72 and going strong!

I'm so glad to still have my mum around!

This past weekend she celebrated 72 years on this earth and me and my sisters all went over Friday night for some cake and WHITE ELEPHANT fun.  My mom's closest sister came down from Houston as well as her beau, Erwin.  Only my sister Mary was unable to show up until Saturday, and so we all decided to continue having a celebration on that day as well!

That's my nephew up there going in for the kill! lol

Here are what I like to call....

The three amigos! LOL....that is my dad way in the back goofying around.

There was also dancing.....

Sheaina and my niece, with my auntie from Houston, doing the "booty".

My dear old ma, still has her tree up!

And my prankster nephew was the entertainment of the night!

All in all, I think it was a memorable birthday for all of us. hehe

thyroid issues & 'resolutions'

With every happy new year comes new reflections, reaffirmations and resolutions.  What would make this year any different?

I spent the entire morning today at my doctor's office.  I'm not sure how many of you (you that kinda know me through this blog) know that I suffer from hypothyroidism.  I was first diagnosed in '98--back then I was oblivious to it being a 'disease' and so did not take it seriously.  But, back in that day, my goal wasn't to lose weight at that time--it was to become pregnant----I had longed for a third child and since my periods were outta whack and my efforts at getting pregnant were dormant (5 years of trying), my gyno at the time did a blood check for underactive thyroid and voila! I had some answers for my nagging questions. 

I was only 27, I just learned that I needed to be on meds and that soon thereafter, when my periods regulated, I may have a chance of getting pregnant again.  And I did.

Anyway, back to topic, I was on synthroid, a low dosage at the time, and lo and behold, about 8 months later, I got pregnant!  Sheaina was a miracle to me. :)

After Shea's birth, I think I kept up the synthroid for a few more months and then the world of financial reality hit with a newborn and I put my health on the backburner and stopped taking the meds.

It wasn't until 2005 (after a brief scare that landed me in the hospital for a week), that I was put back on the synthroid and I have learned I cannot be without this med--it is a lifelong supplement for me.

Point is, in all these 10 years, my weight has flunctuated from 195-210lbs!  I have NOT been able to go much below that just by diet alone.

The past 2 1/2 months though, I made a *resolution* (this was done prior to the new year you know), to get into shape and see where that takes me, weightwise.  I started eating more fiber--lots of whole grains and got myself a treadmill.

When I first started on the treadmill, it was a bitch just to walk 1 mile and not keep thinking "how much longer is this going to take?"  But now, after getting on the treadmill regularly (I do 1.4 miles at a 3.0 pace and even began jogging at a 4.5 pace for 3-4 mins), my mind doesn't think 'time' but "how much more can I do"? And I am happy to say 30 mins is a breeze for me now.

Btw, the new Ipod I got for Xmas only enhances my workouts.

Anyway, back to the point---after these 2.5 months of walking/jogging regularly, of eating more good foods, when I went to the docs eager to see some kind of result on the scale, I was HIGHLY disappointed.  Not only did I NOT lose any weight since the last time I was there...I actually gained 2 pounds!!!!

I became so depressed and my doctor noticed.  I told him the whole story of how I'm trying--really trying and losing weight seems like a no-win situation for me.  :(

He told me to 'hang in there' and not to get discouraged, but all I wanted to do was cry.  How am I supposed to keep my head up and 'hang in there' when all the signs are pointing to nowhereland?

Anyway, after my little self-pity party I wallowed in after I got home, I decided to do some reading at the local Barnes & Noble.  From what I read, some of the things I'm doing (eating a light breakfast and eating too much carbs at dinner time, or using sugar substitutes that contain aspartame) all can negatively contribute to my vicious thyroid disorder.

This newfound discovery (and trust me, I have tons more to read), has given me new light on the things I have to do, the things I shouldn't as well as reprioritize the why in all of this anyway.  Why do I want to lose weight? Why is it so important to me? Why do I have to work twice as hard and why wouldn't I...shouldn't I?

