Curves

so i finally did it. i have joined curves with a friend. yesterday we went in for our first official workout and to be measured and weighed. i did not like my numbers at all. i weighed in at 167 lbs. and my upper measurements are 39-34-36. all i could think when they were measuring me was, "i'm no scarlett o'hara." scarlett had the skinniest waist in three counties for all those who have not read the best book ever, gone with the wind. they asked what did i weigh at my thinnest-100 lbs (just 17 years ago) and what was my heaviest-this is the heaviest i have ever been. any who, the workout goes by so fast. i just wish i had a little more coordination when it came to working those machines. i used muscles yesterday that have been dormant for sometime. i felt really good when i got done. really energized! my plan is to go three times a week with chris. my goal is to lose seven pounds the first month. i wanted to say ten but i would rather shoot low and then surprise myself with losing more. one good thing about going to curves me and chris are considered to be one of the younger women going there. 37 is young...loving it!!
this has been a word from nicole

it's that time of year....

i love christmas. i love the hussle and bussle of it all. i love seeing people with all their packages. i love thinking of creative gifts. i love the decorating. i love all the food. i love the christmas cards. i love giving baked goods to my neighbors. i love my christmas tree. i love christmas morning but i love christmas eve even more. but right now i am feeling a little down about christmas. last year i got my dad a branding iron. yes, a branding iron. i got it personalized with his initals TRH so he could brand all the meat he grills in the summer. tonight i find out he has yet to use it. here i thought i got this great, unique gift that he would laugh when he would use it. i knew he wouldn't use it everytime he grilled but for pete sake i thought he would use it at least once. i really put alot of thought into my gifts. i really think about each person and how i spent time with them through out the year. for example, my sister, got a pool for her kids this year. just one of those big infaltable pools and ethan spent alot of time in that pool. my sister said he even tried to surf with the cover of the turtle sandbox as his surfboard. remembering that story i found an underwater surfboard for him. i can so see him using this thing. hopefully, he will use it and not "tuck it away for memory sake."
in other christmas news i am thinking holly and i will get dresses for christmas eve mass this year. ususally we don't get super dressed up, it is just something we never did growing up, so i haven't done as an adult. but holly has expressed an interest in a christmas dress so i think i will take it up a natch and get a little dressy this year.
also, holly and i are starting a christmas village collection. we got our first piece yesterday at kohls-holly picked out the movie theather. i hope to have at least two other pieces before christmas. we are going to set it up downstairs in the basement on the glass table. i'll try to post pics once it is up.
this has been a word from nicole

summer 2009

Things that I have enjoyed this summer-
books from the library
Chicago with sista and the kids
Seeing Holly learn new things at her religion class
Seeing Def Leppard and Poison with Jodi and Heather
Taking a chance with Jodi and getting our picture taken with Brett Michaels
Knowing Holly and Matty had a wonderful time in Coldwater with Jay and Steve
Watching movies with Jay
Watching Jay crochet his blanket
Doing our annual garage sale with Sista
Going to Greektown Jay
Seeing Andrew learn new things at id Tech camp
Walking/running with Gordy
Facebook,Farmville and Yoville
Watching Y&R on the DVR and missing all the commericals that way
pistachio pudding
Shopping and eating out with Micala
Watching Matty play in the dirt and play with the hose
Being one of 50 finalist in the coke contest

i'm sure there is more but that is off the top of my head.
this has been a word from nicole

concert

i am so looking forward to this evening! heather, jodi and and friend of heather's and i are going to see cheap trick, poison and def leppard. back in 1992 heather and i saw def leppard at the kellogg arena. they put on a good show. i just want to scream and sing my lungs out. also excited to see heather and jodi. i can't even remember the last time i saw either of them. i should really get out more often.

this has been a word from nicole

sunny days, stormy nights

i am very happy and content these days and i am loving this feeling. i spent four days at my sister's with the kids. we held our annual garage sale. sister had cleaned out her attic and she had so many baby clothes, it was a little overwhelming. we did pretty good our first day. i had a large santa for sale and we posed with it around the garage sale. we were laughing so hard, but soon after our picturing taking someone came and bought our santa. we were a little sad to see it go. the pictures are up on facebook if you want to see them. on our second day we were rained out. so i say to sister, why don't we take our baby stuff to once upon a child. so after drying the clothes and packing up the car we left. we had two hampers, three baskets full of clothes, plus a high chair, jumper, and toys. all they bought was the high chair, jumper and a small basket of clothes. sister was not happy. i was a little surprised but oh well, at least we tried. anywho, this once upon a child in wyoming, mi is awesome. they had great stuff. i was able to get all of holly's polo shirts for school next year. on our way home we stopped to pick strawberries. it was so nice, just the two of us laughing and talking! Sunday we celebrated brenna's birthday. it was a beautiful day but i had taken two tyenlols (500 mg) each and i was so drowzy that i fell asleep in ethan's bed.
on monday holly started her summer religious education classes. she will be making her first communion next spring. the program is just awesome! in the fall she and i will attend classes together for further preparation for her first communion. being in second grade is so exciting. your not so much a little kid, you have more responsiblities and then at the end of the school year you make your first communion. i am just so happy for all that holly will experience this year!!
so you're wondering what my stormy night is... jay is laid off. he could be placed in another plant but it's just a waiting game now. i have much hope that everything will work out. sister has been a big support and God is leading our way!

can i scream

i'm living in a pickle jar and i can't get out. is it just me or has the cost of living (can you believe there is a cost to just live) gone up, no skyrocketed. is it just my area or what? jay's pay has not gone up and nor will it go up anytime soon. ford has taken from their employees bonuses, raises and "the cost of living" pay has been cut because the cost of living has not gone up. oh really ford? may i come live in your ivory tower? the everyday things are just getting too much. when i think of all that needs to be paid and what won't get paid i almost start to shake. we got into a pinch a few months ago with my traffic ticket and our water bill. now i am scrambling to catch up. never in my married life have i come so close to going to a food pantry. but i wouldn't qualify anywho. how in the hell does sista stretch a dollar to make it two? how in the hell can i keep treading water when i am so tired?
this has been a word from nicole

a little bit of this and a little bit of that

i heard from replacements ltd and they are buying all my silverware. two pieces were bought at a discount because they were not perfect. so in total i will be getting....$548!!! sweet fancy moses, that is right! i'm taking most of that to chicago.
speaking of chi-town...i found out that on second mondays at the field museum admission is free. yes, i'm there. the zoo, free, also there. beach, assuming it's free. where will i spend my little fortune? american girl, of course. we are having lunch there and that alone is a pretty penny. $21 per person. please like holly or brenna could even eat $21 dollars worth of food in one sitting. but holly very much wants to take her american girl doll there and have the whole experience. okay that is a lie. i want to go and do everything. you can even get you picture taken with your doll and they put it on a fake cover of their magazine. how cool is that. maybe i'll borrow brenna's doll and get a pic taken.
so is anyone else sick and tired of this jon and kate crap. they all over the news. you just can't get away from her hideous hair. why would you go ahead with season five knowing your marriage is in trouble? i will not watch their show anymore or buy any magazines that have them on the cover. news is not even news anymore.

this has been a word from nicole