3 months and 2 weeks later...

So, I realized my last blog post was March 26th - yeah, that was 3 months and 2 weeks ago...

And what we've been up to, I know most of y'all are caught up through Bruce's blog so I'll do a quick recap:

In April, beach trip with my Mom and Dad & Vegas trip.

In May, weekends with friends and family & Migrant Camp trip.

In June, full blown renovation LOL

And we moved the last weekend in June thanks to some great friends, family, and parents.

So, now we're pretty much unpacked (still a few boxes in the guest room), and we love our new place. It will be great to pay off bills and save for a house. It's so great not sharing walls with noisy neighbors or walking up 3 flights of stairs. And now that we're pretty much settled, it's time to start eating right and getting back to the gym. It's amazing how quickly and easily you can get off track when your routine is changed.

I got a new lunchbox that I'm super stoked about - it's adorable :)   (Not sure why it won't line up right - guess my blog is mad cause I haven't written in a while.) But it's the new insulated, soft-sided version so it's supposed to be really good.

I'll be getting up at a good time, eating a good breakfast and making my lunch, heading to work and being more active at work. I sit at a desk all day and while I get up, I don't walk around nearly as much as I could. And once it starts to cool off a little, I'm ready to walk around outside on quick breaks at work. Bruce and I will try out the Snap Fitness in Chelsea because it's closer and I'm really irritated with the Snap in Columbiana. We have 2 free months coming to us for referring my in-laws and a church friend and we have not received either yet. I called the gym and left several messages (around 8) and they all say they'll return my call in 24 hours, and still have not heard from anyone. I even called the corporate office and since they're all franchised, they tell me I have to get with that specific location, that they can't do anything. So, I'd like to try some place that appreciates me and my business. I've worked out at the Chelsea one before and the guys there are always nice and it's a lot closer to go to that one than Columbiana anyways.

We're doing WW, which is pretty easy. I went grocery shopping on Saturday night to get healthier foods, fresh fruits and veggies, etc. I went through with our WW calculator (and I say our because Bruce & I are sharing it) and writing points on the packages to make it quicker for things we eat more often. We have the books and since we're doing it together, I'll plan our meals and know exactly what we're eating and how many points and track everything together.

I LOVE my husband and he is such a great support. I can't wait to do this together, start a new chapter in our lives, and have a fun time doing it together. If you know my husband, Bruce, should keep me laughing through it all. *WARNING*  get ready for some belly laughing in all future blogs! :)

This "rump" definitely shook...

5:30 AM - Me "This is the dumbest idea I've ever had."
                 Bruce "YUP!"

And so our morning began...

While neither of us are "morning people" - and I'm not sure I even know what that is - but I think my step-dad is one who you could call that.

He jumps out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off and is whistling something to the tune of "I Feel Good" by James Brown and dancing around like Tom Cruise in "Risky Business"....

Well, take my word for it - there was no whistling or singing going on at our house at 5:30AM. We barely got dressed and out the door in time to make it to my parents' house to head to Sloss Furnace for the race.

I will be honest: I was EXTREMELY nervous this morning, yesterday, and this whole week thinking about this race. And as soon as I heard James Spann say there was a CHANCE of thunderstorms, I was doing some serious praying and maybe a few rain dances so that the race was canceled. I know, I'm not proud, but I'm just being honest :)

But I knew there were TOO many people that knew I was planning on doing this - and that alone helped me to get pumped and know that I could do this... Didn't know if I'd finish, but I was definitely going to cross the start line.

And of course, as soon as we got close to Sloss, I was so nervous that I had to pee. And I mean I had to go RIGHT THEN. Bruce always makes fun of me for not being able to pee outside, but I was seriously contemplating it at this point. We were stuck in traffic and barely moving, and I told them I had to get out and find a bathroom. So, in the middle of the highway, I jumped out and headed towards the start line to find some porto potties. I may have even been walking a little funny, but the closer I got to the start line, I saw how many people were actually there. I got a little more nervous. I finally found the bathrooms, which as soon as I got there heard my mother call - she had jumped out too and followed me. Since I was set on finding a bathroom, I didn't even think to grab my cell phone so I could catch up with everyone later. Mom and I searched around the place for about 15 minutes and finally found the boys. And just in time - it was about 20 til' 8 and they were telling us to head towards the start line. I was getting more and more nervous but tried to not think about it by laughing at Bruce & my family. Thank God I have a crazy family who will think and say the craziest stuff cause it really helps ease the nerves in times like this. (On a side note that most of you guys don't know: At our wedding, it was time to line up and the bridesmaids and groomsmen were heading down the aisle - I was almost a "Runaway Bride" as the nerves started to take over. My hilarious step-dad pulled out a pair of ridiculous glasses, put them on, and turned around to face me. I was cracking up and completely forgot how I thought I could throw up at any minute. But it's times like these that I remember how blessed I am that my family is completely crazy!)

