Weight Loss Check in

As I promised I was going to check in on a weekly basis with weight loss updates. I weighted myself this morning and I'm at 312! another 6 pounds this week :) My first goal is 300 so only 12 more pounds to go!

I apologize for not having any make up on in this photo lol

Memorial Day

On this day I want to remember all those I've lost in my life and those who have served in our country and are still with us today. I have a few veterans in my family, my Papa Clyde was in the Navy in 1944 and 1945, I don't know specific stories about his time served but I do know in his short time in the Navy he did go over seas and was part of a group of men who would build airports in a short amount of time for their makeshift naval bases. My cousin Dixon Harper served in the Marines from 2003 to 2007, he served 3 tours in Iraq, was a sniper in his final tour.These two men are hero's for what they've done. I have a great Uncle Loy who is a WWII veteran as well. I remember sitting on my grandmother's back porch with him and he telling me stories of when he was overseas. He will be turning 91 in a few months. I got to see him this previous weekend and he truely is an american icon. My father-in-law, Jeff Brown Jr, is a retired from the Air Force, he has also served overseas many times and is a Vietnam Veteran. Also Jeff Brown Sr, is a veteran of war, I'm not sure as much about what he did or where he served but i do know he was part of the Tuskegee Airmen, if you don't know what that is CLICK HERE.

People I've lost very close and dear to me are both sets of my grandparents. My dad's parents,

Willard and Wilma Moore. picture on the left. We called them grandpa and grandma, Grandpa(age 75) left us in 2003 to non-hodgkin's lymphoma. Grandma left us in 2007 due to heart problems.

My mom's parents, seen to the right. Clyde and Joy Harper. We called them Papa Clyde and Momma Lou, her middle name is Louise. She is the woman I named my second son after, her full name is Joy Louise 'Dixon' Harper. We lost Papa Clyde(age 64) in 1990 to Lung Cancer I believe. We lost Momma Lou (age 66) in 1997 to other complications. Both sets of my grandparents are missed dearly buy all of us.

Someone I lost back in 1999 is Kami Ott, she was a childhood friend of mine. She was only 17 years old. Her and some friends were coming home from a late night movie and she reached down in the floor board to get a CD she'd dropped and when she came back up she over corrected cause she was going off the road and her truck started flipping. She had taken off her seatbelt to get the CD so therefore she was ejected from the truck. A dear friend of mine, Felicia Fortune has named her newborn baby Kami Deanne in Kami's memory. Those two were BEST of friends and Felicia was supposed to go with them that night but decided not to. I unfortunately do not have any photo's of Kami I wish I did.

Another person who we've lost is my mother-in-law, I never got to meet her but I hear she was an outstanding woman. Patrcia Ann 'Gracey' Brown, she lost her battle to breast cancer 21 years ago. From what my husband tells me she didn't go down without a fight. She fought every bit of that cancer till her last day. I hate I never got to meet her but I know I will someday and I will cherish that day. We talk about her often so the boys know who she was.

On this memorial day I pray for our soldiers who are over seas to be safe and come home safely. I also pray for those who are moarning the loss of a loved one that their hearts not ache.

Happy Boy

I was finally able to catch Keaton smiling on camera. He smiles all the time but by the time I he the camera out and on he starts fussin or won't smile again. I swear he knows when that camera comes out and stops. Now I'm trying to catch him talking and laughing on film and yeah thats not happening either lol. Enjoy!

spaghetti and meatballs recipe

Or Spa-Peggy and Meatballs. Anyone? Anyone?
Okay, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a hard-core carb-lover here; pasta and bread are my ultimate comfort food. And does it really get any more homey and comforting than spaghetti and meatballs? Not in my world!

I didn't actually eat spaghetti and meatballs, like, ever growing up; my family was more of the "mix a pound of ground beef with a jar of Ragu" kind of clan, which is totally fine. But since I married my wonderful loving husband he has encouraged me to make more stuff from scratch. I love to cook and my cooking abilities have gotten MUCH MUCH better since we got married 4 1/2 years ago. For some reason spaghetti sauce is one thing I was always intimated of, but tonight I mastered it. This recipe was delicious and it smelled divine!!




Italian Meatballs:
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. parsley
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt*

Pre heat oven to 400 degree's. Gently combine meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. Shape into balls, whatever size you like, but I prefer using my standard cookie scoop (about 1 Tbsp.) to shape meat into balls and then rolling it between my hands to make them even more round. Place on a broiler pan cook until meat is brown and bubbly, and then broil until the meatballs start to brown have a crust look to them. Remove from oven and set aside until ready to use (or freeze for later use).

Sauce
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Olive oil
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
16 oz. tomato sauce
1-2 Tbsp. sugar (to taste)
2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of baking soda (to help neutralize the acid)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add remaining sauce ingredients and combine well. Bring to a simmer and add meatballs. Simmer on low, uncovered, until desired consistency is reached--about 25-30 minutes for a sauce that's of medium consistency.

Serve over hot spaghetti maybe with some breadsticks and some freshly grated Parmesan on top. Serves a lot--like probably 12 regular people.

