Mr. and Mrs. Largin......Shotgun Style :)

Here is my lovely fairy tale...



Once upon a time there lived a lovely couple, Patrick and Alison. They had been engaged for just over 5 months and wedding plans were a topic of frequent discussion. Several ideas were considered, but alas, to their frustration, none were panning out.

A couple days before their planned trip to Phoenix for Christmas, the two lovebirds decided to wed during the trip. First they thought of Mesquite, NV. Alison called the casinos there to see what wedding options there were... The wedding planner at one chain of casinos would be out of town until after the first of the year. The wedding planner at another was helpful, but they didn't have the low-scale options that the couple were looking for. She gave Alison a phone number to call a guy who could marry them at his home. This wasn't an ideal option either. Next, Patrick called places in Laughlin, NV and found similar disappointing results.

That evening after work, Alison was at a coworker's birthday celebration. Several people had heard that the couple was planning to wed the next day, and Alison shared the disappointments in trying to plan a small ceremony. Just then, Carl, another coworker, piped in that he was an ordained minister and would love to perform the ceremony for them! Alison called Patrick and they immediately started planning.

The next evening, Saturday, December 22nd, Patrick and Alison and a small group of close friends went to the Thaifoon restaurant in Salt Lake City and were married by Carl. It was a beautiful and simple ceremony, and a first for the restaurant! :) Here are some pictures of the ceremony:


Alison and Patrick waiting for the elevator at The Gateway.


Patrick, Carl, and Alison at the very beginning of the ceremony.



Just married!!! Our first kiss as husband and wife. :)


Just before our celebratory toast. :) What a cute couple!


Our wedding cake. Shay and Tia got them for us...with such short notice they had to split "Congratulations Alison + Patrick" onto two cakes. :)


We couldn't be happier to finally be married! We're excited about going into 2008 united in marriage and living a life full of blessings and love. Thanks to everyone, especially Carl, who helped us pull this together. We are blessed with so many wonderful people in our lives.

The End

***UPDATE 1/9/08***
I didn't realize that "Shotgun Wedding" implies that the bride is pregnant. :) No, I am not pregnant. It was a quick elope-style wedding rather than a Shotgun wedding. Hopefully babies are in the near future, though!!!

It's Official!!!

Patrick and I are MARRIED!!! I'll post more pictures and the story later...just wanted to get this cute picture on here. :)

I just need to vent

I absolutely hate drama. I try to live a drama-free life, which sometimes creates drama. For example, there tends to be a lot of drama tied to my family. So my solution is to avoid the drama by avoiding the people. They get pissed.....and....more drama. And to be fair, drama is typically connected to having a vagina. Or occasionally to being gay. I can say that because I have a brother who is gay and a best friend who is gay, so no one get offended. Tonight at work there was way too much drama. It wears me out. So, sparing all the stupid details, my solution is to be polite to everyone, but selective about who I trust and who I call a friend. Because people like drama...especially when it is at others' expense.

The end. Ugh.

Seriously

Why do relationships have to be so difficult? I know "The Secret" would say that I am bringing this on myself by focusing my energy on the difficult side of relationships. I partly agree. And the other side of me thinks that even if I focused on how "perfectly" everything is going, I'd still be dealing with the same old aggravating shit. I really have no idea if I will be married this year. At this point, I almost don't care. I'm back at the stage of "waiting a little longer to make sure it's absolutely what we want to do." I know I'm a pain in the ass, and so is every man out there... it's all about patience, love, and compromise. Ugh...rock and hard spot. With a soft squishy warm cuddly heart in there too...I wouldn't be here if that wasn't part of the equation. Duh.

P.S.

The reason we're waiting for snow is that it'll be much prettier than the dead fall setting. :)

Let it Snow!!!

AAAAgggghhhhhh!!!! It's snowing!!!!!! :) Patrick and I were waiting for the snow to get married! :) I'm so excited. We're going to go shopping for a vintage dress and we're getting our marriage license tomorrow. :) (All smileys here...) :) I am so freaking excited to be married to Patrick!!!!!!

