Invitation Photos

Branden and I took our invitation photos yesterday. Part of me wants them to be a surprise BUT a bigger part of me wants to tell you about them. :)

As before stated, I'm really not photogenic. Posed pictures just don't work well for me. Aside from that fact, we are too poor to hire a professional photographer. But, honestly, there's an even bigger reason we went for the pictures we did. See, there are maybe three dozen pictures of Branden and I that have been taken in the nearly three years we've been together. Of those pictures, at least 2/3 have been taken in photo booths. So...

Yesterday we went to an old fashioned photo booth that we know of and spent 2 hours and took 80 pictures. At first all I could see was how dumb I looked in all the pictures but then I started having fun. We started laughing and the smiles got real and, even though I'm still not photogenic, the pictures improved. Now I can't wait to send out our photoshopped-together strips of pictures to invite everyone to our very special, very Amber-and-Branden celebration... Which reminds me that I'm going to need some addresses pretty soon. :)

May Is Passing Too Fast Already!

Just a super quick blog to let you know I'm still alive:

We got Branden's new laptop. He LOVES it! The screen is bigger, the graphics are better and it's faster than his old one.... Which is working out just fine for me as this screen is bigger, the graphics are better and it's faster than MY old one. Upgrades all around, HUZZAH!

I lost another 5 lb and celebrated by making cheesecake. Ok, that's not really how it went. I baked a half-chocolate/half-vanilla/semi-marbled cheesecake for a cookout we were going to attend that didn't end up happening. THEN I found out that I'd lost another 5 lb (my work pants are getting really loose!) and decided to go ahead and eat a slice of cheesecake anyway. I've explained to many people, I'm not on a diet, I've just made a couple of diet changes. I still allow myself to have sweets but I pay attention to serving sizes and give Branden the big slice of cheesecake. (Still wishing he'd gain an ounce or two of straight-up, 100% fat.)

We went back to City Museum with my new camera and played in a part we've never played in before. I also discovered the river otters and kinkajou in the aquarium. Pictures will follow.

Chantelle is being super helpful with wedding stuff and I am hoping to have more info VERY soon. We attempted to set our invitation plans in motion but things didn't quite work out. We'll try again next week (I don't have another day off of work until Wed the 12th) and maybe this time it'll work.

That's about it for now!

Broken

I knew it was going to happen, but it's still frustrating now that it has: My laptop is dead. :(

Most of the things on there are also on our file server- yep, we've got our very own little network thanks to Branden and his impressive computer knowledge- so I won't be losing pictures or anything like that. On the other hand, all the links that I'd bookmarked for wedding ideas are gone. Not to mention the fact that I've lost a lot of other links to things like recipes and interesting websites. Branden thinks he may be able to get something off the hard drive so maybe I haven't lost it all.

Branden has wanted a laptop for a long time but we've been putting it off. Now mine is broken and... I know it's a luxury to have two computers but we're accustomed to having two. So instead of giving Branden the gift that I've been planning on buying him, I'm going to give him the money that I would have spent and he'll use some of his tax return to buy himself a new laptop and I'll take this one. His new laptop won't be the best one in the world but it'll be faster than this one. And this one is faster than my old one so we're both upgrading. :) I don't really need a fast computer for the things I do. I'll just be happy to be able to watch a video without it freezing up half-way through.

It's My Birthday

Maybe tomorrow I'll write about feelings and thoughts... Maybe. Today I just wanna write that my birthday has been both rough and great.

Branden got me a digital camera so there's a chance that there will be more pictures posted on my blog in the future. Don't expect anything amazing but... You know, everyday pictures. We've been talking about getting a lighter camera powered by batteries instead of a battery pack but I really wasn't expecting one for my birthday. I've sort of had cameras in the past. My first was just a point and shoot 35mm. It sucked! I bought a digital camera years ago but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get pictures onto the computer so I gave up on it. I'm excited for a new start with a new camera and the help of my amazing fiance when I can't figure things out on my own.

I'm not photogenic, I never have been. Branden IS photogenic but, ironically, he's always the one taking pictures. I'm looking forward to taking some pictures of him for a change. :)

Too Much of a Good Thing

When I decided to attempt to make healthy life changes, I thought I'd focus on trying to get more calcium- everyone needs calcium- and more fiber. Fiber helps lower bad cholesterol and helps you to feel full longer. I thought it would be hard to get enough fiber... Turns out I was wrong.

