WW + Y = WL

So I started Weight Watchers this week! I'm on day two (please, hold your applause). Last year I lost 45 lbs doing WW and exercising at the Y, but I gained 42 of it back. It is time to get back on the horse! Maybe if I get brave enough (or drunk enough) I will post some pics of my progress.

A Great Day in St. Pete.

On April 6, 2013 Matt and I went down to St. Pete to check out the law school I will be attending. We spent the day touring the campus (which is seriously beautiful) and meeting some of the other students I will be attending school with. I made a few friends, and got a good feel for the campus and staff. After the Open House at Stetson, we went to visit my cousin Jessica and her boyfriend Stephan at the Children's Place at Bay Front Hospital while we were in St. Pete. She had just given birth to my newest nephew, Christian Alexander Powell! I love it when good scheduling works out. Jess was very lucky and had a relatively quick and painless delivery. Christian is such a handsome little man, he has me wrapped around his little finger already. Apparently he slept while everyone else visited him, but not me. He was wide awake for Aunt Erica snuggle time. Just how I like it. Congratulations Jessica and Stephan! He is adorable!! Welcome to the world Christian Alexander Powell! We love you!!

It is nice to meet you!

Aunt Erica loves you Christian!!

I want to hold your hand!

Aunt Erica and Uncle Matt

Stephan (Daddy), Jess (Mommy), and baby Christian!

Look at that face!

the lion and his cub

Easter Eggs!

 I was pretty bummed to not spend Easter with the Munz family this year, but I was lucky to spend part of the holiday with one of my best friends Elizabeth and her family. I love spending time with Liz. She is one of my best friends from high school, we lived together during college, and I got to preside over the wedding ceremony of her to her husband Will (who also graduated high school with us, and we share the same exact birthdate). They currently live in North Carolina, but they try to come down often and I never miss an opportunity to come hang out with them when they are down. On this visit we painted easter eggs with her daughter Ryleigh, and I brought Toby to their property so he could run around a bit with Liz's other dogs. She has a lab, and two lab mixes. I felt like the worst dog mom ever though, because when we arrived Toby peed right into the dog water bowl! Such bad manners! Here are some pics from our adventure. It was really fun because our other friend Kristen got to hang out with us too! The dogs ended up swimming in one of the ponds on their property (I freaked out a bit because I had to get Toby back into the truck,) so we hosed them off at the end. I always miss Lizzy and her fam when she leaves, but I know it won't be too long before we get to hang out again.

Getting the dye ready (in our Ariel costume none the less)

Into the dye the eggs go!

Plop! Ryleigh liked dropping them into the cups!

That'l put hair on your chest Ry. Don't worry, it was water (not vinegar)

Ryleigh doesn't like help, she is a big girl and wants to do things herself (sounds like someone else I know)

Watch out Ry! There is a larger than normal leprechaun behind you! Oh wait, thats just your Dad. 

Kristen concentrating on decorating her egg.

mmmm, thats good vinegar!         

Our eggs! The pink dye didn't work.

Too cool for preschool

On the golf cart. BTW i think everyone should own a golf cart. The world might be a happier place. 

The wolf pack!

but mom, I don't want to be clean!

Moving Forward

This year is turning into a pretty exciting year for me and Matt. Matt graduates from the University of South Florida in 19 days with his Bachelors in Civil Engineering. He has been offered a position at the engineering company he has been interning with and should start his new job at the end of May. I was accepted into law school and will start classes this fall, and we plan on moving to the 727 for a little while while I am in school. We have a long laundry list of things to do before I start school in August, but thankfully this includes a lot of time with family and friends. It will be sad to move away from Dade City for a little while, especially since a lot of our friends have recently moved back, but it I am looking forward to a fresh start for us. Last year was a bit rough on us (me especially) and I need a change of pace. Bring on law school because I am ready (or at least as ready as I am going to be).

We have also added some new members to our family this year.  In January we adopted a 3 year old golden retriever named Toby, and a cat named Little Kitty (I can't decide on a name for her, so its just Little Kitty for now.) We already have a 14 year old black lab named Chili, and a 7 year old cat named Socks (a.k.a. Fuzz). Needless to say this was not Matt's idea. He says he feels like "Doctor F____ Doolittle." But don't let him fool you, he really loves the new cat, and he enjoys Toby (more so when he listened).

the cone of shame!

on our way to Bam Bams to run around!

Chili and Toby on the way to Bam Bams!

Little Kitty and Chili

Socks Strikes Back

Socks under our covers (she is NOT amused)

Chili is not big on sharing

Little Kitty jacked Toby's bed!

The cats are NOT getting along at the moment. Fuzz has turned into the Gollum, living only under our bed or under the house, surfacing only for food (my precious). She will only approach Matt at the moment because she HATES me right now for bringing in the other cat, which totally breaks my heart. I bottle fed her when she was two weeks old and now she wants nothing to do with me. I imagine this is like loving a teenager. Oh well. Hopefully this is just a phase and she will get used to the new cat. Little Kitty (LK) is quite the snuggler, but she still has her claws (unlike Fuzz), and has yet to back down from any other animal in the house. She is small but she packs quite the punch. Toby is a lovable dog who has the most out of control skin issues I have ever seen on a golden (and i have seen some skin issues like woah). We switched his dog food, and have used a sulfur shampoo on him that seems to be working, but he was living in a cone for about a month until we could figure it out.  Needless to say, we need to rent a house when we move so we can bring our zoo along with us. I wouldn't have it any other way though, I love my fur babies!

Lexi's Pageant

I am late posting this but oh well, better late than never. One of my favorite people in the whole wide world is Ms. Alexia Kennedy Fredrickson. She is the daughter of one of my best friends Ashlee and she is just amazing. She is smart, kind, funny, athletic, and beautiful. I am grateful to have been able to watch her grow into a wonderful young woman and (ack!) pre-teen. When Lexi was first born her parents put her into a pageant, and she won, but they decided that pageants were a pastime that could become pretty expensive so they didn't want to pursue them until Lexi really wanted to. This year Lexi decided she wanted to try them out again. In February of this year Lexi was a part of the Little Miss Heart of Florida Pageant for the Pasco County Fair, and while she didn't win, she was the most beautiful girl out there, both inside and out. When she didn't place, she didn't cry, she didn't pout, she just said that she will have to work harder next time. That a girl! I am so proud of her and I can't wait to see the kind of woman she will become. If we can only get her through those teen years without her parents trying to kill her and vice versa, I think we may be alright. Love you Lexi!

Lexi

Ashlee, Lexi, and Matt

Ashlee and Lexi

Lexi and her Aunts Erica and Lizzy!

Me, Ashlee, and Lizzie enjoying the Pasco County Fair after the pageant.