this semester, just because I covered someones shift at work, so I had 3 classes in a row and then about 6 hours of work. Finally it was 5 and I got to go home. When I got home I got all ready, and then we went bowling. It was so much fun, I haven't been bowling since I have come to college, and there are like 3 bowling alleys here in the burg! So anyway, I didn't do amazing when we played regular, but then the 2nd time we did skittles bowling, and I kinda rocked at that. I picked red skittles ALL THE TIME, and that was bowling with your opposite hand, at first it was hard, but then I got a strike with my left hand! I felt pretty accomplished! Then we went to my friend Maddogs apartment and we watched The Blind Side!

Saturday was a nice and relaxing day. I slept in for like ever, and then I got my homework done, talked to my family on the phone, and just hung out! It was nice to have a relaxing day off! Then Aubrey's friend was coming to visit us from Michigan, and she needed to be picked up from the airport, so we took a trip to IF and picked up Alisha, and then we went to the Olive Garden! My favorite part was the guy down from us looked just like Toby from the Office, so I took a pic of him and sent it to Keri and told her it really was Toby. Then I convinced her to that there was a famous people convention in town and was telling her all the different famous people I saw... I'm pretty sure she knew that I was kidding, but she went along with in, and it was so funny!!!!!!! I love her!

Sunday was also a super nice day. We went to church, came home and took a nap, made dinner for my roommates (we had plate tacos) and then we watched Saints and Soldiers! At the end of that movie, we started to watch Forever Strong, but then our FHE brothers came by and asked if we wanted to watch it with them. So we went over to there place and watched it there! Also, I signed up to be on the 44th ward softball team, I'M SO EXCITED!!! I love softball!!!

Then today, I woke up late again, watched some home-decorating shows, and got ready for the day. Later we have a BBQ to go to, and then I might study for a midterm... (maybe!) But ya, I love having this time off just to relax, and its been amazing!!! :D

Saturday is a Special Day!!!

What a wonderful day! It started with me sleeping in until about 11:00!!!! Amazing! Then I jumped out of bed and ate some breakfast, got all dressed up, and went to the temple with Aubrey! Then we got home and did a little homework. I wasn't crazy busy this weekend since I had 2 tests and a quiz to take this week, so I had less homework! I was originally planning on taking both tests today, but then I decided not to put them off, so I did my business on Thursday, and my accounting quiz and science test on Friday. I did great on both my business and accounting exams, unfortunately, someone ticked me off at work and I went into my science test with a really bad mood and ended up not doing so great. I have never gotten a C on a test before, and was SUPER upset when I saw that as my grade. Stupid C.... Anyway, back on track here, so since I didn't have a ton of homework or anything to do today, we went and spent the day at the park. It was an amazing day, the weather was PERFECT! It was the kinda day where if I was living in AZ with this weather I would wear a sweatshirt, but today I wore shorts and flip flops and laid outside in the sun! I loved it! We decided that we need to go to the park at least once a weekend! And we also made a list of things we need next time we go. Like today we had sodas from Horkleys, but next time we are also going to get a pizza from Little Ceasers, and a Frisbee. Also we need more blankets, because there were 5 of us trying to fit on 1! haha. But ya, it was the best. I need sunglasses though so I can lay down and have my face in the sun without my eyes dying. Aubrey let me use hers for a bit, and that was way nice of her. I just layed there for the longest time! I loved it! While we were at the park I crossed the street and went to Jimmy Johns for lunch/dinner! It became a picnic! So much fun!

After this we came home and went to Stake Conference where we were blessed to hear some AMAZING talks, and tomorrow our Stake Conference broadcasted from Salt Lake for the entire eastern side of Idaho, so that should be good too!

After that we went to our FHE brothers place and played some games! It was such a great day!

So ya, here are some pics from the park!



This funny little boy was just standing there staring at the girl taking a nap. She woke up and he still just kept looking at her. It was so funny!



Aubrey eating her Jimmy Johns day old bread, its only 60 cents for a whole loaf! :D



A few of my favortite things, my old navy flip flops, my soda cup, and Jimmy Johns!



Me and Lauren!!! Squishing faces is so much fun!!!!

Recipe for a Perfect Day!

SURPRISE!!!

Now most of you may have heard stories about me, stories like me telling Angell that she was getting luggage for Christmas, or me winking at mom when she told me that she liked Micheal Buble when I had gotten her that CD for Christmas, or the fact that usually by December 23rd, EVERYONE knows what they are getting from me before they get it. So I somehow got this reputation that I can't keep secrets. I would just like to tell everyone, that if I wanted to... I CAN KEEP A SECRET!!!

And as a matter of fact, I have! Yesterday was Keri's birthday, and for the last 3 weeks or so I have been planning with my dad to fly home and surprise her! And it totally worked. My parents picked me up from the airport Friday at 1, and I got home before Keri did from school. So I was just sitting on the couch when Keri came home and she walked in and my dad yelled, Keri's home, and my mom yelled, Keri's home, and I yelled... KERI'S HOME! But she really didn't respond, she said.... IM HOME! So Mom said, YAY, and Dad said YAY, and I said YAY!!! But still she didn't really respond. Then she walked into the kitchen and I peaked my head over the couch and saw her coming in from school, and then she saw me... Taras..... OH MY GOSH.... TARA'S HOME!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH........

It was the best reaction ever! She literally screamed in my ear as we hugged each other. It was so much fun!

Then on her birthday we went out to this super fancy restaurant The Landmark. (I say it was fancy because they gave me sherbet it cleanse my palet). It was so much fun!!!

So ya, and then I am just hanging out today and headed back to Idaho first thing tomorrow morning. I have so much homework to do once I get home... YUCK! But until then, I am enjoying my weekend off in lovely Arizona!!! :D