Last Day

I'm done! I'm done! I'm done!

Thanks to everyone for supporting me, it has been a great journey!

Here are my results!

I lost 26 pounds, and a total of 12.5 inches through my chest, waist, and hips! I am very happy with my results, I feel like this was a great jumpstart to my weight goal! There is no turning back now, I am going all the way!

My last card/gift is from my Mom!

Thank you Mom for my luggage tag and card! I can't believe that I'll be seeing you tomorrow! I am so excited. I really appreciate all of your love and support! And thanks again for keeping my little pup! You and Johnny are the best!! Love you both soooooooo much!!!

Day 39

Bella

The sun feel glorious! 

Sometimes you've just got to relax. 

One more full day and I will be on my way home!

Today was awesome. I went to the beach on my hike but ended up sitting on the beach enjoying the view. It all started out with a sea lion laid up on the beach sun bathing! She wasn't bothered by us at all, she would stick her head up and get the sun on her neck, and then roll on her side. It was awesome. We named her Bella. Then while we were hanging out with Bella, six dolphins swam right in front of us. They were swimming right along where the waves break and as one of the big waves was coming in, we were able to see them swim through the wave. It was so cool. But wait, it doesn't end there. A few minutes later a mother and baby gray whale swim right by us! They too were close to where the waves break, and at one point the baby shot straight up out of the water. All of these events happened within an hour, I felt like I was getting my own personal show! It was such a great way to spend my morning!

Today's card is from:

Suzanne!

Thanks for sending me a card! It always feels nice to know someone is proud of you! I am looking forward to seeing you guys really soon! Love ya!

Day 38

I'm not even going to bore you with the details of my day anymore, because by now I am sure that you've got the gist. :)

Let's move on to the exciting things!

I received a package today from Lorena who was here during my first two weeks! She is so sweet! She sent me a shirt that is pink and lime green that says "Keep Austin Weird." She lives in Austin, TX if you were wondering why the shirt says that. Her note said that she wanted the people hiking behind me to have something to focus on other than the back of my neck, it's a joke between us when we were hiking buddies! Thank you Lorena, I really do love it!

Secondly, I can't believe y'all let me get through half of my last week without opening up my Week Six gift from my BFF! Shame shame!! Ok, let's see what it is!

It's a Gap gift card! WHOO HOO! Thank you guys so much, you know how much I love Gap! I can't wait to see you guys! Just a few more days! Love ya!

This next one is a doozy! I found out my friend Lesley is expecting her first child! I was so excited for her when I got the text a couple of weeks ago! Then a few days ago I received another text saying they are expecting TRIPLETS!!! I am still in shock! I couldn't be happier for her and Matt, they are going to be great parents! Please say a prayer for her to deliver three healthy babies at the end of the year!

I am going to open a card because I have just enough left to make it to the end of my trip!

Today's card is from:

Shirley!

Thank you so much for continuing to send me cards! I am so excited to get home and come back to work! You are such a sweet person, I love getting to work with you everyday! See you very soon! XOXO

Day 37

Today's hike.
Unfortunately the haze you see in the
background is smog! :(

One day closer to being home!!

I had another good day, I think it's because I am so excited to go home I am just kind of zoned out! :) We hiked at Cheeseboro today which is a meadow hike, it was a nice change of scenery from the usual canyons. The afternoon consisted of a toning class, cardio intervals, and pool. One thing that really threw off my afternoon was dinner. Everyone here knows that Tuesday's are chocolate covered strawberry nights, that may not mean much to you, but here it means everything! This is the only real dessert we get and it is something to look forward to, but today they really let me down. Supposedly we're having them on Thursday, and they better not be lying! ;)

Today's card is from:

Aunt Faye!

Thanks for sending me a card! I love to know that you are following along! It really is beautiful here, but nothing compares to being back home! I am looking forward to seeing you soon! Love and miss you!

Day 36

3,000 blog views! You guys are amazing! And yes I'm sure a thousand of them have been my Mom! ;)

Well the good news is I have bounced back from my cold! YAY! These past five days were rough, I was so ready to tackle my last two weeks and to have to sit out killed me! Yes, you read that right, I would rather be exercising six hours a day than laying in the bed!

My day went well, our hike was at Castro's Crest. After six weeks it is still one of my least favorites. The cool part was I had my picture taken at the same point I did on my first week and I got to put the pictures side by side. I think since we see our bodies everyday, sometimes we feel like they don't really change that much. It felt really good to see my progress, and be able to point out exactly where I'd lost.

Today's card is from:

Betty Jo!

