Lucky Me!

2 things have happened in the past 2 days that nearly never happen- I got out of not one but TWO weekend night shifts! This is a blessing straight from heaven of which I've been the grateful recipient. Thursday was a hard day at work, one I will not soon forget. Let's just leave it at that. So you can imagine my utter joy when I get a phone call that night around 9:30 from a coworker, "do you want me to work your Friday night shift?" Heck, yes!! I want you all to understand that this very very rarely happens (never say never, right?). To make things even better, Saturday I get a call from work right as I was preparing for my nap. "Do you want to work tomorrow day instead of tonight?" Now I don't like to work Sundays but getting out of a night shift is so tempting... so I agreed to the switch. This has allowed me to attend Ben's blessing, hang out with our grandpa, go shopping with friends, spend time with Dave, and sleep during the night! Talk about good luck and a good weekend...

It's been 6 days...

While spending Easter weekend in St. George, I pretty much over-loaded on candy. What do you expect me to do? I was surrounded by every variety of m&m's, jelly beans, Reese's pb cups, licorice, peeps, and mini twix- so naturally I feasted upon the chocolate and high fructose corn syrup. After we got home Sunday night, I was contemplating the large doses of candy I consumed and realized that I can't complain about un-lost pregnancy pounds when I eat like that. So suddenly, in a rash and unplanned moment, I splurted out "I'm not going to eat any treats for a whole week." ("treats" are defined as candy, cookies, cake, chocolate, etc.) Now maybe this is normal for some of you. Maybe you think it wouldn't be that hard. But if you know me at all, you know this is a huge sacrifice. I don't go a DAY without treats, not to mention a WEEK. Now if I had just thought about withholding for a week, that would be one thing. But I said it out loud, to Dave. So I had to stick to it! I thought about forgetting I ever said it, but I felt bad giving up so easy. I then felt like I had to prove it to myself and to Dave that I really could do it! Well, I'm almost there. It's been 6 days, one more to go, and I'm looking forward to Sunday so I can eat whatever I want. It's been tough- my bowl of happy pastel m&m's (plain, pb, and peanut) have been calling my name every night. But I think my biggest challenge will be tomorrow night- I'm working a night shift, a time I usually live off of treats. Other people have diet coke, coffee, red bull to keep them awake. Me? I stay awake thanks to treats. So this is a dilemma. Since my decision making skills and self-control are usually impaired in the middle of the night, I'll probably figure that after midnight it's technically Sunday and I can have treats again!
I guess I'm proud of myself for (almost) achieving a goal I set, but I can't say I feel so much healthier, look skinnier, or have lost a ton of weight. If any of you are thinking about making a similar goal, stop now, go enjoy a treat, and wish me luck for the next 2 days.

Comforts of Home, part two

Home Sweet Home. I have unloaded my deep feelings of love for my parents' home, but I must say it is my second favorite. Here in my little blue house lies my all-time favorite place. There are so many things about it I love, mostly the feeling I have when I'm inside its walls. From morning to night, I appreciate:

• waking up to this

• the tennis ball hanging in our garage making sure my car squeezes in just right
• seeing Joey look at me through the kitty door as I reverse down the driveway
• finding Dave's socks at the bottom of the bed, knowing he kicked them off while asleep
• doing laundry in our high-tech washer and dryer that I won from Dan's grocery store
• cuddling on the couch after dinner to watch LOST, 30 Rock, or a Jazz game
• how Dave can be in the family room while I'm on the computer and we can still be having a normal conversation
• the painting on our wall that reminds me of getting engaged and melts my heart every time I see it
• crawling into bed with the one I love, feeling safe as I fall asleep knowing he'll be next to me now and always

The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift/treat from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! Here's the catch: you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a "pay it forward" post on your blog to keep the fun going. Then come back, let me know you're going to play and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Who doesn't love a surprise?