Marzipan

I love marzipan, especially in dark chocolate.


mmmmmmmm

I love Cummings chocolate!!!

Almost December...

I can't help but wonder where the time has gone?!?! There are 35 days or so until Christmas. Supposedly I am to get married sometime in the next 35 days. Meanwhile, I'm working full time, preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and trying to figure out what needs to heal internally for me to be able to ditch the fear of being married again. I know no relationship is perfect (a concept some people would argue), and I'm willing to deal with that. I just don't want to be a mother instead of a spouse, a housekeeper instead of a partner, or an ever-emptying vessel not receiving the resources it needs. And the heaviest question of all is...will these concerns be resolved before I get married? Or am I willing to commit and see how they iron out after the nuptials?? Relationships change after the "I do's" are spoken. At that point it is sooo easy to take anything for granted. It's a done deal, after all. I've been there and done that, and going through a divorce is a miserable process. It set me back in so many areas of my life. I wasn't prepared for it, strong enough to make it through it, and I barely believe that I am better for it. So where do I go from here?

I love him. Would I really be willing to do anything for him? Is he really willing to do anything for me? Could we put ourselves aside and be unified in each other? The answer is meaningless in words. Only action...consistent heartfelt action...could convince me.

My sick sense of humor

I love this picture. I've seen it online before and it cracks me up every time.

ISFP

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISFP)

Your personality type is caring, peaceful, artistic, and calm. Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 8% of all women and 6% of all men You are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

The Bumblebee

I found this on Mary Kay's New Zealand website. It reminded me of why I started Mary Kay and why I will always be a part of Mary Kay... Although the principles of aerodynamics suggest the bumblebee cannot fly - its wings are too weak and its body too heavy - the bumblebee, not knowing this, flies anyway.

The bumblebee is a reminder that you can do anything you set your mind to. If someone suggests that something can't be done, the bumblebee is your inspiration to do it anyway.

Believe in yourself. Whatever you can conceive, you can achieve.

Conference

I was able to watch the LDS conference both sessions on Saturday and part of Sunday afternoon. I'm really glad I made it a priority to watch it. A few things I observed and heard made an impression on me.

The most tender and heart-warming thing I experienced was watching Elder Wirthlin giving his talk, and towards the middle, his age set in and he started shaking noticeably. Elder Nelson came up behind him and helped steady him as he finished his carefully prepared talk. It brought me to tears to see how age has taken its toll on Elder Wirthlin's body, but not his spirit or love of the gospel. And to see the fellowship from Elder Nelson was a firm testament of what the gospel and the love of Christ is all about.

Of all the talks I heard, that is the one that made the biggest impression.

My Embroidered Kitchen Towel :)

Here's a picture of the towel I recently finished embroidering. I am quite pleased. I got the pattern in a packet of iron-on patterns at Wal-Mart. I'm a lover of plants and herbs, so this collection called out to me! It took me a few weeks to finish, because I'd work on it late at night after work while Patrick and I watched Futurama and Family Guy. :) When I finished, I wanted to embellish it a little bit, so I added the stars and hearts to the top part of the pot. They didn't turn out as well as I would like...I need a lot of work when it comes to free-hand embroidery. Give me a pattern and I'm fine! ;) My little signature turned out ok, though the "o" in my name looks like an "e." All-in-all, this is the first thing I've embroidered in a long, long time, so I'm pretty happy with my work.

What a Stitch!!

I finished my first embroidered kitchen towel! I still need to take a picture of it. Patrick got home last night and I told him to go look on the oven door handle. He came back into the living room and said it looked great! (Awww)

It's a pattern of the herb thyme in a pot. For the first embroidery I've done in a long time, I'm pretty proud of myself. I've got to practice some cool new stitches before I start the next one.

I bought a set of patterns that I'd like to do for my mom for Christmas. It's going to take some time, so I'm becoming an addict for now. Patrick works on his engine and rebuilding carburetors in the living room, and I work on my embroidery. :) It's a good system.

