My Adventures in Weight Lost @ Weight Watchers Week 82

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to me too! I lost another pound! 

I forgot to take pics this week. Sorry lots to do even the day after Christmas.

Weight: 177.2 lbs.

My Adventures in Weight Lost @ Weight Watchers Week 81

Woohoo! I lost another 2.2 lbs! For the first time in a really long time I'm under 180! So cool!

12/19/14

12/19/14

Weight: 178.2 lbs.

My Adventures in Weight Lost @ Weight Watchers Week 80

Yes! Again another week down and I lost .6 lbs. Not a huge amount, but still I'm not gaining every other week. I guess everyone was right about it being a plateau. Glad I listened and didn't give up. I gained a new charm this week. The 'Share Your Success' award. It's a cute little snowflake! Also I got another 16 week charm. I haven't been showing these, mainly because I forgot. But they have a new design now. Instead of two hands it's a triangle with the #4 on it. They also gave everyone a new book. It's cool and has some different ideas in it. It's always nice to get new stuff.

12/12/15

12/12/15

Weight: 180.4 lbs.

My Adventures in Weight Lost @ Weight Watchers Week 79

Yay! I lost again this week! Not a lot, but I'll take it. .8 lbs.

12/5/14

12/5/14

Weight: 181 lbs.

My Adventures in Weight Lost @ Weight Watchers Week 78

Happy Thanksgiving!

My beautiful turkey!

Yes! I lost another 1.2 lbs! *super happy dance!* That's with me actually eating on Thanksgiving. I'm so happy. 

11/28/14

11/28/14

Weight: 181.8 lbs.

My Adventures in Weight Lost @ Weight Watchers Week 77

Well I lost this week. Hopefully it was because of my plan from last week. I lost 1.2 lbs. Thanksgiving is next week, but I lost last year, so there's no reason I can't lose this year.

11/21/14

11/21/14

Weight: 183 lbs.

My Adventures in Weight Lost @ Weight Watchers Week 76

I went back up .8 of a pound today. I'm done. I'm not giving up. No, not by a long shot. But I am not going to keep going back up and down like a yo-yo. Starting this next week I'm buckling down. I've also noticed the weeks I've lost I haven't had a lot of bread and I've  been eating dinner before 8. So I'm going to focus on those two points and see if it helps.

11/14/14

11/14/14

Weight: 184.2 lbs.

My Adventures in Weight Lost @ Weight Watchers Week 75

Woohoo! I lost again this week! And it was a whole pound. AND it was even after there was over a billion tons of candy in my house. *happy dance*

11/7/14

11/7/14

Weight: 183.4 lbs.

My Adventures in Weight Lost @ Weight Watchers Week 74

Happy Halloween!

Especially for me! I lost this week. 1.4 lbs to be exact. Yea, I know, I'll probably gain it back next week. Especially after I have to deal with all the free candy that's gonna flood my house tonight. But it's Halloween, I refuse to let myself be negative.

10/31/14

10/31/14

Weight: 184.4 lbs.

Precious Moments

Gabby and AJ

Crysal and Jenn's daughters.

I'm really not sure where to begin. Alexander--Aj-- was born a perfect little pumpkin. He..yes, he...was the light of our lives. A few months went by, and I knew something was different. It wasn't until he was almost 2 years old that we finally got a diagnosis. It was MeCp2 male....aka Rett syndrome. So I did what everyone does now...went to the internet and researched. I dropped to the ground. I had no idea what to expect. I actually still have no idea what to expect. Our lives were now on a completely different path. We were on a mission to find out all we could about this....but in the process, I was missing out on him. I don't want to say I have given up on finding out information, but I have just been spending time with him...doing things, like playing football, swimming, traveling...then I met crystal and gabby. This was the first family I have met that got it. I didn't have to say sorry about the machines, and I could have a conversation about what our kids liked and our love for minions. Both AJ and gabby have taught me how precious life is and to never take one moment for granted...to get out and experience life and treat everyone with respect and kindness.

Crystal (Gabby's Mom) & Jenn (AJ's Mom)

Gabby

I wrote and rewrote this. I've didn't really debate what I wanted to say, so much as how I wanted to say it. Even now she still she inspires me.  As my condition has worsened over the past  few years I've lost my mobility and have had trouble communicating.  Not only is it frustrating to have one's body betray you, it's immensely embarrassing to have people assume things about you when you misspeak or can't speak at all. I have days that I'm sad to say I refuse to leave the house because I just don't want to deal with it. Honestly I'm ashamed of myself for it. I can still get about on most days. I can still talk. Gabby, for most of her life couldn't. But she still loved going places. She still loved to have people visit. She laughed and enjoyed life.

I'm ashamed because I think if she had suddenly found herself with my physical problems she would have been overjoyed. To be able to speak, even if it wasn't always perfect. To be able to sit up on her own. To read out loud to her mom, instead of Crystal reading to her.  To simply be able to hug her mom and dad and tell them how much she loved them. 

Over the past few years, the times have increased when I really don't want to get out of bed, much less leave the house and I just hide in my room all day.  I turn down invitations because I'm afraid of doing something off, or worse not being able to do something I used to be able to. Those are the times I remember Gabby and her joy for life, even in the simplest of things. I feel horribly ungrateful for what I DO have and what I am able to do.  I remind myself to enjoy every moment I can.  I share Gabby's story, and the stories of the other Rett's girls and their families that I've been fortunate enough to meet.    I pull myself together and take advantage of what I can do.  I go out because if Gabby, or any of the other Retts sufferers, could go they would  and would love every minute of it. I tell their stories because I can and I hope that the more people that learn about Rett's Syndrome the more people there will be that will want to help make a difference for those who suffer from it.  

