Vote for Ashley part 2

This blog post is the most personal yet! I asked all to "vote for me" and I have lost 45 pounds so far just making a lifestyle change! I dropped coke, decreased sugar dramatically, ate on small plates, began an online food journal and exercise 4-5 times a week. When I started doing research on how to loose the kind of weight I needed to loose, weight loss surgery continually kept popping up. I really thought that surgery was for someone A LOT bigger than me. However the more I researched, I kept finding that most people looked EXACTLY like me.I went to the informational meetings and applied for insurance coverage. My insurance requires that I see my primary physician for monthly visits for six months. After loosing this much weight, the natural question was, "Why not just do it on your own?" The answer, per my surgeon, is that long range studies show that once a person is so many pounds overweight any weight loss without surgery is re-gained within the first ten years in 96% of people! 96% is not what I would call a fighting chance! Therefore, I have decided to have weight loss surgery to protect the weight loss I have had and then try to get to a healthy weight. Soooo tomorrow morning at 5:30A.M. I will be at Baptist Hospital surgery center having a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. I have been on a pre-op diet for two weeks of protein shakes and soup broth and water. Today is water and broth only. I am doing fairly well considering! I am staying optimistic that I can use the surgery as a restrictive tool to attain my goals. I feel like I can be successful due to the fact that I have done so much on my own! Please pray that everything goes smoothly and peacefully. I am so thankful for each of you and your encouraging words and heartfelt support!

The Christmas Season of 2010

We really had a wonderful Christmas! The boys were full of the magic of Christmas time. Each decoration that we put up Cole said "ohhhhh amazing!" and Jack wanted each nook and cranny decorated with something. We made snowflakes and hung them across the kitchen. (We were inspired by our favorite Christmas movie Elf.) We have many traditions that Jack loves and that Cole thoroughly enjoyed! We even stepped it up and spent the night at Opryland! It is so beautiful every year but staying there was really amazing.

We went to Maryville, for the McClanahan family Christmas. It is always good for a ton of laughs. We play dirty santa and have a blast! The food is always wonderful and the company is equally kind and inviting!

The Nashville parade was so exciting this year! They had huge balloon floats that people carried down Broadway like in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. The boys had so much fun watching the trucks, cars and motorcycles. It is always the first week of December. It is the perfect kick-off to Christmas!

The Bellemeade Plantation had a vintage Christmas program for kids. We toured the home and saw how they celebrated Christmas in the 1900's and then made ornaments, and played games from that time.

We went to a Walk through Bethlehem. A local church puts it on every year and it is amazing! There are hands on activities for the children, foods and drinks to try and a Roman soldier looking for all children under 2. My favorite part is a man who gathers the children around and whispers that there is word that "the king has been born but to keep it quiet because the soldiers are looking for him. The kids are so serious. I love how they make His story real for them!

We also went to the Titan's Christmas party. That was very fun. The rookies all dressed as elves and had to sing Christmas carols. T-Rac was also there giving out presents. Jack loves to just run the length of the indoor field and Cole tries to keep up as far as his legs will carry him!

We also visited live reindeer and Santa in his sleigh! Jack told Santa each time what he wanted. Auburn football men, The Ohio State football men and Texas longhorn men! We helped Cole tell Santa that he wanted trucks!

However, our biggest event was the loss of Jack's first two teeth. The first one just flipped forward and the fell out about 30 minutes later! I did not know it was loose! I truly thought we were about to head to an emergency dentist appointment! My first reaction was to be afraid, Brad was the one that started cheering and I realized what was happening! We called the family with our "big news"! The tooth fairy came and left $10 and a Lego treat pack. Later, we found that the tooth fairy had been extravagant so we made sure to tell Jack that the first tooth always gets the very most because it is so special. One week later the tooth fairy visited again and brought $2. He had been given $3 by someone else and he was thrilled to take his $15 to target and pick out a treat! This was also hilarious because this was his first experience with spending his own money and he had ideas of grandeur! He sounded just like my grandfather walking the aisles. "They want $19.99 for THAT! Oh my goodness, no way! How much for this????What in the world ..$17.99???? " Ahh yess, my son things are expensive!!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!