Pictures coming soon!!

The bells aren't quite ringing

Okay, the latest update is that we are not getting married on the 8th of September. A date is not set, but we're still engaged, and still excited about getting married...Just taking a little more time to be as prepared as possible. :)

20minutenap.com

I found a great site on Stumble for taking a 20 Minute Nap.

I'm not a huge nap person...I LOVE to sleep, but doing it during the day seems to have a negative effect on the rest of my day. However, this site has approximately 20 minutes of great music to guide you through your nap, waking you up at the end. If nothing else, I'll probably utilize this to take a 20 minute BREAK, relaxing my mind and body instead of sleeping.

Wedding Bells!!!

It's official!

Saturday, September 8th, Patrick and I are getting married!!!!!!! I am really excited!

We're doing a double wedding with my friend Dee and her hubby-to-be, Troy. I've got a dress to find and some planning to do in the next 3 weeks!

I'll post details as they manifest themselves. :)

It's easy to do the right thing.

My new mentality and thought process for life is that it is easy to do the right thing. It makes my life run smoother, increases my happiness, and brings me closer to my Savior and loved ones. It is easy to do the right thing. It is easy to do the right thing.

This is a huge paradigm shift for me. Those who know me really well know that I make things a lot more complicated than needed. I have a belief about myself that I learn things the hard way, and I'm a stronger person because of it. I'm just starting to grasp how unhealthy it is for me to carry that belief. Life doesn't have to be hard. I know it's bound to be hard now and again, but if I carry the belief that it WILL be hard, and a desire for it to be hard...to justify why I think I'm such a "strong" woman...then OF COURSE I'M GOING TO FIND, IF NOT CREATE, DIFFICULT SITUATIONS.

Also, rather than thinking of all the things I need to do, I need to think of what I'm willing to do. Little bites at a time...what am I willing to do? Then do it. And, I need to find my WHY...my truly passionate WHY.

That's enough for now...gotta go clean the kitty litter. :) THAT is one thing that I am willing to do.

Nourish Thyself!!!

I haven't posted anything journal-related for awhile. I've been in a bit of a rut. I get in ruts, usually, when I'm neglecting the spiritual side of life. For me, I have formulated a list of basic ways to nourish the spiritual side of myself. This list is influenced by my upbringing, faith, and life experiences. Here it is:

1. Pray. Pray daily. Pray throughout the day. Pray anytime you have a question, want to say thanks, or just need to tap into the source.

2. Read good books. Whether it is the Bible, Book of Mormon, something by C. S. Lewis, or any other great authors, read good books.

3. Take some time each day to meditate. I have a hard time getting myself to do this, as it takes effort to sit and do nothing while having a completely productive brain-session. I think that people in general have allowed too much clutter to fill our lives, and we're way too stimulus-driven. I'd love to get in touch with the 6-year-old-Alison who could go outside for 8 hours and be completely entertained without music, video games, movies, tv, the internet, etc. Meditation helps me get in touch with that again. So does going camping or to the mountains, which leads me to...

4. Go outside. Drive up a canyon and sit for a few hours. Meditate while you're up there. Or take a good book. Skinny dip in a cold stream and lay out naked in the sun. It's liberating!!!! Make a fire and think about God and your purpose in life as you listen to the crickets and watch the stars. That is my favorite place/situation to be in, 100%.

5. Serve others. Doing something nice for someone else is so rewarding. They are blessed by it, and so are you. If I'm feeling depressed or sorry for myself, I can get out of it immediately by thinking of someone who's day I can brighten.

6. Exercise. Man, this is a super way to feel good. Exercise really helped me get through my divorce. If I were pissed, frustrated, sad, etc., just spending 45 minutes on an elliptical machine or a treadmill would completely eliminate the negative energy/emotions.

7. Keep it clean. Whether it is my car, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room, or my language...cleanliness IS Godliness!!! I feel so much better when I create and maintain a clean environment.

