Long Lost Laura

With the craziness of summer schedules I don't get the post as often as I'd like! So sorry, yall....I know your day just isn't the same without a post from RITD. :)



The reason for my absence is because I was in my hometown of the *wonderful* Knoxville, Tennessee over the weekend!



I took Friday and Monday off and spend a much-needed looooooong weekend with family and friends.



On Thursday night I stopped in Nashville and had dinner with all the ladies at Peter's Sushi....one of our all-time favorites! It was so awesome to see everyone, especially Caitlin since she is newly engaged!

Sorry for the poor quality in the pic below...I had to steal it from Lacey's blog because I accidentally erased the pic I had of me and Caitlin together! It looks waaaaaay better on her blog. :(

I gotta give a shout-out to my girl Erica (here in the orange top) who has also been doing Weight Watchers for a few month and she looks amazing! I was seriously shocked when I saw her. She has always been a beautiful person on the inside and out, and I am so happy for her and all her hard work!



Yall can see more pics of our girls night on Lacey's blog: lovelace365.blogspot.com



Then on Friday it was on to K-town! I got to have dinner with ANOTHER group of lovely ladies and it was sooooooo good to catch up with all them!



The last time I had seen them was about 30 pounds ago, and they were all so sweet and encouraging. They said I looked like I did in high school only with better eye brows and a grown-up hair cut! Ha!

Leighann and Julia! Little Leighs is PREGNANT....we think it's a girl but they don't know for sure yet.

Carsi and the-newly-married Paige

Me and Caty. Seriously, how cute are these girls?!?!?! Love them.

And here I am with my mom's dog, Pepper. She took this of me on Friday night after I'd had about a thousand glasses of wine.

Saturday we had planned on a pool party, but it was rainy so we all just lounged around the house and hung out. My mom and I had a great stay-at-home dinner on Saturday night and went out to Marble Slab for REAL ice cream! I have been eating Skinny Cow, and yall know I love my Skinny Cow, but I was craving some real calorie-laden ice cream.

Soooooooo worth all those calories. :)

On Sunday I went to church with Dad and Louise and then had lunch with them at their new house. Here are Winston and I out by their pool. Happy Fathers Day!

Sunday afternoon since Dad was playing golf, I decided to go on the lake with Carson and her husband Lee, and a handful of friends. It was sooooooo sunny and just a perfect lake day.

Caty and Carson

Me and Caty makin' that boat look good!

Me, Lee, and Caty. Lee is in heaven ha ha!

Lee and Caty's boyfriend Dan...solving the problems of the world.

Caty and Me again

On Sunday night my mom and I went to visit my Auntie Lynda at her new house! We had a great time celebrating her new home!

Me loving on Lynda's poodle Simba!
Champagne toast! Those two will use any excuse to drink champagne!
Me and my Auntie! She is on her tippie-toes and I am squatting down. I am seriously about 8 inches taller than her!

I just realized I do not have a good pic of my sweet mommy from the weekend! :( Sad. Sorry, Mom! You need to come to Tunica for a visit so I can get a good picture of your purdy face. :)

*Unfortunately* because I was a crazy eater/drinker/socializer I did not force myself to work out while in Knoxville. I took three (of my cutest) workout outfits and they did not even come out of my suit case.

I was having a little 'whoa-is-me' party yesterday morning in reflection of my debaucherous weekend when something on the Today Show caught my attention.

Dr. Nancy Sniderman (NBC Cheif Medical Correspondant) and Joy....um I can't remember her last name but she is a tiny healthy mini-person....were talking about fad diets and about how they're terrible and they make you lose weight only to put it right back on.

Dr. Nancy reitterated that you have to make a LIFESTYLE CHANGE and to form good habits. She said you cannot be expected to have NO comfort foods or NO alcohol or NO sweets....but when you do, just get back on track the next day.

I liked that because when you have a crazy weekend, or a vacation, or a celebration, you can just brush yourself off, say, "Okay, that was fun." and get back into your good routine of eating and exercise. No need to get down on yourself. Just get back at it the next day!

I was just telling Bex this morning (we did a sweaty, sweaty, sixer at the break of dawn!) that I have been really psyching myself out about my workouts and stuff lately. Like, the thought of running six miles does not seem like a ligit workout to me anymore.

But *hello* six miles in 85 degree Mississippi heat is an AWESOME workout! I need to give myself more credit and just bask in the light of 'look how far I've come.'

Every now and then I will have a mental battle but that is to be expected, I guess.

Speaking of 'how far I've come,' I ran across a picture of myself in the Caymans from a trip Winston and I took about two years ago. And let me tell you something.....well, I will wait for you to make your own judgments. I might just get ballsy and post it tomorrow. Just brace yourselves.

Weight Watchers Update:

I stayed the same this week at weigh-in. 154.5. But I am not too down in the dumps because at this point honestly WW is just a technicality for me. I am going to be happy with the way I feel, and happy with my size as long as I stay in the 150-155 range. And that's that.

Well, I'm off to meet Tom at the house for lunch and let Reba in for the afternoon. The heat index in our area is 106 today. YES ONE HUNDRED AND SIX DEGREES!!!!

In the mornings I have been filling Reba's water bowl (which is actually an old HORSE feeding bucket) with ice cubes instead of water. It melts fast so it is just icey cold water for a few minutes and she LOVES it and gulps it down! She thinks ice is a treat. This way I at least know she starts the day off hydrated.

Please remember to keep a close eye on your four-legged children in the crazy crazy heat!