Thank you BJ, I was definitely having one of those weeks! I appreciate you taking the time to send me a card! I have got Mom talked into exercising a few days a week, we'd love for you to join us! Hope to see you soon! Love ya!

Day 35

Six days to go!

I can not believe the strength of this dang cold! I went to bed last night feeling about 70% and woke up at 30%. :( I spent the entire day in my room medicating every four hours. And even though my nose and lips are completely raw, I am hoping that tomorrow I will wake up feeling back to normal. I apologize for the past few posts but when you've been confined to your room for the past four days you lead a pretty boring life.

Today's card is from:

Myrna!

Thank you Myrna for the card and note, that was so sweet of you! I appreciate you believing in me! I am looking forward to seeing you soon! XOXO

Day 34

HAPPY WEDDING DAY DRAKE AND TABITHA! LOVE YOU GUYS!

I am getting over this dang cold, but it has been rough! I treated myself to a mani/pedi this afternoon, and that always makes me feel better! The official countdown is one week!! I am so excited! Other than that, I don't have a lot going on. I plan on laying out by the pool tomorrow, and then get my game face on for this last week!

Today's card is from:

My step-dad Johnny!

Thank you Johnny for your prayers! I am so thankful to have you in my life, you have been a blessing for Mom and me. I love you very much and can't wait to see you!

Day 33

8 days...8 days....8 DAYS!!!!

I am feeling a little bit better. My throat is still sore but I feel like in the next day or so I should be back to normal. I am going stir crazy in this cabin, and I am finding out just how crappy daytime television is.

I am really missing be at home right now, because tomorrow my brother-in-law is getting married! I just talked to Drew and he was at the rehearsal dinner. I know that the wedding is going to be beautiful and wish I could be there! But I am so excited to come back home and have a sister-in-law! :)

Today's card is from:

Debra Lincoln!!

Thank you Debra, I loved the note! You are such a sweet person, and I feel very blessed to call you a friend! I am looking forward to seeing you soon! XOXO

Day 32

Here's how my day has gone...

*cough* *cough* *sniffle* *cough* *sniffle* *sniffle* *cough*

I can not believe this has happened! I am so frustrated with my body, I took the entire day off and rested. Unfortunately, I don't feel any better! As of how I feel right now, I may be sitting out tomorrow too. :( I want to say 'thank you' to my Mom for talking to me last night and reassuring me that it was okay to take a day off. In my brain, I kept feeling like if I didn't work out today I was slacking. But, I honestly believe over exerting myself right now would only make things worse. I still have one full week to work hard, but right now I just need to focus on getting better. So thank you Mom, I really did need the reassurance that I was making the right decision.

A card from my friends and family always brightens my day! So today's card is from...

Rhealee and Trevor!

You guys are so sweet! Thank you for the card! I am looking forward to coming back and hanging out, y'all are such a fun couple! See you very soon! XOXO

Day 31

Bird of Paradise flower

Wild Parrots

Ten days to go, and I've got a cold...I am officially falling apart.

I don't know where this cold came from, but I am fighting it hard! I would love to have some orange juice but unfortunately there are no juices here. I made it through the majority of my day, I hiked at Solstice Canyon which is surprisingly becoming one of my favorite hikes. Then I went to stretch. After lunch I was beginning to feel sluggish, so I came back to the room and laid down. I got up for my 2:30 class feeling like crap but thought I would at least attempt it. After spending that class feeling weak and clammy I decided to opt out of my last two classes. I came back to my room and cried out of frustration. This is not how I was wanting my last two weeks to go, and I am not sure what else I can do. Please say a prayer that this cold goes away and that I am able to finish my last week and a half here strong. I have come so far to not finish at my full potential.


I have been waiting to open tonight's card since I saw it had "do not open until April 6th" written on it, so here it goes!

It's from Phyllis!

Thank you Phyllis, I love Suzy Zoo cards! I really appreciate your support and I think you are amazing! I am looking forward to seeing you soon! :)

Day 30

Hello Hello! 11 days to go!

All in all, I had a pretty good day. My hike was at Newton Canyon, which if you'll remember from my first posts it almost killed me. Today was a different story, I owned that hike! The hill that I felt was never ending, didn't seem to be nearly a long. That is my favorite part about being here, conquering something that five weeks ago made me want to cry.

I am still having some issues with my left ankle. I have been working with the chiropractor but I can't seem to get rid of the tenderness.The smart thing to do would be to rest it for a couple of days but I can't. I am stuck on what to do next, I start the morning off fine, but by the end of the hike I am ready to get back and ice it. I am really wanting to match my first three weeks weight loss, so taking it easy is not an option. But then I am wondering if I am doing more damage by staying on it. Ugh.