8. Be a friend. And have friends. Support systems are great.

9. Have integrity. This is one I feel like I struggle with lately. In MANY areas. I know how rich my life can be if I am a woman of my word. Yet I still struggle with it every day. Whether it is getting out of bed when the alarm goes off, doing the chores I said I would do, eating well, exercising, watching what I put into my body, going to church, etc., I have really been struggling lately. I get overwhelmed with it all and rather than overcoming this piece by piece, I just stagnate. So.....I need to do it piece by piece until the puzzle is back together.

10. Have a hobby. Have fun! I started doing Mary Kay because it was fun, a great environment, provided many wonderful friendships, built my self-esteem, etc., etc., etc. It's a business, not a hobby, but even when I slack off and treat it like a hobby, I'm still having fun and enjoying the benefits. Everyone needs something fun to do on the side, other than work, clean the house and cook meals.


So, those are some things I do to eliminate the rut...emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I'm going to have to look at this list for a while to get myself back where I want to be. :)


This is a mandala I did one day while meditating in the wilderness. :) I'm half-hippie, I know.

ANYTHING can be

This is a great one by Shel Silvertein. My favorite of his works is The Giving Tree...what a great message.

Anyway, just wanted to share this.

There are no ordinary people

This is one of my FAVORITE quotes by C. S. Lewis.

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.

~ C. S. Lewis

I can't get over how much I LOVE Paulo Coelho's works

I added the quote to the cover of his book The Pilgrimage.

"Never pass a fountain without filling your container as you never know what lies ahead."

What a beautiful quote. A guy who walked the road to Santiago posted that quote in his explanation as to why he walked/hiked the road and a few tips for people who decided to do it as well. It's a pretty basic tip for hikers, but for some reason it really struck me.

It made me think of all the people in my life who have been "fountains" for my container. The thought overwhelms me with gratitude and humility.

I cannot wait until I have the opportunity to make my own pilgrimage along the road to Santiago as well as to hike the Inca Trail. I am so intrigued by both of these pilgrimages. People hiked both of these roads/trails for spiritual purposes, and I think that is an aspect of it that attracts me. I want to spend 30 days, walking, thinking, sweating, struggling, growing, sharing, communicating, praying, etc. I want to invest that in myself and to come out a more grounded person. I can hardly wait. :)

Master Cleanse

Today I started the Master Cleanse(MC). The longest I've ever gone before was 5 days (and 3 days another time). This time I am going to cleanse for at least 10 days. I've read that you should really go as long as it takes for all of the white stuff to come off of your tongue. The whiteness is a sign of candida in your system. So, once your tongue is back to a healthy pink color all over, then you're done cleansing. I'm hoping this won't take longer than 2 weeks, but who knows. It's been a long time since my body felt really healthy, it's only fair I put in whatever time is required to get it back to a happy state.

Already I'm having to watch my thoughts. Every so often I'll think to myself, "Mmm, a hamburger sounds really good right now," or "I wonder what there is to eat in the house?" Then I reach for my Lemon Aid (LA) and chug a lug. So far I've drank about 56 ounces. I need to drink another 32 ounces or so. The last time I did the MC I remember feeling like drinking 80 ounces or so of the LA was an unbearable task. This time (so far), it's been pretty easy.

Oh, last night I drank some Smooth Move tea and did the salt water flush (SWF) this morning. I'm sure it's because it's my first day, but the flushing took quite a while. It should take about 30 min when your system is running clean. That'll be nice, because who has a couple hours to lay around...staying near the toilet? Yeah, not me.

Tomorrow I start my new job as a server. I'm looking forward to it. Between that and the cleanse, I should get a pretty good jump start to a healthier lifestyle!

Alison Largin....has a nice ring to it!!!

Well, I have some exciting news!!! On Tuesday, Patrick proposed to me!!! :) Quite naturally, I said yes. Here's how our road trip back to Utah from Phoenix went:

We took a lot of side trips on the way...that turned a 10-11 hour drive into about 21 hours. That part sucked, but the trip was wonderful.