Here are some of the foods I've been eating:
Fiber One Bars- 35% of my DV of fiber per bar
Baby Carrots- 8% per serving (I eat at least two servings a day)
Flat Out Multi-Grain Wraps with Fiber and Omega 3- 31% per wrap
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus- 12% per 2 Tbs
Triscuits- 12% per serving
Bagel Thins- 16% per bagel
Low Fat Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars- 20% per bar
Green Bell Peppers- 5% per approx 1/2 c
Steamed Broccoli- 10% per 1/2 c
Romaine Lettuce- 3% per 1/2 c

Now, I don't eat every one of these every day but I do eat many of them each day. For instance, a Fiber One bar is part of my breakfast at least five days a week. I eat carrots every day and go through at least two 16oz bags each week. I either eat a bagel thin or a wrap for lunch and I always include green bell peppers and some lettuce with hummus as a spread. If I use the wraps for dinner instead of lunch, say to make burritos, I always have two. It adds up fast... A little too fast. If you assume that I ate everything except the broccoli and the bagel thin and only had one wrap then I got about 134% of my fiber for one day. Is it any wonder that I was sick to my stomach yesterday?... Not in the gross way, just in the crampy, yucky feeling way.

Branden says I need to ease off a little and add good things in slowly. He's probably right. I thought that by making my lunch with a bagel thin today wouldn't be adding any more fiber so my stomach could calm down a little. Yeah, that was before I looked at the package and found out that I'd just eaten 16% instead of 31%... Not enough of a difference to even take me down to 100%. CRAP! I'll either get the hang of this or I'll get used to this. One way or the other, I'll never again believe people who say it's hard to get enough fiber in your daily diet. Now I need to work on a couple other nutrients!

I Don't Know What To Name This Post

This is my third take on this particular blog. It's hard for me to get these words right, but I've realized that part of my problem is that I'm trying to put too much information in here without being too specific... See? Problem. Here goes, third time's a charm.

There's a girl a couple years older than I am who picks up hours in our bakery. She's a nice person but she's going through some tough times. She's decided to divorce her husband of 10 years and she's bitter... Very, very, very bitter. Bitter beyond bitter. Every time I see her she asks me if I'm sure I want to marry Branden, if I know what I'm getting into, if I REALLY think this is a good idea, etc. She also asks why we had such a long engagement and other questions she shouldn't be asking.

Whatever the answers to her questions may be, my life is none of her business. By the time we get married, Branden and I will have been engaged for nearly two years and, no matter the reasons, it was a decision we made together. There was compromise involved- I would have been fine with a shorter engagement and really wanted to be married before we moved- but I'm not unhappy with the way things have turned out.

I feel like she's being very rude and I have a strong desire to yell at her. Yes, Branden and I have had our fair share of problems- maybe more than our fair share- but she has no right to judge my relationship just because her's is falling apart. I feel like she's attempting to project her issues into my life. She's never met Branden, she knows very little about my actual relationship and yet she thinks that because we've had some similar problems she MUST know what my relationship is like and where it's headed. Yeah, it was hard when Branden didn't have a job but, unlike her soon-to-be-ex, he GOT a job and is now working 40 hrs a week doing something that wasn't his first choice in jobs! Not very surprisingly, a large weight has been lifted since he began working again and many of our problems have been vastly improved.

There are a couple reasons that I don't write about fights and problems on here all that often. The first is that it wouldn't be fair as it's part of Branden's life as well and I can only tell my side. The second, and most important, is that I don't need every person I've ever met weighing in on my relationship. There are people I go to when Branden and I have problems- thank you for always being there for me and not judging, Katie- and they get to say what they feel needs to be said. I don't always like what is said but these are also people who give their thoughts and then still let me live my life with nary an I-told-you-so. Aside from these amazing people, I have no need for more input. Don't take it personally if you're not one of them... You probably have enough of your own problems to deal with without taking on mine and it doesn't mean I don't care about you or value your thoughts. It's just, as this girl is proving, there is such a thing as too many opinions.

New Goals... Again

I'm a little wary to post this since as soon as I do something is going to happen. Still, good news is worth sharing so... I'll go ahead and post.

I have lost no less than 25 lbs since August... Without starving myself or working out.

I say no less than since I was weighed at the doctor's office in August and they said I actually weighed ten pounds more than I thought I did. Since I'm weighing myself on my scale and I know that my scale claimed that I weighed... I'm not going to tell you how much my scale said I weighed! Let's just say that I weighed myself just over a year ago when I decided to exercise in an effort to get ready for my wedding and I weighed A LOT.

I began a walking routine and lost about five pounds in a little less than a month but was thrown off track by the flu, losing my job and moving. Since arriving in St. Louis, my "walking routine" has been walking around the zoo with Branden, wandering around malls with Branden, walking around various parts of St. Louis with Branden, exploring and climbing at City Museum with Branden and walking up the stairs to our apt... Sometimes with Branden. As you can tell, I'm not doing anything more than enjoying my new city with my handsome fiance. So I gained back the five pounds that I'd lost and possibly gained another ten pounds. I'm still pretty skeptical about that last ten pounds as it's HIGHLY unlikely that I lost 35 lbs.

