YAPPY BIRTHDAY

Yappy 1st Birthday to our sweet little furry baby!

Lucky for us, Zoe's actual birth date had been written down in her vaccination records. Of course we'll always remember the day Cardy brought her home but it's fun for us to know her real birthday. 

This morning started out like any other morning. A morning walk (in the new snow), back to bed for some snuggle time with Cardy, and then breakfast. Cardy decided because it was Zoe's special day he was going to make her a "special birthday breakfast" with all of Zoe's favorite foods. Ready for this? Roast beef, string cheese, red bell peppers, carrots, honey greek yogurt, oatmeal and chicken broth on top of her regular dog food (luckily she didn't get sick). This afternoon Zoe played with her friends Lola, Max and Bauer.

When I got home from work it was present time. Zoe got some new chew toys, Beanie Babies for Dogs (her fave and mine). Zoe was also treated to a rawhide cupcake for dessert. I was so excited when I found this. The entire cupcake is made from rawhide including the lacing and the candle. She devoured it, of course. Zoe's a spoiled little thing and she was definitely pampered for her 1st birthday but she's our baby and we love her that much.

Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Miss Zoe

We're pretty much obsessed with this little one. She has stolen our hearts.

Poor thing had to have surgery a couple weeks ago. We had her spayed at the Salt Lake Spay & Neuter clinic - which I HIGHLY recommend. They were so nice when I called with my list of questions (thanks to all of Cardy's research) and they were especially nice to Zoe on the day of her appointment. I'm not sure who was more nervous for this surgery, Cardy or Zoe.

(Zoe waiting to be taken back. Poor thing has no idea what she's in for.)

(Zoe a few days after surgery. If you look closely at her belly, you will see her incision.)

We had to keep Zoe on lock down for a little over a week so she could fully recover & she was going stir crazy. Zoe is used playing with friends and going on longs walks daily. Our fish bowl of a house turned to Fort Knox with the shades drawn, paper taped up in the exposed windows and a cover over our doorbell. Without this, Zoe was sure to see her friends outside playing without her.

Thank goodness Zoe has made a full recovery and she is back to her old self.

Jenn vs. The Scale

Here I am, once again, weight loss attempt #who knows? I feel like my struggles with my weight are starting to define me. At this point in my life I should be a weight loss coach - I know so many tips and tricks, recipe modifications, healthy fats vs. unhealthy fats, carbs vs. proteins, and workout regimens. Hell, I could be a fitness guru. Yet...here I am, still struggling. I hate it. I would love to blame my genetics for my body composition and while I know they play a part I also know I have to take responsibility for my intake and output (there was only one in a million chances I was going to end up thin with my DNA makeup - that one  thin gene went to my brother, damn him!). Unfortunately for me I was blessed with the metabolism that requires me to accountable 99.9% of the time. Bleh.

I realize I'm not morbidly obese and 25 pounds does not qualify me for The Biggest Loser but it's still enough weight to make me feel like a failure. Constantly self conscious. Constantly comparing myself to others. Wishing I could wear a bikini or a perfect pair of designer jeans. Just once I would love to forget about belly fat, back fat, love handles and sucking in. About the only things I love to try on in a department store are shoes and bags. Oh yeah- and jewelry.

So once again, my friends, I've rejoined Weight Watchers. I've been a member at a few different points in my life but most successfully before my wedding. I was extremely motivated at that time in my life and I was determined to lose the weight. I didn't want to look back on any wedding photos and feel any disappointment in myself. On my wedding day, I was the thinnest I had been since high school.

Slowly but surely over the last few years the weight has crept back on. Not entirely but enough to where I just feel disappointed, frumpy and frustrated. I only have myself to blame. I have lots of excuses and a crazy life but ultimately I control my weight. I know this...I've always known this. So why does it have to be so hard?

I'm hoping this time will be different. I'm hoping the lifestyle modifications will stick with me for good. I know I will always have to count calories, watch my portion sizes and exercise regularly and I want these things to come naturally, like breathing, just something I do without having to constantly think about it. So this time, I may not have the motivation of fitting into a wedding dress, but I have the motivation to want a better, healthier, and thinner life for myself. I'm putting my right foot forward, tracking my WW points and attending my weekly meetings. Accountable. Excited. Motivated. So if you see me out and about, feel free to ask me, "how many points is that?"

We ♥ Football

Okay, okay. So I get it...most girls don't love football. And most girls loathe the thought of losing their husbands (or boyfriends) from August to February, spending weekend after weekend watching countless games. College games, NFL games, Monday Night Football - it all seems never ending.  But I say, "if you can't beat 'em, JOIN 'EM!"

My husband is a crazy mad man when it comes to football. He's practically Rain Man when it comes to football statistics. Our friends and family won't even call the house when they know the Bronco's game is on (apparently it's bad luck). Back in the day, I used to take Sunday afternoons as an opportunity to catch up on my sleep. Cardy would be glued to the TV and I'd be zonked out next to him on the couch. He'd always beg me to stay awake to watch the Broncos and just to appease him, because I love him, I would do my best. Slowly and surly I started to familiarize myself with the players and specifics about our team and after a while I got quite good. Cardy knows a heck of a lot about the game (Rain Man, remember) and he was always willing to stop and explain the details.

I began to really like our Sunday afternoon rituals. So much so, I joined a Fantasy Football league. It was an all girls team and it really helped me understand more about the NFL. I had to know key positions and players, scoring, schedules, etc. After playing in this league, I not only had a better understanding of football, I was actually starting to love football. I can carry on actual, intelligent conversations with my male peers and my husband is thrilled with my new hobby.

Fantasy football is pretty much a national phenomenon and is the current obsession in my household. I play in a league with all boys. Cardy is our league commissioner and we hold live drafts before the season begins. Did I mention this is an obsession? It's pretty dorky but it's something we enjoy doing together.

Here's a picture of everyone in our league (minus Shane who lives in Texas).

This was Zoe's first draft. She's a football freak too.

My beautiful draft board. I create this board every year so we can know our order, who's been picked, what the trends are (it's color coded, of course).

This year, I picked #1. We draw numbers out of hat just to be fair. The #1 pick is the most anticipated pick in the draft. I chose Chris Johnson, a running back for the Tennessee Titans. CJ2K as we call him.

Here's our family pic (too bad it's a bit blurry). As you can see, we're true to our team. Zoe didn't have a choice, she's a Bronco's fan by default.