I have a new job, everyone, and I start Wednesday! As of Wednesday, I’ll be working at the Saint Louis Equestrian Center. I’m a little nervous, because it’s full time (which I haven’t done in a long time) and I am also really out of shape. These first 2 weeks are going to be killer, but well worth it! Wish me luck! 
I was weighing our puppy this morning, and guess what?? I have no lost 18lbs!!! That’s another 4lbs this past week! This is absolutely incredible…When I’m hungry, I have popcorn or fruit (and water), and I am rarely hungry after meals. I even have ice cream or a candy bar every couple of days or so. This is definitely something that I can stick to for the rest of my life…I’m losing a LOT faster than I ever imagined. This morning, I was wondering when I’ll stop losing weight?? Will it be before I reach my goal, when I reach my goal, or after? According to AAA Resources For Information And Entertainment, I should be striving to lose 17-30 more pounds than what I am planning. After I reach my goal, I don’t plan on stopping my new eating habits — I don’t want to regain that weight!! I can’t believe that I’m already over halfway there, though, after just 5 weeks when I was planning on 8 months! Each week is exciting for me, now!
Last weekend was exciting for us! Saturday we went to Home Depot and bought topsoil and mulch (and some special soil for a tree), rented a truck, took it over to the nursery and bought a white flowering dogwood. We got the dogwood planted, much of the topsoil worked into the flowerbeds and we reseeded and fertilized the back yard before it got dark on us. Saturday night it rained a little, which was great for our new grass seed. Sunday we got up and finished working in the topsoil and then mulched the flower beds. We got done right before it rained Sunday morning, and we were only 2 bags short on mulch. The rain we got yesterday was perfect — light, steady, and no wind. It was just enough to moisten the backyard and help the seeds get a good contact with the soil. We decided to wait a few weeks before we plant any bushes or flowers so the beds have some time to settle. It won’t be long and our house will look like a home! We should have pictures up tonight or tomorrow.
It has been about one month since I started my new diet, and I am proud to say that I am T-14 pounds and counting! I am over 1/3 of the way to my goal, and only 1/8 of the way through my timeframe! However, I predict that it will take me a full 18 weeks (4.5 months-ish) to get the rest of the weight off. I seem to be dropping about a pound a week now, which was my original intent. While I can’t really tell a difference when I look at myself in the mirror, I had someone ask me Wednesday if I’d been losing weight, and then this morning Justin hugged me and said (out of the blue), “I think you are losing weight!” Mr. Non-observance noticed! Well, wish me luck on the next 2/3 of my goal!