Last month, Branden needed to weigh himself and it turns out that he weighs 145 lbs... And he's 6'5". Even if he's only 6'4" as he claims, that's really not much. Out of curiosity, I weighed myself at the same time and that's when I learned that I'd lost the first 20 lbs. I'd suspected that I'd lost some weight as my pants have seemed a little loose but I wasn't expecting that much. Then last Sunday I decided to weigh myself again, expecting that I'd probably gained a little weight. As you can imagine, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw I'd lost another 5 lbs. I am still sickened by the weight difference between myself and Branden but at least I'm slowly closing the gap. I will never be as thin as he is- I think the last time I weighed 145 I was fourteen or so- but, let's face it, he's thinner than some of the starving children in Africa.

There are two big habit changes I've made in the last year. 1) I eat a breakfast of light yogurt and a Fiber One bar five days a week. 2) I pack my own lunch and include things like carrots, Fruitables juice and fruit-replacement fruit snacks.

When I worked at the catering company, I would sometimes eat breakfast but many times it wasn't a priorty and I'd just snack on whatever leftovers we had at work. Then the guys would make us lunch using whatever we had on hand and whatever had come back from parties. This often included pasta, heavy sauces and salads with TONS of extra ingredients that usually weren't vegetables. We snacked all day long and my weight showed it. Now I am making an effort to include at least a few healthy choices in each meal. Do I get all if my fruit and vegetable servings? No but I'm trying to get more servings in than I had before. Just to be clear, I still eat cookies and chips and I pack myself ONE fun-size candy bar with my lunch. So I haven't cut out treats, I just pay attention to serving size and aim for slightly healthier choices.

Seeing what just a diet change can do for me, I have decided to make another exercise goal. I went out and bought exercise pants, shoes and sports bras- nothing like new things to make exercise more exciting- and will be using them three times a week. Maybe not as many times as recommended, but I'm making baby steps. Last night was my first session in our apt complex fitness room and my thighs are feeling it today! Unfortunately, the backs aren't so I need to figure out what to do to work that area as it's much more of a problem than the front of my thighs. I am not making a weight loss goal, only an exercise goal. If I lose more weight, HOORAY! If I don't then at least I know I'm helping my heart and hopefully toning a little.

No More Taxes This Year

Every year I swear to myself that I'll get my taxes done early. During January I wait for my W-2s and gather tax info that I'll need to file. During February I remind myself over and over that I need to file but it's a very busy month and I make the excuse that there's still plenty of time. By March I'm starting to feel more urgency but I continue to make excuses to put it off. Suddenly it's April 1st and I realize that I haven't yet filed.

Today is April 11 and I e-filed my taxes last night. Yet again, I put things off but at least it's all finished now. Branden took the things that need to be mailed to the mailbox on his way to work today. I have to pay $2 to the state of Missouri. You'd think they'd ignore such a small amount but they won't so I wrote the check and it'll be picked up by the postman tomorrow.

This is my last year filing as a single person. Next year I'll be married. :) Maybe we'll get our taxes done before April 2011... But probably not.

Sprung!

Spring had sprung here in St. Louis. Just a couple days ago all the trees between my apt and work were brown but today most of them have leaves and some have flowers. One day the tree outside our window was bare and the next morning I awoke to see white blossoms all over it. I won't lie, I sang "Popcorn Popping" a few times.

The birds are coming back, too. There's a cardinal that sits in the tree outside our window and sings every morning. I've heard that it's really rare to see one so I guess I'm just lucky to get to see, and hear, one every day. That little guy is NOISY!

Over the winter, I forgot how green St. Louis is! It's beautiful! :) I want to go to the botanical garden. If we can get there, I'll take pictures and share the green everyone.

By the way, I REALLY don't miss snow in April.

Staring at a Flat Tire, Really?

I drive to and from work in rush hour traffic. In the beginning I complained a lot about this but I have begun to accept it. I won't deny that my attitude began improving when I-64 reopened and my commute became just a little less stressful. If I leave my house by 7AM every day then I miss the worst of it, get to work early and have some quiet time to sit in my car and read.

Coming home, on the other hand, I am at the mercy of all the stupidest drivers. I wrote a post last fall detailing my terrible luck with choosing the lane that will move. That hasn't changed. Today I have another traffic rant.

I was driving along, thinking my thoughts and enjoying the breeze through my open window when all of a sudden traffic stopped. You may argue that, being rush hour traffic, I should expect that. But I was beyond the usual tight spots and heading into the faster-moving part of my drive when this happened. As it turns out, there was an SUV with a flat tire over at the side of the road 1/2 a mile from where traffic stopped and apparently EVERYONE needed to look. IT'S A FLAT TIRE PEOPLE! An unfortunate event for that motorist, yes, but not anything to really look at. Don't get me wrong, my fascination is as morbid as any person's when it comes to burning cars and accidents that may have caused dismemberment and... Umm.. Nothing worse than dismemberment. That said, there's no reason to stop and stare at nothing... Especially when it all but halts my commute for ten minutes.

That's all I have to say about that.