We stopped at some Hopi ruins, which was really cool...

...stopped at the Cameron Trading Post (my favorite stop...the one right by the bridge over the Little Colorado)...

...walked out on the Navajo Bridge...

...stopped at Jacob's Lake Inn, almost went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon but decided not to spend $25... (no pictures)

...stopped at another rest stop between Jacobs Lake and Panguitch...Kaibab outlook or something...

...stopped in Kanab and ate dinner at an awesome Mexican food restaurant (mmmmm), then made our way over to I-15 and headed home. We got super tired around Fillmore and pulled over at a drowsy-driver spot and Patrick set his alarm for a 30 min nap. 3 hours and 47 minutes later we woke up. :) Patrick drove to Nephi then I drove home from there. We rolled in at about 7am!! Wow, that turned into a long trip!

At the Cameron Trading Post, Patrick disappeared for awhile. This was unusual, but I could tell he was up to something mischievous, so I gave him some space. At the Kaibab lookout, we walked around and took some fun pictures. Patrick got a camera at DI for $15 and it came with a few good lenses, so he was playing with his Macro lens, taking pictures of bugs and spiderwebs and stuff. Too funny. There's a nice little ramada at the stop where we took a picture of us last time we drove back from Utah. We went up there and checked out the view. Then Patrick got on his knee, told me how much he loves me and asked me to be his wife. :) His sneakiness at Cameron Trading Post was looking at rings. He saw one that screamed of me and sneakily bought it while I was looking at other stuff. :) It is turquoise and opal and very simple and pretty. It looks awesome on me! :D
We don't have any plans yet, but it feels great just to know that I found someone as amazing as Patrick is, and we're going to spend eternity together. I love him so much! And obviously he loves me quite a bit too, because he puts up with all my crap!!! :)

Happy 4th of July

myspace background

Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays. Last year it pretty much sucked, because I moved out of my ex-husband's house that evening. I can't believe that was a year ago. Sometimes it seems like more time has passed, sometimes it seems like it was last week. At least it no longer feels like yesterday!

Tonight I'm making grilled chicken and pasta for dinner, then Patrick and I are going to watch some fireworks. I LOVE fireworks. My favorite part of the 4th of July, though, is hanging out with family and friends, grilling up some burgers and dogs, and enjoying the heat together. That's not happening today, so maybe next year. :)

This is a GREAT commercial

100 Quotes from "The Secret"

1. We all work with one infinite power.

2. The Secret is the Law of Attraction (LOA).

3. Whatever is going on in your mind is what you are attracting.

4. We are like magnets - like attract like. You become AND attract what you think.

5. Every thought has a frequency. Thoughts send out a magnetic energy.

6. People think about what they don't want and attract more of the same.

7. Thought = creation. If these thoughts are attached to powerful emotions (good or bad) that speeds the creation.

8. You attract your dominant thoughts.

9. Those who speak most of illness have illness, those who speak most of prosperity have it..etc...

10. It's not "wishful" thinking.

11. You can't have a universe without the mind entering into it.

12. Choose your thoughts carefully .. you are a masterpiece of your life.

13. It's OK that thoughts don't manifest into reality immediately (if we saw a picture of an elephant and it instantly appeared, that would be too soon).

14. EVERYTHING in your life you have attracted .. accept that fact .. it's true.

15. Your thoughts cause your feelings.

16. We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories .. good feelings, bad feelings.

17. Thoughts that bring about good feelings mean you are on the right track. Thoughts that bring about bad feelings means you are not on the right track.

18. Whatever it is you are feeling is a perfect reflection of what is in the process of becoming.

19. You get exactly what you are FEELING.

20. Happy feelings will attract more happy circumstances.

21. You can begin feeling whatever you want (even if it's not there).. the universe will correspond to the nature of your song.