We headed toward the front, which I knew I wouldn't be there long, met some people Jeff worked with, did a few calisthenics (which reminded me and my brother both of our high school band years when we had to do them before every practice), and then it was time to take off. With this being my first race, I wasn't exactly sure how everything went but I had gone through the entire course on GoogleMaps, road by road, to make sure I knew every hill, incline, and turn. This turned out to be really helpful because I remembered where every mile marker and water station was located, and I could tell Mom "only a couple more blocks and we turn".

As we took off, people were running past us on both sides, and I knew that I definitely wanted to walk the first part to get warmed up. I had read in too many articles where people take off trying to start at a fast pace and then end up last because they are so tired. I also didn't want to leave my mom behind. She kept telling me to go on but it was fun having her beside me and doing this together. Patti & Samantha caught up with us, and we walked just about the whole way with them.



This is what I kept telling myself.



This sign just made me laugh - my FB status prior to the race said "If I'm not back on in 3 hours, I've gone Home to see my Maker."

I had read one of the emails prior to the race that stated you were welcome to walk the entire race but the police may ask you to move to the sidewalk so that traffic could move. That was my main motivation, I did not want to be THAT slow that they have to ask me to move to the sidewalk. Sounds funny, but could be really embarrassing. Mom and I kept a really good, fast-walking pace and every time I turned around, I was amazed by how many people were still behind us and how many people participated in this race. I told Mom the last .2 miles of the race we should run so that we could look really good crossing the finish line. We agreed and as soon as we could read the FINISH line sign, we took off. Mom and Sam got ahead of me and Patti due to a traffic jam in the middle of the road, but we all made it in under 1 hour - which was another goal of mine.

I wanted to look like this as I crossed the finish line

But instead, I know I looked like this! :)

And here's the proof I really did it:

Can't wait for our next 5k at the Birmingham Zoo! If you'd like to do it with us, let me know!

Week of a Woman's Diary

In honor of our 1-week anniversary of attending the gym (I know that sounded really corny but couldn't find any other way to say it), I am posting one of my favorite emails of ALL-TIME!! Beverly and I would read this at work and literally cry we would laugh so hard! Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do - every time I read it!!   **I added the pictures to make it more enjoyable

Woman's Week at the Gym:

Dear Diary,

For my birthday this year, my daughter (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me.

Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress so here goes...

MONDAY:

Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess -- with blonde hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile.

Woo Hoo!! Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring! Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!


TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door.

Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air... then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It's a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.

Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the Hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? 

Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other crap, too.



THURSDAY:
Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes.

Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny winch in to find me

Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.

FRIDAY:

I hate that Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it.

Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.

Then, the treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

 

SATURDAY:
Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked
the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

SUNDAY:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter (the little snot) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy.

Less than 2 weeks!!!

I can't believe that in less than 2 weeks, me, my husband, my mother, step-father, brother, and his girlfriend will all be in a 5k. That is SO crazy?!?!? We have our team names... The Badonkadonks - which is supposed to be funny and light-hearted since we are running for Colon Cancer Awareness. This is not our t-shirt below but hopefully we will have some made up to really help keep us motivated. And who knows, we might do more races! I would LOVE it!! And my step-dad has been trying to get us to do the Mercedes marathon with him for forever, but I guess it had to take a "butt" t-shirt to get us motivated! Who knew!?!? :)

                   

Bruce and I have been in the gym 6 days since we joined last Tuesday and I couldn't be more proud of us both! We were definitely sore a few days and we're getting better and better with every workout. I actually worked out on both the standing and sitting elliptical today. I started out on the standing, did 10 minutes and LITERALLY thought I was going to pass out. So, I switched over to the sitting one for 5 minutes and once I felt better I got back on the standing elliptical for another 5 minutes, and then finished my cardio workout on the sitting one for another 10 minutes with a cool-down period. I know a week ago I couldn't stay on the standing elliptical for more than 4 minutes so I think that is a HUGE accomplishment for me!!!

