Swim, Swim, Swim

Well, it's official. My grandparents are pool owners. My favorite type of owners. ;)

They've actually had a swimmable swimming pool for a few weeks now that I've thoroughly enjoyed. I got to be the first one in, & up until Sebastian broke his foot, I've gone swimming every day. This week, because of my crippled man & just not feeling well myself, I've only gone 4 times -- seriously slacking.

BUT! On a day like today, who could not go swimming?! The beach, the pool, anywhere! So, Lydia, her sister, Emilie, & I dove in {"dove" painting a false picture in your head, of course. The pool is still brand-spankin' new & the concrete isn't even in yet ((or the diving board)). We've got a huge tarp going from the back porch to the stairs on the pool. Since the dirt around the pool is sinking in & preparing for the concrete within the next few weeks, we've got two boards we walk on to bypass the soft dirt. It's major acrobatics, really.} & swam our little hearts out. Well, swam until Ryder woke up & they had to go save their brother, CJ, from diaper changing duty -- same thing!

& lemme tell ya, these sisters -- major cuties.

#sheddingsixtyeight // First Month

I'm eight days late on this, & I'm just going to pretend those eight days didn't exist.

Denial, my friends. ;)

I set two goals when I started this journey a little over a month ago:
1) only drink water
2) exercise at least three times a week

I'm am super excited & incredibly proud of myself to say that, other than two glasses of milk & one glass of orange juice (all on different days), all I've had to drink has been water. For over a month, I haven't tasted a single drop of sweet tea - I sound like such an addict. I still want it & every time I go to Rancho Grande, I consider breaking this streak for the deliciousness their sweet tea is, but I know I'll regret it, & regret is my absolute least favorite feeling ever.

Unfortunately, I've failed on the exercising front. I've gone to the gym multiple times, I've gone on walks around the neighborhood, & my newest thing is swimming, swimming, swimming. Buuut, it hasn't been consistently three times a week. When I go to the gym, I always ride the elliptical & then I leave. I've gotten completely unmotivated knowing I'm not doing any strength training or classes or anything else. So, if anyone has some advice on an exercise routine, that's be great. Although, like I said, I'm starting to swim laps in the pool everyday & think that will help me, too!

From July 12th to August 20th, I've lost five pounds. I know it's not a lot, but it's something & I'm excited about it.

I know this is a horrible comparison picture - It'll be better next time!

This month!

Goals:

1) Only drink water - still!

2) Come up with a workout routine. Something that involves more than just doing the elliptical. I also want to continue swimming laps as many days that I can. 

3) FOOD! This past month, I haven't done anything different with my diet. Before I cut out everything with sugar & start living the caveman life, I want to start tracking everything that I do eat. I've heard that by doing that, you become aware of all the junk you're putting in your body. That way, you see that the one doughnut you had for breakfast is over half of the calories you're suppose to take in for the whole day, & in turn, you start making healthier choices on your own. So I've heard! ;) I've tried so many diets & nothing has worked, I'm just trying to find something that does.

4) Lose four pounds. We've all heard it - slow & steady wins the race! 

Over all, my main goal is to start a workout routine that has both cardio & strength training. Then stick to it! 

Month two - here we go! 

OBX

This past weekend, my best friend, Katie, & I went to the Outer Banks. I'm a horrible friend who didn't get her a birthday present last year (yikes, I know), & as many times as she told me not to worry about it, I couldn't do that. So, I had Friday off from work & planned a trip to Avon, North Carolina. We left Thursday night & came back Sunday morning in time for church. It was a nice getaway. :)

We stayed in an efficiency. It's basically a two story house that's been split into four little apartments. It had a bedroom, bathroom, & living room with a kitchenette. It was close to the water & when we stood on the deck, we could even see the tip top of the ocean. :)

My brother, Seth, sister-in-law, Stacey, & nephew, Carson, had gone down to the same place on Tuesday & were leaving Saturday. It was because of them that we knew about Avon Cottages & were able to get a spot!

So, Friday morning, after we went over to see Seth, Stacey, & Carson, we headed out to find breakfast. There were all kinds of restaurants, but most of them didn't open until 11:30 or 12 at the earliest. We went to the Froggy Dog first, but they had just shut down breakfast & wouldn't be seating for lunch for another half an hour, so we left to find somewhere else. That's when we figured out that nothing was open. So we drove around, realized it'd been a half an hour already, & went back to the Froggy Dog to have lunch. Whew!

After going back to the cottage & digesting after eating a pound (A POUND!) of beef, we headed out to spend the rest of the day at the beach. Seth, Stacey, & Carson had gone to Nags Head for the morning, but once they got back, Stacey come out to join us. I'm not really one to swim in the ocean - toooo many things that bite. We got in for .5 seconds & felt like we almost died because of the crazy waves. Although, Katie spent way more time in the water - she's the brave one of the group. ;)

For dinner that night, we all got together to eat at the La Fogata. If you ever get the chance, don't eat at La Fogata. But then, we went to this frozen yogurt shop that was delicious! Although, if you ever get the chance, don't put sour gummy worms on top of hot fudge. ;)

When we got home, we played Phase 10, ate junk food, & (I) drank water. Lots & lots & lots of water. Poor Seth got stuck on the third phase forever, & 'burn' is the name of the game. For awhile, we weren't sure how that game would affect our friendships, but it all worked out. ;)

So! The next morning, Seth, Stacey, & Carson left & Katie & I set off for our next breakfast find. The only other place that serves breakfast was slam packed, so we were going to just settle for the coffee shop up the road. It rained most of the day on Saturday, so our plans to climb the lighthouse didn't look too promising. We decided to go to Nags Head instead, knowing there had to be somewhere that served biscuits & gravy. We went to Stack 'em High Pancakes which was good, but a weird set-up. You wait in line, get your drinks, order, & pay, then someone takes you to a table where you wait for your meal to come out. It didn't seem like the most efficient way of doing things, but I guess it works for them! 

When we finished there, we decided to go play Laser Tag. Neither of us are as good as we were hoping. We got sixth & eighth place out of the eight people playing. Haha, it was fun though! After that, we went to Sunsations, Duck Donuts (which really are as good as people say!), & The Fudgery, where we stacked up on two pounds of fudge. 

By this time, the rain had finally let up allowing us to hopefully be able to climb the lighthouse. We started on our drive back where we shamelessly ate the donuts we had planned on saving for breakfast the next morning. We bought our tickets just in time at 4:28 to climb with the 4:30 group. There are two hundred and forty-something steps to the top. I've been going to the gym pretty regularly, but it sure didn't help with the burning pain in my knees, haha. They have little landings for you to rest if you need to, & I think every person who braves the climb takes advantage of those landings. I think the scariest part is when people coming down have to pass you & you have to try not to fall over the edge. I'm so dramatic. ;) The view at the top was definitely worth the climb - burning knees & all! 

We picked up pizza for dinner, played Phase 10 again, took a quick trip down to the beach, & called it a night. 

Despite the rain & lack of breakfast options, we had a good trip. It was nice to get away & even nicer to be in the Outer Banks. We got back in time to worship our Lord with our church family & canvas our neighborhood for this years VBS. Thankful for these blessings. :)