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare meatballs as directed, but divide the meatballs among two freezer-safe containers. Prepare sauce through adding all ingredients to the pan, but don't simmer; rather, divide the sauce among the two containers. Freeze until ready to use. When ready to use, place in slow cooker and cook on low for about 5-6 hours, although you'll want to keep an eye on the sauce and make sure it's not burning if you go for the whole 6 hours.

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weight loss update

Today I had some errands to run one of which was to run a leave of absence release form to my dr so I can go back to work and since I was there I wanted to see how close my scale is to their scale. So I go back get on the scale and I'm not expecting much to be honest. It flickers around slowly and stops on 315! I was shocked! My scale at home was saying 318 so SWEET! I've lost 6 pounds since my last dr's appointment which was May 7th or 2 weeks and 3 days ago! Holy cow. So onward we march :)

I NEED YOUR HELP!!!!

I entered my boys in a Parents Magazine cover competition and they have made it to the finals! I'm so excited. Anyway I need everyone to go vote daily. The voting ends May 30th so we only have a week! If we win they fly us out to NYC for a photo shoot.
I would also appreciate it very much if you'd also post this on your blog so we can get maximum exposure! Thank you!





Click 'VOTE HERE' BELOW, ONCE THE PICTURE COMES UP UNDERNEATH CLICK VOTE FOR ME


~~~VOTE HERE~~~

Hard Time

So last night I discovered that I'm still having a hard time with what happened to Keaton. If your not aware of what happened GO HERE and read my story of what happened. But anyway last I was talking to Keaton and I said something about it was almost a year ago that he was conceived and I was like WOW that seems like FOREVER ago. I stated that my pregnancy seemed like it took forever, being on bedrest for 4 months was the kicker that made it seem so long. I said its kinda funny it seems like forever but yet when we say he's almost 2 months old and it doesn't seem that long ago that we had him but yet the 2 weeks we were in the hospital seemed like 2 months. Then we started talking, again, about how that was such HELL for us. I started to think about all that I went through up there and broke down crying again. Last week I had a flash back type thing to the day I had Keaton and that Kobe went to stay with my dad for the night and had yet another break down and cried. I can merely just think about it and cry. I would think I'd be over this by now. I mean seriously its been 2 months. But I think I'm not able to get over it because I never really had a full blow "emotional break down". I love my mom dearly but she was always there keeping me strong and when I'd cry she'd tell me I needed to be strong for Keaton. While we were in the hospital I seriously would cry at the drop of a hat, you could look at me wrong and I'd cry. So I was discussing this with Jeff last night and he asked me do you think its a little big Post Partum Depression? I said hell more like PTSD (Post Tramatic Stress Disorder) lol. I don't think its Post Partum honestly cause I don't feel its like that but just when I think about that insodent I get upset. *sigh* I dont' know I just wish I could look back at those 2 weeks and not be so sad but be happy for the wonderful nurses and doctors that cared for my very sick little boy and made him better, and kept him here with me.

weight loss

So I've decided to take my life into my own hands. I'm tired of being overweight and not being able to run and play with my son. Now that i have another child I've really got to do something. After Keaton was born I decided I'm going to get serious and lose some massive weight. After I had Kobe I had lost all my baby weight and then some I was so excited but soon after my thyroid started acting up and I became insulin resistant and therefore I gained WAY too much weight back. I became a weight I swore I'd never become! I had tried to lose it but it was just too hard it wouldn't come off because the sugars weren't under control. Well now I have my sugars under control and my thyroid is where it needs to be, with medication. So I'm losing weight. As of my 6 week appointment on May 7th I'd lost 30 pounds. I'm going to very open and honest and tell my weight, I don't know why but I am. I guess I figure because if I went on Biggest Loser, like I'd like to, everyone would know it then anyway lol. Well when I got pregnant with Keaton I was at 331 :( I know I'm ashamed. I only gained 18 pounds in that pregnancy I was very excited since the dr told me 15 is a good range to shoot for. As of May 7th I was at 320. I feel good and can't wait to lose more! I will be purchasing a scale and will post a weekly weight loss. I also will take pictures of myself regularly so I can see my progress lol. I hope everyone cheers me on and keeps my head up cause this is going to be hard. What I'm doing to lose my weight is watching what I'm eating, cutting my portion sizes way down and exercising, I'm doing Zumba twice a week plus some ab work outs at home to help lose my tummy faster.

This picture was taken on 3-13-2010 obviously pregnant


This picture was taken on 5-18-2010

Thunderstorms

So it has been a bit rocky here in Oklahoma the past few weeks, storms popping up every few days and just leaving destruction in their path! Monday May 10th they started firing up around 3 pm and I called my mom cause there was one headed for them in Medford. She was at work and they don't have tv there. So she informed me that they were watching it on the radar and it looks like its going to miss them. I said mom go home! Sure enough it spawned a very impressive tornado just west of them. My mom told me that they could see it out the back door! Then they headed to the cellar. Thankfully it turned more north and nearly missed them. I can't say the same for some friends property. One friends parents house lost a new barn they had JUST BUILT its now in the field across the road. Another friend completely lost EVERYTHING! Their house was in the path, we went out and saw the distructiont his past weekend, I wish I'd taken my camera. There was metal and debri everywhere in the wheat fields. I hate to be the one cutting those fields this summer. Also my family has some land out there close to where my friend lived and they lost a barn in the tornado! It was just breath taking seeing all the damage done by this tornado. Last night was another outbreak of storms and we were spared again everything went just south of us but I got some amazing pictures of the clouds! I hope for people and their properties this ends soon. I love watching it and would love even more to chase them but I can't :( so I just settle for getting pictures of the pretty clouds.