We also incorporated circuit workouts with our cardio. Bruce helps me figure out which machines to use and I pretty much do what he does, with the exception of a lot less weight added. :) I usually lift 50lbs unless it's my legs and then I'll do 90-100lbs. Speaking of leg workouts... We did our first leg workout on Friday afternoon (I know, we should get a gold star just for working out on a Friday!) but anyways, we had a wedding to attend the next day and I decide to wear heels, because it was a semi-formal wedding. We were running a little late and had to walk a mile to get there from our parking spot, and had to stand for a good bit; needless to say my legs started to feel like jello. Just a little side note but I would not recommend working out and then wearing heels the next day if 1) you haven't worked out your legs in a while and 2) especially if you haven't worn heels in a while.

Well, I guess that's all I have to say. I haven't blogged in a few days but I wanted y'all to know we have been going to the gym every day except this past Saturday! And that we are continuing to go and are finally really enjoying. We are starting to feel better and better instead of like someone just ran over us with an 18-wheeler. At first I almost dreaded it, but now I'm having fun! And once I start seeing results, I'm sure I'll enjoy it even more! :)

And now for some funny weight loss pictures to make reading this blog worth it! :)

We did it again!

Hey Guys! This will be a short blog because we both have a lot of work to do, but just wanted to let y'all know - we made it back to the gym again.

We went a little later than yesterday because the guy at the gym told us they do an orientation on Wednesday nights to introduce you to the different types of equipment and help you get more familiar with it but when we got there at 620, he wasn't there. So, we decided to jump on the ellipticals and get our workout on :)  Needless to say, the trainer never showed up, but we still both got in a good 5 miles each!!

Maybe next blog will be longer, but we'll keep this one short and sweet and to the point. We made it 2 days in a row to the gym!! And we are so proud of ourselves! And so glad we joined Snap!!! :)

5 miles on the elliptical

Instead of putting the usual "here we go again" or "let's try this one more time"... I thought I'd put my accomplishment instead. Since we cannot get anything at our gym in the apartment complex to work consistently, we decided to bite the bullet and join the local Snap Fitness in Columbiana. They are still doing the "no-enrollment" fee signup, so we got a good deal. After trying 2 times this weekend to meet up with someone and after several phone calls, we were finally able to join yesterday.

We had entirely too much to do yesterday to workout so we had our first workout session this afternoon. As soon as Bruce got home from school, I said we should go ahead and go workout before "life" got in the way. So, it was about 5 and we were worried there were going to be a ton of people coming right after work. When we pulled up, there were about 9 cars in the parking lot so I was immediately anxious. I have always hated working out in front of other people, especially at the size I am right now. That was a main reason I hated going to the gym at the apartments because it was such a small room and if there were 3 people in there, they were all looking at you.

So, Bruce had said he was going to get on the elliptical because he lost so much weight doing it before. Well, the competitor in me came out and so I wanted to do it too. He said he might go an hour on it so I was a little overwhelmed but thought "I can do this". Well.... 6 minutes into it I thought I was literally going to throw up and pass out, and maybe at the same time. I decided to stop and get on the elliptical machine that kind of looks like a bike.

It does the same maneuvers as the standing elliptical but you can sit and get almost the same workout. I thought it would be a good workout for me to get used to an elliptical since I've never really used it before. As I'm walking over there, I noticed an older man, probably 40 years older than me, just going to town on this machine. I was a little embarrassed that I had to get on the same type of machine as this older gentlemen, but I knew I needed to workout and couldn't worry about what anyone else thought about me. So, I jumped on and did 5 MILES!!! Yes, you are reading this right... there is no typo. AND I did it in 25 minutes!!! :) How FREAKIN' awesome is that?!?!

And another thing I noticed is everyone was doing there own thing which means no judging. The gym is really nice, there are 2 sitting ellipticals, 4 standing ellipticals, and 7 treadmills all facing the walls and in front of about 5 tvs. It seemed the ellipticals were the most popular pieces of equipment because they were all being used with 4 other people on treadmills. We were all watching the news and I didn't feel the first person starring at me or judging me.

So, I am very proud of myself... and BOTH of us for that matter. We both worked out for 30 minutes (we didn't want to kill ourselves the first time back in a while) but we both did about 5 miles on the elliptical. We are well on our way to getting in better shape and living healthier. We both agreed we're going to be more committed to working out, especially since we'll be paying for it LOL :) So, you can join Bruce and I at the Snap Fitness in Columbiana probably 4-5 days a week. If you workout there, let me know. I will need a partner some days because Bruce will have to workout at a different time than me due to his school schedule.

Hope to see y'all there! And tune in! You should see another blog from me in the next few days! :)

Weight Update...

So, here's to starting week 1 over. The past month has been extremely stressful and while weight loss has been on my mind alot, unfortunately it has not been a priority. So, I am starting over - with goals and progress and lots of other things on my mind.

