Dear Mr. President

Thanks for giving me a day off.  I really appreciate it!

We've had a nice long weekend and I'm sad that it's almost over.  Let me do a brief re-cap.  Friday after I got off work, Ryan's mom, sister, and myself spent about 5 hours decorating their casa for the birthday boy's party.  We didn't start out with much but by the time we were done, it looked fabulous!  I was exhausted by the time we finished and Ryan's grandparents that were in town decided to take us to Babe's Chicken.  I hadn't eaten there since I was about 10 years old!  I ate chicken, ribs, and green beans and looked longingly at the rolls and mashed potatoes.

Saturday came and I tried to play it cool and do our normal around the house chores and act like I wasn't on a schedule to get him to the party by 5:15.  I couldn't tell if he was suspicious or not...but he wasn't.  And I had been telling him that I had something planned for Sunday.  We walked in and as he rounded the corner, friends and family yelled, "SURPRISE!"  =) 

We had a great party, ate yummy foood, and played some good old hang-man using phrases from Ryan's life.  The cake was probably my favorite part because I had gotten Amanda's sister-in-law Melody to make it.  It was incredible!  He says turning 30 isn't so bad now that it's here and there's really no avoiding it. :> I'm so thankful to those who came and celebrated the start of a new decade for Ryan with us.

My fave party pics:

Guests!

BFF's Mallory & Karlyn

"30 years" collage - this was so cool!

The man of the hour

Ze Cake!

Me and my man

After Karlyn's party in December and then Ryan's, I've been saying no more party planning!  But, my friend Lindy is due in July with a little girl so let the baby shower ideas commence!

Sunday morning we went to church and sunday school and then I skipped Bible Study.  I was so. tired. and wasn't feeling that great.  I wasn't able to nap but somehow made it through the day.  I was getting a little edgy and just needed some alone time so Ryan took Karlyn for a while while I went and detailed my car and hit the gym.  It was just what I needed to de-compress a bit.  And now I have a clean car.  Love.

Today has been nice so far.  Sharon kept Karlyn this morning while I went to Target and did what I do best.  Kill the clearance.  I got a pair of insanely cute flats for $10 and a pair of dark skinny jeans for $7.50 plus some other necessities.  I woke up too early this morning and would love a nap now but I can still hear a certain someone jabbering in her crib.

. . . . .

Eat Real. 

Honestly, the first week of Eat Real has been pretty tough for me.  I've been C.R.A.N.K.Y at times and especially have felt it this weekend.  Sugar and processed carbs really have an effect on me and when you take them all away, it gets ugly.  I feel a little better today and I remember from last time that the first week was killer.  It sucked.  I also haven't been sleeping the greatest but I think I remember the transition there too from bad to good.  Our bodies are crazy huh?  When you take the things they love most away, they throw a mega fit!  At least that's what it feels like.  I ate some cake at Ryan's party and maybe a few other things and oh my gosh, it was ridiculous how yuck I felt afterwards.  So not worth it but it's very hard to make those decisions - when you know how GOOD something will taste but know how BAD you'll feel when you eat it.  Sometimes you don't care and I want to learn to care.  I know this will get easier and when I think about it...Ok, what are the foods right now that I wish I could eat?  Cheese, chips, sweets...are those things healthy for my body?  Are they going to increase my energy and give me a clear head?  NO.  But they still have a pull on me.  So I'm trying to push back.  Wish me luck!