So this new year, once again is a clean slate for reflections, reaffirmations and resolutions.  I have a whole year to work on this gladular battle, of staying motivated, and finishing what I've started.  It is a clean slate of which I've wiped away the past, leaving it clean for something new...and the first thing I'm going to write down is this......"Keep your head up high, make each day count...and yes, Just Hang in There!"

Massive update *beware!*

*takes deep breath*

Ok, so just what have me and my clan been up to the past 2 years?

So as not to take up plenty of your reading time, I will try to summarize.

Last time I blogged I had just mentioned I graduated college. Yep. I did.  Then I entered myself into an alternative education program for obtaining a teaching certificate---which I did and passed with flying colors tyvm! ;)
 The program ended in August and lo and behold I got hired in that same month, just hours before taking off to BIG BEND National Park that year.  Literally, I mean HOURS.  They wanted me to go sign papers that next day and I kindly asked them to give me a few days since my foot was practically out the door at that moment.  They agreed, we had a short but exhuberating trip and I chained myself to the working class on August 8th, 2005.

I teach 9th/10th grade Art class.

Yay me!

That first year was a doozee...just a month after school began, my Sheaina collapsed at school from hypoglycemia (it was a HELL of a call to get at work), my mom had a masectomy, I had a nervous breakdown, we were near foreclosure, and my father in law had a heartattack.

But things got better. :)

Sheaina recouped, she had a few more episodes which ended her in the hospital, but otherwise, since 2006, she's relatively been hospital-free!! :)

My mom is a survivor of breast cancer and I am so proud of her for being so strong during that time.

My father in law and my mother in law both got themselves back on the exercise/low fat regimen and both of them are doing great! my father in law seems much happier these days because of that too.

I got over the foreclosure scare.  We worked things out with our mortgage company( we had just fallen behind due to medical bills and such) but we are now in the process of selling our home. 

This link is to the virtual tour if you care to take a peek!

We need to move closer to our jobs because the gas prices lately are REDICULOUS!!!

Other than that, the clan is doing well, my kids are growing--my son is 16, my middle one turns 15 on the 31st, and Sheaina is now a *mature* 8 year old. *rolls eyes*

She's all about HANNAH MONTANA, ya know! ;)

That's really it.  Doesn't sound like too much, eh? But all in all, it's what has kept me from being online much these days--unless of course, it's to bid on ebay. lol

I'll try to go around and visit.

P.S. I uploaded a few pics in the photoblog.

:)

testing.....

not sure if i should update.......it's been like 2 years! oh well.......

well that didn't last long!...

Hi all! Just a little update on the Cyn-clan and meanderings.

I'm back in class! ---that is...I'm in a program to get my texas teaching certificate in less than a year. What it is is a quick intense program for degreed people who want to find work as a teacher--and need the certification--and this program helps you with necessary trainings as well as support you by vouching your eligibility even though we haven't received our certification yet--(it's a probationary certification pending passing state required tests)...

So I just had a very long weekend at the central office participating in trainings.

I already applied to the closest school district (which happens to have an art opening at this time!---very hard to come by i tell you) and am now anxiously playing the waiting game.

Other than that, the kids have been keeping me occupied with duties around the house as well as summer activities (like my son in summer track and baseball).

You would think with all this running around (especially in this HELLUVA HEAT) that I'd lose a few pounds! lol

Hub is also going back to work tomorrow with summer school. It is only 4 weeks long but it'll bring in some extra cash that we desperately need until I secure a job.

Tam, l'il rudy told me last night that you had called me --- I'll be returning that call tomorrow morn, so if I don't catch you, be sure to check the voice mail.

Well, that's basically what's been up since I last posted. I'm sure this summer is going to zzzzzzzzzzzip by me like it was Danica Patrick. lol

I'll try to read up on some of you!