Bruce and I signed up for a 5K... The 3rd Annual Rumpshaker 5K which will take place on March 26th. This is the day before Bruce's birthday and only 7 weeks away. This is the type of motivation I need to get started on my desire to learn how to run efficiently and not look like a total moron. I want to sign up for more runs along the way to keep me "goal oriented" and to get a bunch of cool t-shirts like this one LOL. I also came home tonight and told Bruce that when I lose 25 lbs I want him to buy me a new pair of tennis shoes. He, too, wants a new pair of tennis shoes so when he loses 25 lbs, he will get a new pair of tennis shoes as well. We both need them, and it is a great incentive to reach a goal. There are so many new cute pairs of tennis shoes that I don't know which ones I want - help me decide: NB 993 or NB 850 or Sketchers or Puma's. I told him if I can get started and keep going, the weight will come off. It's that first part that the tricky part :) It should also be not necessarily easier, but he should reach his goal faster than me because we all know guys lose weight a lot faster than women, but that's also another incentive cause I'll be pretty mad if he has a new pair of tennis shoes a longer time than I do :)

Another reason that I'm in kick-butt mode is because I read another article about how obesity can lead to fertility problems. Let me make myself clear, Bruce and I are not ready by any means to have kids yet, but it does make me want to be able to prevent any problems down the road if at all possible. We have 4 sets of friends who have had a very hard time trying to have children, and it has definitely been an eye opener to what we hope we will never have to go through. We pray for them every day and hope that their prayers will be answered or that they will find strength in God to get through what has probably been one of the hardest times in their lives. Only one of the couples are overweight and that may/may not have anything to do with it, but seeing other couples who are in good shape has definitely been a wake-up call.

Another thing that's happened in my life is that I'm helping with a middle school girl's Bible study on Sunday nights and after a kick-off party tonight, I see how energetic and fun they are - I definitely want to be able to keep up with them LOL.

On a little happy/sad note: A very, very good friend of mine has gotten a new job that she starts tomorrow. While I won't get to see her face every single day, unless I stalk her on facebook which I promised I would, I hate to admit that I am a little sad. I am OVER-joyed with the fact that she found a great job that she truly loves, but I will miss her so much. We will definitely keep in touch and I wish her the utmost best! Good luck tomorrow, Bethany! I know you'll do great! :)


Anyways, I hope each of you have a great week - I hope I do too! And say a little prayer that I can get back in the groove of working out and eating right. And by the way, since I'm supposed to be updating you on my weight - I haven't lost any, which is no surprise to me, but I haven't gained any either, which is a big relief. I have got to get my head back in the game, get my butt in gear, and any other way you can say to get my booty back in the gym :)

Week 2...

No, you're not losing it, this should be about Week 3 yet Bruce & I are human and we missed working out last week. But the good news is, I know you were worried, we did make it back to the gym and as much as I really didn't want to - it felt good once we got started.

We have figured out a routine that we are going to try and stick to. Bruce has started back to school, which means Thursday nights I get a free night will need extra motivation to do some type of workout (probably Zumba at our apartment if anyone would like to join me). And since my job schedule changes so much, in a few weeks I should have a normal routine and we can get in the groove of working out in the AM. Every one who is crazy keeps saying that you get a much better start to your day and sticking to a workout routing when you workout in the morning.

We've still been doing really good with our eating and keeping track of what we put in our mouth, which I firmly believe is half the battle... I'm sure if I didn't eat half of the lovely, delicious, wonderful, chocolaty, creamy, decadent, drizzled, exquisite, sugary, tasty, fattening, frosty, FRIED, finger-licking. greasy, honey-glazed, juicy, layered, breaded, salty, luscious, moist, mouth-watering, scrumptious, seasoned, smothered, southern, stuffed, syrupy, sweet, tantalizing, cheesy, gooey,  tempting, velvety, whipped, wonderful, yummy CRAP that I have thought about a couple 2 or 3 times, I wouldn't have gotten to the size I am today.

So, to report some more good news - I did lose 2 1/2 pounds when I weighed in last Monday so I'm hoping to pull another big number tomorrow morning. Granted, I do think I've been watching entirely too much Biggest Loser because I keep expecting "double-digits" when I step on the scale. But every pound lost is a victory. Or as my Grandmother told me "those little numbers add up" So I'll keep shooting for losses instead of gains. And luckily there are lots of motivating TV shows other than Biggest Loser, like HEAVY and I Used to be Fat.

So, anyways - like Bruce said in his recent blog, Getting back on the wagon... again if you haven't seen me post in a while, check on me... keep me accountable! :)

Z...U...M...B...A...