22. What you focus on with your thought and feeling is what you attract into your experience.

23. What you think and what you feel and what actually manifests is ALWAYS a match - no exception.

24. Shift your awareness.

25. "You create your own universe as you go along" Winston Churchill.

26. It's important to feel good ( ( ( (((good))) ) ) ).

27. You can change your emotion immediately .. by thinking of something joyful, or singing a song, or remembering a happy experience.

28. When you get the hang of this, before you know it you will KNOW you are the creator.

29. Life can and should be phenomenal .. and it will be when you consciously apply the Law of Attraction.

30. Universe will re-arrange itself accordingly.

31. Start by using this sentence for all of your wants: "I'm so happy and grateful now that.... "

32. You don't need to know HOW the universe is going to rearrange itself.

33. LOA is simply figuring out for yourself what will generate the positive feelings of having it NOW.

34. You might get an inspired thought or idea to help you move towards what you want faster.

35. The universe likes SPEED. Don't delay, don't second-guess, don't doubt.

36. When the opportunity or impulse is there .. ACT.

37. You will attract everything you require - money, people, connections.. PAY ATTENTION to what's being set in front of you.

38. You can start with nothing .. and out of nothing or no way - a WAY will be provided.

39. HOW LONG??? No rules on time .. the more aligned you are with positive feelings the quicker things happen.

40. Size is nothing to the universe (unlimited abundance if that's what you wish) We make the rules on size and time.

41. No rules according to the universe .. you provide the feelings of having it now and the universe will respond.

42. Most people offer the majority of their thought in response to what they are observing (bills in the mail, being late, having bad luck...etc..).

43. You have to find a different approach to what is through a different vantage point.

44. "All that we are is a result of what we have thought" - Buddha.

45. What can you do right now to turn your life around?? Gratitude.

46. Gratitude will bring more into our lives immediately.

47. What we think about and THANK about is what we bring about.

48. What are the things you are grateful for?? Feel the gratitude.. focus on what you have right now that you are grateful for.

49. Play the picture in your mind - focus on the end result.

50. VISUALIZE!!! Rehearse your future.

51. VISUALIZE!!! See it, feel it! This is where action begins.

52. Feel the joy .. feel the happiness).

53. An affirmative thought is 100 times more powerful than a negative one.

54. "What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists." Alexander Graham Bell.

55. Our job is not to worry about the "How". The "How" will show up out of the commitment and belief in the "what."

56. The Hows are the domain of the universe. It always knows the quickest, fastest, most harmonious way between you and your dream.

57. If you turn it over to the universe, you will be surprised and dazzled by what is delivered .. this is where magic and miracles happen.

58. Turn it over to the universe daily.. but it should never be a chore.

59. Feel exhilarated by the whole process .. high, happy, in tune.

60. The only difference between people who are really living this way is they have habituated ways of being.

61. They remember to do it all the time.

62. Create a Vision Board .. pictures of what you want to attract .. every day look at it and get into the feeling state of already having acquired these wants.

63. "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." Albert Einstein.

64. Decide what you want .. believe you can have it, believe you deserve it, believe it's possible for you.

65. Close your eyes and visualize having what you already want - and the feeling of having it already.

66. Focus on being grateful for what you have already .. enjoy it!! Then release into the universe. The universe will manifest it.

67. "Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve" W. Clement Stone.

68. Set a goal so big that if you achieved it, it would blow your mind.

69. When you have an inspired thought, you must trust it and act on it.

70. How can you become more prosperous?? INTEND IT!!

71. 'Checks are coming in the mail regularly'... or change your bank statement to whatever balance you want in there... and get behind the feeling of having it.

72. Life is meant to be abundant in ALL areas...

73. Go for the sense of inner joy and peace then all outside things appear.

74. We are the creators of our universe.

75. Relationships: Treat yourself the way you want to be treated by others .. love yourself and you will be loved.

76. Healthy respect for yourself.

77. For those you work with or interact with regularly .. get a notebook and write down positive aspects of each of those people.

