I'm Back!

Shout out to my subscribers who said, Hey! You've stopped posting!

Life got a little busy there for a moment, haha actually, it slowed down beautifully because my daughter went away to sleep away camp for THREE WHOLE WEEKS! I used that time to focus on my husband, our marriage, myself, and our home. It was an amazing time. Honestly it was pretty intimidating at first knowing we wouldn't have all the distractions and responsibilities of being parents and actually have to put each other on center stage for once. It's been a while since we could/had to hang out with each other with no real compass (aka the kid) pointing to where we needed to go. We decided to be both really intentional with our time and also relax as much as we could. We made sure to go on "dates" and talk about things that required longer, uninterrupted conversations then we were usually allowed to have. And amazingly it went well! We are certainly better off for it. Props to my husband for being as brave as I was willing to be as far as confronting lots of issues. Turns out we still know how to communicate with each other when we remember we have the same goals.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention our best date night experience!!! We went to a local pottery date night where you spend a few hours learning to throw on the wheel. I had already gotten hooked after doing a date night with my mom and then signing up for a 6 week wheel class. It was beyond my hopes and dreams that my husband enjoyed it as much as I did! We both ended up signing up for a six week class that met Monday nights each week. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT POTTERY!!! IT IS ADDICTING! Fist of all, let me inform you that I have OCD tendencies, ADHD, and also tend to be naturally good at things crafty. Pottery made me rethink my existence. Wheel throwing is a lesson in mindfulness. It is basically therapy for perfectionists. You will believe you have just thrown the most amazing pot of your life and then blink wrong and it is literally ruined forever...until you realize you can just make lemonade out of lemons and turn it into something else :) A lot of attempted mugs and planters turned into trinket bowls and spoon rests...which, I might add, are still worthy Christmas gifts ;)

The coolest thing was to watch my husband go through the same issues, but find, like myself, that throwing pots is like a form of meditation. It is probably one of the few times that I don't run my mouth and try and be the center of attention. I am just able to completely focus (and then zone out) and "be one with the clay". I am also proud to say that I didn't try and control my husband's process. His journey with clay has been very different from mine so far and he creates completely different forms. It's really incredible to watch what different brains produce. We are fully hooked and will likely be purchasing a wheel for our garage when it finally gets built!

So all this to say, date nights are actually important! We never made that a priority in the past and also just struggled to afford a babysitter and a date night. Now that our daughter is able to stay home alone for a few hours, we are taking advantage of it. We really were neglecting each other and letting resentments build. So, if you aren't prioritizing a date night once a week, or even once a month, get on it! Doesn't have to be anything fancy either. A walk with just the two of you for 30mins counts in my book. Just let each other know you're both worth the time and effort.

Zepbound update: I am officially in "one"derland! A couple days ago (proves how little weight is consuming my brain that I don't weigh every day...I now just have confidence the numbers are progressing downward and I don't have to stress it) I am down to 196! That's 26 lbs down! I am officially now a Large in most items as opposed to an XL which feels better than I thought it would while shopping. I'm honestly trying not to shop because I know my size is going to continue to change. But, as the clothes get that much looser, I am finding sometimes it is necessary to update a few items just to avoid looking sloppy. It is nice for a little ego boost as well. I even braved getting a new swim suit and tried on a two piece for the hell of it. Still won't be making that decision, but I didn't "hate" what I saw in the mirror, so I'll count that as a win! I am still taking 7.5mg and have no side effects and don't feel the need to increase to 10mg. I've also reached out to my GP to see if I can get a sleep apnea test. I know I started snoring once I gained weight and it is one of the few "pre authorizations" that may get Zepbound covered by my insurance. Even with the Lilly Direct discounted vials, it is crazy expensive. You would think insurance companies would be excited to help with weight loss since there are so many comorbidities that go with being overweight. Anyway, I can't imagine life without this drug now, but affording it is a big concern.

In other fun news, we just got our permits to start building our house! But of course, the HOA still needs to approve our landscaping design. I tried to get away with as little grass as I could and they didn't like that :) Their rules really aren't bad, I just want low maintenance. I do see their concerns though so I'm going to try and meet their desires...I'm so thoughtful! In a future post I will go into a little more detail on how our building process has gone so far for those of you interested! But for a little teaser, here is a photo of the house we are building. Ours will be a different color and have a few different design features, but it'll give you the general idea!

If you like house stuff, here is a link to the virtual tour which allows you to do a walkthrough of the space! https://hagoodhomes.com/homes/heron-cove/

And here is a look at our "denied" landscaping 😄As you can see, very little grass. We will likely widen the grass on the left side and add some down the right side. I will update y'all when I get the new plans. Hopefully they will be approved!

Thanks again for reading! I'll try and post more frequently now that I know folks are paying attention ;)