Moving on...

Today's card is from my Mom!

Thank you Mommy, I love you so much! There is no way I could do this without your support! You are the best Mom in the whole wide world, and I can't wait to get back and give you a BIG HUG! I love you!!

Day 29

Monday is over! 12 days to go! :)

I had a good day, I have decided these last two weeks I am going to double up on my cardio classes. Today's double cardio was Circuit Training, it was tough, but I enjoy that class. I'm not sure if I've every explained Circuit but you spend the class going back and forth between cardio and strength training, since you are constantly moving to different things the class seems to go by fast. Other than that, my day was the same old same old.

Today's card is from:

Aunt Robyn and Uncle Jeff!

Thank you both for the card! Like I've said before, I love when I have mail at the front desk! I hope everything is going well back home, and that you're keeping Uncle Jeff in line! I am looking forward to being back home and seeing everyone! Thanks again! XOXO

Day 28

I can see the end in sight! I am 13 days from being back home with everyone that I am missing like crazy!
I am really hoping to push through some barriers this week, and focus on reaching my goal. I am feeling really good about these next two weeks, and honestly can't believe what I've already accomplished!

Today I spent the entire day relaxing. I got up for breakfast but kept my PJ's on because I knew I was going to get right back under the covers when I got finished. I read for a little bit, took a nap, and then it was time for dinner. There are a lot of new people here this week, and I am really hoping they have a good energy. I have learned that the newbies can either make the atmosphere motivating, or can kill it with negativity. Last week's group was awesome, so there is some high expectations riding on this week's.

It's time to open my Week 5 gift, since technically my week starts on Sunday!

Awe, it's a magnet with a saying about being friends forever! Thank you Erin and Carlea, I love it! It will definitely be going on the fridge and probably holding up a picture of Carlea! I can't wait to be back home either, I am missing you guys so much! And I am looking forward to going shopping too! Love you both!

Day 27

This has been a great day!

I started off this morning with a hike at Solstice Canyon. The hike was a lot more fun today because my friend Danielle, who is leaving tomorrow :(, joined us! Also, Rebecca who was here a few weeks ago met us too! So it was a more relaxed hike, just enjoying each other's company. After the hike, all I had to do was go to stretch, and then my day was through!

I just got back from getting a hydrating facial, my skin feels amazing! Now it is on to dinner, and relaxing! On a sad note today, my friend Noelle is on here way back to Chicago. :( Luckily she has made sure that I am taken care of! ;)

What really made my day great was getting two gifts in the mail!

My sweet little husband sent me a letter and a picture of him on his bike in his underwear! I would put it on here but I don't want to get everyone all excited. :) He wrote me a sweet letter telling me that he is proud of me, and that makes me feel better than words can describe!

My other gift was actually from Rilo, I guess he felt bad after reading that Rambo had sent me flowers. ;) Rilo wrote me a sweet note too, telling me how much he missed me. Rilo's gift was a painting of himself, it was even signed!

So thank you to Drew and Rilo for making my day! I love you both very very much and can't wait to be back home!

Day 26

The hike's name was no lie.
Here is Ocean View. 

TGIF!!

Only two more weeks to go! I get giddy just thinking about being home! :)

It was another hot day today, but since there is low humidity here, it was still bearable. I hiked at new hike today called Ocean View. It probably sounds peaceful but do not be fooled! This hike has officially been inducted into my top three least favorite hikes! The inclines on this hike were pretty steep and we went up for over an hour. I just kept telling myself I am going to have a nice butt from all of the incline! :)  We saw a rattlesnake today, he was right on the side of the trail. One of the hiking guides heard him and stopped to check him out, I was brave and came up to see him too. He was probably 4-5ft long and a couple of inches thick. He wasn't bothered by us, we watched him work his way up into the bushes and he never rattled his tail.

On Friday's we have a class called Cardio Disco Jam. The class is just a fun way to let go and dance to some disco music. Today was a special day though, because my friend Noelle bought glasses with disco balls hanging from the sides, and disco ball necklaces for the whole class! Then she, I and four other people dressed up like the Village People. I was the Indian, and even had a feather head dress! We had so much fun, especially leading the class in YMCA! Luckily the camera woman was in there, so I will have this on DVD for us to watch when I get back.

Today's card is from....

Grace Morris!

Thank you Grace for the card, I love getting mail! I am proud of my success here as well! I am so glad to hear that you are following along and are enjoying the pictures. It is absolutely beautiful out here, but nothing beats being back home! I hope all is well and look forward to seeing you soon!