78. Write down the things you like most about them (don't expect change from them). Law of attraction will not put you in the same space together if you frequencies don't match.

79. When you realize your potential to feel good, you will ask no one to be different in order for you to feel good.

80. You will free yourself from the cumbersome impossibilities of needing to control the world, your friends, your mate, your children....

81. You are the only one that creates your reality.

82. No one else can think or feel for you .. its YOU .. ONLY YOU.

83. Health: thank the universe for your own healing. Laugh, stress free happiness will keep you healthy.

84. Immune system will heal itself.

85. Parts of our bodies are replace every day, every week..etc... Within a few years we have a brand new body.

86. See yourself living in a new body. Hopeful = recovery. Happy = happier biochemistry. Stress degrades the body.

87. Remove stress from the body and the body regenerates itself. You can heal yourself.

88. Learn to become still .. and take your attention away from what you don't want, and place your attention on what you wish to experience.

89. When the voice and vision on the inside become more profound and clear than the opinions on the outside, then you have mastered your life.

90. You are not here to try to get the world to be just as you want it. You are here to create the world around you that you choose.

91. And allow the world as others choose to see it, exist as well.

92. People think that if everyone knows the power of the LOA there won't be enough to go around .. This is a lie that's been ingrained in us and makes so many greedy.

93. The truth is there is more than enough love, creative ideas, power, joy, happiness to go around.

94. All of this abundance begins to shine through a mind that is aware of it's own infinite nature. There's enough for everyone. See it. Believe it. it will show up for you.

95. So let the variety of your reality thrill you as you choose all the things you want.. get behind the good feelings of all your wants.

96. Write your script. When you see things you don't want, don't think about them, write about them, talk about them, push against them, or join groups that focus on the don't wants... remove your attention from don't wants.. and place them on do wants.

97. We are mass energy. Everything is energy. EVERYTHING.

98. Don't define yourself by your body .. it's the infinite being that's connected to everything in the universe.

99. One energy field. Our bodies have distracted us from our energy. We are the infinite field of unfolding possibilities. The creative force.

100. Are your thoughts worthy of you? If not - NOW is the time to change them. You can begin right were you are right now. Nothing matters but this moment and what you are focusing your attention on.

Progress starts at the beginning :)

I've got to do something about my physique! This blog is turning into my fitness journal. :) So, here's where I am starting from. It's not pretty, but at least I know I can make some excellent progress...

My Stats:

Weight 175 lbs
Waist 40"
Hips 45.5"
Chest 40.75"
Ribcage (under chest) 34"
R. Thigh 26.5"
L. Thigh 26.6"
R. Calf 15.25"
L. Calf 15.25"
R. Bicep 13.5"
L. Bicep 13.5"
Neck 14"
Wrist 6.4"
BMI 32
Body Fat 49.16%

My Goals:

Weight 130 lbs (loss of 45 lbs)
Body Inches lose 40"
Body Fat between 18% and 22%
BMI 24

Timeline:

December 31st is my deadline
I need to lose 2 lbs each week
I need to work out 6 days/week using Pilates and Slim in 6
I need to go run or play racquetball 5 days/week
I need to keep my caloric intake to 1600 calories/day (I HATE counting calories!!!)

And here's a visual: ;)

Me today ~





















How I would like to look ~

I would LOVE to look like Jessica Beil. I fell in love with her body when I saw Stealth. The scene where she is in her bathing suit at the tropical waterfall/pool (I think) is a perfect example of how lean I would like my body to be. I think she's quite a bit taller than I am, so it's not very likely that I'll ever have her body, but still...that's what I'm shooting for.













Scarlett Johansson is a GREAT example of how I would like to look, because she's still so sexy and curvy AND lean. So I guess I would like to combine Scarlett's curves with Jessica's lean muscle and *poof*, there's my ideal body. :)
















I'll journal my progress as I go. I'll post a weekly photo update with stats as well as anything else that comes to mind.

Sweet!!!

I totally want this for my laptop!!! You can purchase these laptop protective skins HERE.

