Big News for ME!

I have never been one who has worked out consistently. Ever. This has been a lifelong struggle for me. Well for the past few months I have really spent a LOT of time at the gym, and I am feeling pretty fit. I am not the fittest girl around, but I can run a little bit, I can do the elliptical, I am lifting more and more and getting stronger.

So I noticed when I was leaving the gym last night, that there is a big sign outside that there is a 5K coming up. I have NEVER done anything like this before, but I REALLY want to try! So I got on the treadmill today and ran/walked 2 miles. YAY! The 5K is in October and I am planning on being in the best shape EVER for it!!

I also talked my friend Jennie into running it with me. Wish me luck!!

Aiden Michael Toups

Mr. Aiden is a month old and this is the first time i have had a chance to take some pictures of him! I can't believe all of this time has gone by and I hadn't gotten pictures until yesterday!

Anyway, he is an angel. At 2 weeks he had gone from 8 lbs 6 oz to 10 lbs 4 oz. . . he's a chunky little boy and his Mama is feeding him some good milk. I love this boy!



Man, the flash woke me up! :(


nothing so sweet. . . .


Ava loves the baby


smiles!


I'm a BIG boy. Look at my chunky thighs! :0


sweet big sister!

The Girls on the Bus!

So I have been wanting to get pictures of Sara and Julie on the bus for a while now - yesterday was the first chance I got! :) Some pictures to share with you!

Ava waiting for the bus to arrive


Here they come!


Sara getting off first. They are the last ones off the bus.


Both girlies.

Ava greeting Sara

So Excited!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have struggled for years with my skin. I tend to be incredibly acne-prone, even more when I am pregnant or nursing (which I have been a LOT in the last 8 1/2 years!). Now that I have 18 months of non-nursing, I was hoping for much clearer skin, but that wasn't exactly happening for me.

I have been trying for about a year to get an appointment with a dermatologist, but was unsuccessful. It seems that every doctor in the Jackson metro area is booked up, or is not accepting new patients.

A few months ago a friend of mine went to a place called Faces. I didn't realize that Faces existed, or that they had dermatologists on staff who would help me get on a plan for clearing up my face. But they DO! I went there yesterday for my 1 hour facial consultation which ended up taking 2 hours because of the extractions she wanted to do on my face.

Apparently acne has 4 grades, 1 being minor and 4 being horrible acne. I am between a 3 and a 4. They recommend oral antibiotics and Retin-A. I started today.

I am SO excited, and praying for clear skin. It has been almost 9 years since I have seen a day where my skin was clear. Can you believe that? 9 years. And when we were discussing my skin care problems I CRIED. It's such an emotional thing for me, and so hard on my self-esteem. I hate that the face I present to the world looks like this. I hate that I have to wear so much makeup to try to cover up the fact that my face looks like a pepperoni pizza, and even then my skin looks lumpy and bumpy. I hate that I tend to pick at my skin and then it will start bleeding profusely, typically at a very inconvenient or embarrassing time.

I am ready to have good skin. And I think I will have to hide myself away for the next 1-2 weeks while I wait for the bad effects of the Retin-A to go away . . . . ;)

Back To School Night

Tonight the big girls are going to Oakdale to meet their teachers for this year. They are excited (and nervous). Sara's going to 2nd grade and will have Mrs Jones. Juliana has Mrs. Julie Byrd - and that's what she calls her!! LOL!

One sad thing - Juli's friend Madi won't be in her class this year. :( Madi has Mrs Campbell. So sad that those sweet girls won't have each other to lean on during the stressful time of meeting new teachers and a bunch of new kids. . .

So tonight is back to school night and tomorrow is the big day - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!! And horrors! My camera is messed up. I need to format my memory card, and I have to go to Deville camera to get the pictures that are on my memory card OFF. . . So until then, no new pictures! BOOOO!!!

More Pictures from our Virginia Trip

sleepy cheetah @ the National Zoo

panda

feeding the elephant

I thought the streetlights of DC were really pretty

My Sara.

Sara again. . . talking.

Jimmy and the girls at the White House

me n Julie at the White House

Sara's dirty feet from walking all over DC!

Sara and I at the National Treasury

I have more pictures too, but am expecting company and should really think about brushing my teeth! :) So this is it for now!

Goodbye to Good Friends. . . .

Some of my best Mississippi friends are moving this week and it makes me very sad!

Thursday my friend Tammy (and her hubby Corey and three kidlets) all moved to Tyler, Texas. Tammy was one of the first people I met when I moved here - she was my neighbor across the street and her kids had a lemonade stand. . . my girlies (I only had 2 at the time) and I were some of thier customers. We became friends and soon I was her babysitter and she was my own personal interior decorator - she painted my bathroom and helped me re-do my kitchen. We went out together for her birthday right after I had had my baby and just hung out many times. Her daughter Emy and my Julie are 10 days apart in age and REALLY good friends. I know that she is really excited about this move and that it is a great thing for her family but I can't help but mourn this friend leaving.

And then there is Pam and her family. We became friends when I was pregnant with my now 3 year old. When the pregnancy was not going as planned, she watched my older 2 kids so that I could go to the doctor twice a week. She came to the hospital IMMEDIATELY after I had the baby to visit. Pam is one of those people that I spent a lot of time with and that I truly love. Her family is moving to New Orleans tomorrow - her husband is going to seminary there. I will miss them more than they will ever know.

So today is a sad day. 2 of my closest Mississippi friends are moving out of state and I will miss them terribly.