Munchie Mug

I have a friend who has a blog that she has give-a-ways and this item is the cutest most efficient little snack cup ever. I bought those you buy at walmart that are similar and cereal and snacks still came out. Jennifer was at my house a few weeks ago and her 1 yr old had it out and was eating out of it and nothing extra came out! I loved it and even commented to her about it. If you want to enter here is her blog! Go check it out!!

7 Weeks Old

KEATON DIXON BROWN

Keaton is 7 weeks old and look how strong he's getting. Pushing himself up

This would be his "serious" look as we call it. He looks at his dad like this ALOT!

when you play with him he opens his mouth like this and looks like a fish, therefore we call it FISHY FISHY lol

Keaton's just getting so strong. Look how well he holds his head!

The New ME

This Blog is going to be brutely honest about myself and I might even embarrass myself in something I confess to lol.

Growing up I've always been a bit lazy I believe. And even after getting married and having Kobe I've been a bit lax in things I do around the house. When Jeff an I got married we made a compromise that if I cook a home cooked meal everynight that he'd clean the kitchen. Cause like he I worked 40 hours a day and didn't want to spend my whole evening in the kitchen cooking and cleaning it up. So that was our compromise. Partly I asked for that compromise because I hate doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. Even still when doing laundry, again I was lazy I'd wash them then they would sit in the dryer until the next load needed to go in and then they would end up on the floor. Needless to say we'd be living out of the pile of wrinkled cloth's on the floor. My house has never been exceptionally clean and when I hear someone's coming over we'd do a mad dash cleaning fit to make it look acceptable before they arrived. While I was pregnant with Keaton I wasn't able to cook and clean anymore because anything I would do would cause contractions, I was rather concerned that having to be like that for so long I would get used to it and continue it after Keaton was born. I didn't want to live like that anymore.

Well with all that confession out I have to turn the page and admitt that I am a new woman. Since Keaton's been born I have to say that it has switched a light on for me in my body. When I cook I clean the kitchen immediately after we're done. When i do laundry its folded within the same day. My house needless to say is MUCH cleaner than it has EVER been for any length of time! I don't know what has happened to me but I like it. Maybe its because I feel a thousand times better than I've ever felt in a LONG time, maybe its cause I've finally grown up and matured. I don't know and I don't care I just hope it doesn't go away and I go back to my old ways. I have also taken my weight in my own hands now. Before I made excuses for how much weight I'd gained. When I got pregnant with Kobe I hit a weight I said I'd never get to. After I had Kobe I dropped all the weight and more I was excited. But then my thyroid went haywire and then I started having problems with my sugars, I'm inciline resistant or pre-diabetic, and gained it all back PLUS MORE!!! I was so ashamed at how I'd let myself go so badly. I tried losing it and to my demise I was unsuccessful :( Then Jeff and I decide we are going to try to get pregnant again and I start working out to lose my weight and I'd lost 20 pounds than whoops I got pregnant a lot sooner than I'd expected. I wanted to lose another 20 before getting pregnant. Well now that I've had Keaton I've lost 30 pounds and I'm continuing to eat right and work out so that I can keep dropping the weight. I have 20 more to go to be back at what I was before I had Kobe. I WILL be there VERY soon!

Ok Now that I've rambled on about that lol. Quick update Keaton is doing really good, he's holding his head so good, he's such a strong little bugger! Kobe is also doing good. We're trying to get him ready for school. He starts pre-k in Aug and I'm trying to get him ready for that. :) its a VERY slow process lol. Well hope everyone enjoys the rest of their week.

Well this week has been pretty uneventful. Took Keaton to the dr Monday for another check on his weight. He's now up to 11 lbs 6 oz!! He's a chunk. In the 2 weeks we'd been home he'd gained exactly 2 pounds and here we are another week and he's gained almost half a pound. He's a growin boy! OH and he's grown an inch and a quarter since he was born 6 weeks ago! He's now at 21 1/4 inches. He's going to be TALL!

Kobe's doing so well with him still. I have to say I'm shocked. I figured the new would wear off and he'd start getting jealous and start really doing bad things towards Keaton but he hasn't. He still a big help and love to lay on the floor with Keaton while he's down there.

Kobe's been playing alot outside since the weather has been so nice! He's loving his new baseball game he got from his nana and papa for his birthday. He can really hit that ball. I'm afraid we're going to be soon chasing that ball across the alley into the neighbors yard.

This weekend we are having some pictures taken of the boys. A friend of mine from high school does some amazing work, she isn't a professional but man she should be. I will post pictures hopefully this weekend. Everyone have a great rest of the week and enjoy the beautiful weather!