A cane, please....

I hurt my back yesterday....putting the little garbage can down on the floor in the bathroom!!! I pinched a nerve or something and now walk like a grandma. :) Time to get back to the chiropractor...

Missionaries!!!

Woo hoo!!! The missionaries came over this morning!

Why is it that the only time anyone ever comes over and knocks on the door is when I am enjoying a nice poo. Last time that happened was when management was doing their walk-throughs to make sure everything was in decent shape in the apartments. They unfortunately had a key and just walked right in! I hurried and finished, flushed, washed my hands, and surprised them when I came out into the living room. I told them to be careful in the bathroom because it still stunk. Classy, I know. :)

Anyway, back to the missionaries. Elder Williams and Elder Kalic (or something like that) stopped by and delivered the Finding Faith in Christ DVD. They don't have a dinner appointment tonight, so I invited them over to dinner. I'm excited to have the missionaries involved in Patrick and me moving forward in our spiritual progression. I'm glad they came over, too, because church tomorrow is at a different time. (Woo hoo! 2 hours later = more sleep for me!)

So, I need to get some cleaning done and some shopping. Anything but spaghetti is on the menu tonight. I wish people wouldn't serve spaghetti and lasagna to the missionaries so dang often! When I was a kid and teen we had the missionaries over all the time and they always said the same thing....please no spaghetti or lasagna!!!

I'm so excited. I love missionaries. They remind me of the BEST time of my life...a time when the focus was on service, temple work, missionary work, and living a pure and joyful life. It'll get there....

Down to the nitty skinny...

I'm done being a "solid girl." It's time to get down the the skinny of things. :) So, this little tag will show my progress in reaching this goal. Cheer me on!

I dig this guy!

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

WHY

Okay....I've been needing to figure out my WHY's in life.

WHY do I want to become a Mary Kay Independent Sales Director?

WHY do I want to live a righteous God-fearing life?

WHY do I want to be in a relationship?

I've got to pin down the WHY's, so it's easier to make a plan and to actually stick to it.

Today I am going to make a visual Dream-poster, and my goal is to discover and reaffirm my WHY for doing Mary Kay and wanting to become a Director.




On a side note, how sad is it that Bob Barker is retiring from The Price is Right??? Yeah, he's getting OLD, but he's still so dang cute up there. Especially when he gets an over-zealous fan all up in his face who is hyperventilating too much to play the games. Ah, I love that.

Okay, time to quit watching The Price is Right and jump in the shower. :)

Baby got back!

Okay...the scale and I aren't getting along again! My new weight loss goal is to lose between 30-40 lbs. This is going to take some major lifestyle changes...eating habits and daily excercise. I got down to about 15 lbs above my "ideal" weight, and it's come back in the past few months. Patrick is a really good cook...and we like to eat. Not to mention I've been struggling with some depression, and I usually eat as a coping mechanism.

One thing I know for sure is that excercise makes me feel GREAT about myself. So just doing 20 minutes of pilates or yoga or something each morning will get me to feel better about myself. In return, I'll take better care of myself...not putting so much junk in my mouth. (Man, I love chocolate!)

I've got to do this, though. Not only to feel good about myself, but for health reasons as well. I want to live as long as possible. I want to be an old lady on a rocker in front of my house, BSing with the teenagers with all my sassiness, and moving around without any funky limps or walkers. Is that too much to ask??? NO. So is it too much to ask to do a little exercise and eat healthier???? ....ummm.....no. (Still working on becoming fully committed.)

Here's to me, 40 lbs lighter!!!

Affirmation

I really liked this video with the song, Mad World, playing.

New Blog!

I changed my email address to ditch the ex-husband's last name and return to the comfort and familiarity of my maiden name. So I figured, why not start a new blog??? I'll try to be a better blogger, more frequent, more entertaining, more open, and more ME.

My last blog, if you want to check it out is at www.alisonsboringdetails.blogspot.com. Here's to a new start!!!