Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Our new Minivan!

We decided that sometime in the next year we would probably buy a new and bigger vehicle.  It’s a bit squishy getting two car seats and all our stuff for a trip into the Civic. 

DSC_3648Our plan was accelerated when we had to take the car in to the mechanic and found out a previous shop caused some damage to our engine so we might have a recurring problem with oil leaking into the cylinders.  The final straw was the back window getting stuck down.  It could cost as much as $400 to fix if the track needs replaced.  Davin managed to prop it up temporarily but we drove with plastic on it for awhile which got old fast.  Nine years and 140,000 miles later it is time.

We found a great Toyota Sienna on craigslist.  I did my research and it really comes out on top for minivans.  We had to take out a auto loan which I really didn’t want to do, but with interest at 2.44% we really won’t pay that much extra over time.

DSC_3818I love our new van!  It’s so spacious, comfortable, has working air conditioning and handles like a car.  It’s easy getting the kids in and out and I love modern touches like the automatic side door, volume controls on the steering wheels, and automatic locking/unlocking doors with just the touch of a button.  It even tells you how many miles left on the current tank of gas and if a tire loses pressure.

Davin and I agree that this vehicle screams “road trip!” to us.  We’ll at least need to take a day trip to the beach or something soon.

Monday, July 09, 2012

Weight Loss Journey so Far

DSC_0005I can’t believe I’m posting the first picture, but that’s where I was just after Kaylynn was born in May 2011.  When I saw this picture I felt so discouraged about how much weight I had gained - about sixty pounds.  I immediately started eating better and working out at home as soon as I had the doctor’s clearance.  At the end of September I joined a gym and was down to about 200 pounds, but I didn’t really lose any more weight until after I was done breastfeeding. 

In March I used my birthday money to buy new workout clothes to fit my slowly shrinking body, and it made me feel better at the gym.  Today I worked out in a tank top from my “small clothes” box.  I am feeling good about my progress so I thought I’d take a picture and compare it to the March photo for a little self-motivation.  I’m getting there!  I just crossed over into the 170’s and I have 15 pounds to go until I’m back to where I was before I got pregnant. 

March 2012

DSC_3830

The truth of weight loss is that it is a sloooow and hard process for me.  What I need to do is simple: count calories and exercise.  But the hard part is sticking with it every day even when the scale isn’t budging.  But it’s great having these days of inspiration and focusing on the progress rather than how long it’s taking.  We just picked up a monthly car payment so I’ll be quitting the gym in about six weeks to help pay for that.  We’ll see how far I can get before that deadline.