Prizes for the Readers for Rett's Syndrome Awareness Event 2015

Ok, this year instead of sharing each giveaway individually at the Readers for Rett's Syndrome Awareness event we've decided to just share a link to this post. That way everyone who is attending can just see all the prizes that we are making available for all to who attend can see them all in one place.  

Ok the rule for this year's event giveaways are simple. 

-You must attend the event to qualify for the giveaways.

-Anyone who comments on any of the posts at the event or on any of the blog posts for it will be automatically entered in the giveaways.

-Also the more comments the more entries.

-Another way to enter is to change your profile pic on Facebook to the Readers for Retts Awareness Event picture. Once you do change your profile pic on Facebook if you could please comment on here letting me know that you have changed the pic. This isn't necessary to enter any of the giveaways, however it will just make it easier for me to verify it. 

-One more way to enter: Invite your friends to the event. I will be posting a status on the event page for people to let me know who invited them. Not only will your friends attending be an entry to the giveaways, but also the person with the most invites will automatically win one of the prizes available. 

If you have any questions regarding the event or the giveaways please feel free to ask me or Heather, the other host of the event. 

Now on with the prizes available this year:

Prize Pack #1:

Highland Storm

Highland Burn

The Jewel of Grim Fortress: Episode #1

By: Victoria Zak

Prize Pack #2:

Highland Flames
Guardians of Cridhe
Seven Historical Highland Romances
Authors Include:
Ceci Giltenan
Tarah Scott
Lily Baldwin
Kate Robbins
Sue-Ellen Welfonder
Kathryn Lynn Davis
Victoria Zak 

Prize Pack #3:

Rising Tide: Dark Innocence

By: Claudette Melanson

Prize Pack #4:

Crossing the Line

Inside the Lines

By: Ally Bishop

Prize Pack #5:

The Gentleman's Lady

Always My Love

By; S.H. Pratt

Prize Pack #6:

Swag pack provided by Ariel Burnz

Includes:

Pens, Earrings, Trading Cards and Post Card

Prize Pack #7:

Shimmer

Breathe

Crushing

By: Elena Dillon

Prize Pack #8:

Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace

By: Becky Monson

Prize Pack #9:

Gone For You

A Sixth Street Band Romance

By: Jayne Frost

Prize Pack #10:

Call Me Crazy 

By: Quinn Loftis

Prize Pack #11:

Lovin' Danger

A Mata Hari Series Book 4

By: Jo-anne Carson

Prize Pack #12:

The Trouble With Dying

By: Maggie Le Page

Prize Pack #13:

Shafted

By: Kymber Morgan

Prize Pack #14:

A Fine Line: The Ancients

By: J.C. Brennan

Prize Pack #15:

Rose

Suitors of Seattle 

Book 1

By: Kristen Osbourne

Prize Pack #16:

Beneath Montana's Sky

A Montana Sky Novella

By: Debra Holland

Prize Pack #17:

E-Copy of Anything Goes 

Volume 2

A Multi-Genre Anthology

Prize Pack #18:

Between the Fog and Shadows*

By: H.G. Rexon

*Print copy to any U.S. resident

E-copy for International resident

Prize Pack #19:

 A bag from the InD'Scribe Convention 2015 signed by the authors in attendance.(as well as some who weren't!) Along with an InD'tale T-shirt (size large) and a whole LOT of swag from the convention as well that was also donated by the numerous authors                                                                          at the event.

Also I want to say thank you to all the amazing authors from the InD'Scribe Conference who donated items to the giveaway! Especially since the books and swag I received at the convention were donated without me even asking. Yes, I asked them to sign the bag. But before I knew it the bag was overflowing with items put in it by the kind authors at the event. Also the wonderful coordinators of the event were willing kind enough to donate the bag as well as the shirt. 

Honestly the generosity of the authors and coordinators of the event blew me away. Please check out my thank you post here that I put up when I got home from the convention. Feel free to say thank you to them as well! 

Reader's For Rett's Awareness Event ~ 2015

Tomorrow is the Readers for Rett's Awareness Event 2015.  As before this years event is centered on bringing together authors, readers and Rett's families to help raise awareness for Rett's Syndrome. 

This year the event is being dedicated to the girl who inspired the event in the first place, Gabby Jankowski. We will be sharing memories of her, as well as stories of the other Rett's children who suffer from this horrible condition.

As with last year we will also have some amazing giveaways for the attendees of the event. I will be sharing the prizes available here since it's just a bit easier to share them all at once and I will put a link to that post here as soon as it goes live. 

For those of you who dont' know anything about Rett's Syndrome here are some quick facts.

What is Rett Syndrome?

—Debilitating neurological (movement) disorder that predominantly affects females.

—Baby girls are born "normal" but begin to lose acquired skills between the ages of 1-3 years old.

—Caused by a single gene mutation that leads to underproduction of an important brain protein.

—The leading genetic cause of severe impairment in girls - most cannot speak, walk or use their hands.

—Despite their physical disabilities, girls with Rett Syndrome are believed to be functioning mentally at a much higher level than previously thought.

—As prevalent as Cystic Fibrosis, ALS and Huntington's.

—Another little girl is born with Rett Syndrome every 90 minutes.

—Rett Syndrome is a potentially REVERSIBLE disorder. Research has proven once protein levels are back to normal levels, symptoms subside.

A special thank you to the Rett families joining us and sharing your stories. You children truly are warriors.

And a final thank you to graphic designer Zackary from Raven Tree Design for donating his time and creating the graphics for the event.

My Adventures in Weight Lost @ Weight Watchers Week 73

Up .4 again. :(

10/24/14

10/24/14

Weight: 185.8 lbs.