So, Bruce and I decided to try ZUMBA… yeah, it kicked our butts! One of my co-workers decided to get it a long time ago, but it wasn’t until it became the rave and everyone was talking about it on Facebook, I then decided that I’d give it a try and that it might be fun. It’s more like dancing than a workout and may keep me entertained. Well, it’s also very intense and can burn anywhere from 450 to 1200 calories depending on the body type and workout.

So, here’s how the next EIGHTY minutes went…

We started with the basic dance steps. It breaks it out into 3 “easy” steps. Yup, it probably is EASY when you weigh about 90 pounds soaking wet and you have a sliver of rhythm… but that would not describe me or Bruce. **And a side note: if you’ve already read Bruce’s blog you will remember he described the “instructors” as strippers. But I will second that they really might have a second job as in this profession.

So, we begin with a few Merengue moves… this wasn’t so bad. We learned some basic Latin march steps and how to do the “booty circle” – which has to be my husband’s favorite move. He would stick out his tongue and get really serious because as he said this was a move he could do… it was TOO funny! Next time you see him – please ask him to show this to you!!! I also had to slap him back into reality when the *cough* stripper… instructor starts shimming her bosoms. Wake up Bruce! Your wife is in the room with you!!!

Next was the Salsa – ok, anybody done the Salsa??? Not too hard… Once again, for someone who can dance; it was a little challenging for me and Bruce though. Overall, I would say this had to be our favorite dance of the night.

Then, the Cumbia… only it’s funnier to hear what’s-his-face say it. I couldn’t even understand him… you know the creator of the Zumba craze – yup, him. This was really funny to watch each other move our arms in a spiral motion and try to move our feet in a certain way at the same time. Now, I’ve been known to make fun of a few people who can’t chew gum and walk at the same time, but I will be the first to admit that I CAN NOT move my arms in a swirly in-and-out type motion while trying to move my right foot and skip onto my left foot and pull my right leg over my left shoulder… and by this point I think my calves are ON FIRE!!!

Next up – Reggaeton – This was a fun dance, until we basically had to try and dance while doing squats. Heck! I hate squats to begin with and now we’re going to torcher each other by thinking we can dance while doing squats?!?!? This is CRAZY! This is also the dance that is supposed to be the “hip hop” version and well, let’s just be frank – WE ARE SOOOO WHITE!!! J

                                 **We may or may not have looked like the guy in the picture below…

Ok,  so we do a cool down and I’m thinking we’re pretty much done…. Sixty minutes of this is for the freaking birds!!! But I made it through it…. and then Bruce suggests we do the “20 minute dance express” so that we can put our “moves” together. And I’m thinking WHAT MOVES??? What in the past 60 minutes would you consider a “MOVE”?!?! But we do it. And it was fun.

So, now… 80 minutes later we are BOTH drenched in sweat, abs are hurting from laughing at each other, and had to have burned like 50 trillion calories… that’s what I put on my Weight Watchers tracker anyways. J

We’ll try it again… But not tomorrow.

My weakness: Cupcakes

So, it's been a full what, twenty-four hours since I announced to the world, and Facebook!?!? (what was I thinking) And I'm craving a cupcake.... Yes, my weakness is cupcakes. There. I said it.

We've been eating healthy for the past week and a half. We made a jump-start on the New Years Resolution groupies and started eating better last week by cooking all of our meals and eating less But since I've made my weight loss efforts public all I keep thinking about are cupcakes... red ones, yellow ones, black ones, white ones, I don't care. I just want a CUPCAKE!!!

Well, I feel a little better now that I've got that off of my chest. Hopefully the urge will go away and I think I'll go to the gym. I'll write more after that - that should be interesting! Haven't been in ohhhh, well let's not talk about that right now :)

In the beginning...

Here's where everyone says, "This is the beginning of my journey"... Well, this is not the first time I've been down this road but I would like to make it my last 'beginning' to the rest of my life as a "big" girl. I am doing Weight Watchers online and starting walking/running, will start Zumba soon, and an intense toning workout eventually to get everything toned and in shape!

I am so blessed to have married my best friend and the greatest man that God put on this earth for me :) And to make it even better, he is a wonderful support to me and we are going down this journey together. We will work at this every day and help each other along the way. I also have a great group of friends and family who are a wonderful support as well. I have two special co-workers/friends who I am hoping will keep me on track and I will do the same for them.

With all this being said... I will write more to hopefully keep me on track and keep y'all up to date on my progress. Say a little prayer for me every day, please. I will need it!

Good night!