My Freak Flag

Today I noticed my freak flag was flying high, and thought I would share.

Now I have many freakish qualities to choose from, but the one that probably consumes the most of my time is present giving. I know, I know, giving a person a present is a good thing, but for some reason in my mind, I take present giving to a whole new level.

See, I want every present that I give to be perfect! I want the recipient to open the box and exclaim that it is exactly what they wanted, and that they could have never continued living without it!

…Okay, that might have been a bit of an exaggeration, (another one of my fabulously freaky qualities) but I really do put way too much thought and energy into present giving. For example, here is my present spreadsheet (yes, I said spreadsheet)

This is last year’s spreadsheet (just in case anyone is looking for their name), but I have another one just like it for this year. The left column is Birthday Presents, and the right column is Christmas Presents. The colors change throughout the year as presents are bought, and as Birthdays pass (my 2011 spreadsheet is a lot more colorful).

Okay, so why am I telling you all this...because this is one of my fabulously freaky quality that I love! I love to give presents! I love shopping and searching for the perfect present, and most of all I love people’s reaction and love the way it makes me feel. (N8dogg and my brother-in-law Buffalo often joke about the euphoria I get from present giving, all of which I find not funny).

I know it is somewhat freaky, and over the years, I have tried to tone it down, but I just cannot help it. So, now that you know about one of my fantastically freaky qualities watch for present updates!

The Picture That Started it All...

(Standing L to R) My brother Chet, my Sister-in-law Holly (who looks fabulous, and is not a contestant by-the-way), my Nephew Dalton, my Mom, my Sister Gina, Me, and N8dogg, (Sitting L to R) my Niece Sadie, my Nana, my Nephew Chase, and my Niece Taelor.

Yep, that’s my family!

We took this picture at my Nana’s 80th Birthday party in May of 2010. Now, this is not the worst family photo in the world, but it is the photo that started what I like to call…The Beeson Family Lose for the Cruise Extravaganza! (Ok, so the name might need a little work).

What is The Beeson Family Lose for the Cruise Extravaganza, you may ask?

Well, The Beeson Family Lose for the Cruise Extravaganza is weight loss game my mom created to get us all into shape. It all started in October of 2010, when my mom came to all of us and said that she was tired of having fat children. (She may have put it a little bit nicer than that, but you get the general idea).

Anyway, in the past couple of years all of us have put on, then lost, and then put back on, considerable amounts of weight. Well, my mom has finally had enough! She is starting to worry about our health, and in my family, we have enough health issues to worry about without adding obesity into the mix. She decided that we needed an incentive to lose the weight and get healthy, and thus The Beeson Family Lose for the Cruise Extravaganza was born!

The rules are simple; each of us has a weight goal, in which we have a year to meet (October 2011). We then have to keep it off for six months (April 2011), and if we can do that, then we get to go on a prebooked Caribbean cruise. However, if we do not meet the weight goal in time, then we have to stay home and someone else gets to go in our place. That's it!

Ok, now that you know how to play it’s time for an update! Since The Beeson Family Lose for the Cruise Extravaganza began in October of 2010, the results have been minimal. At the November 2010 weigh in, N8Dogg and Chet tied for the monthly prize. (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention there are monthly prizes too). We took a break through the holidays, and weighed in again in January 2011. I don’t know the outcome of this weigh in, but I do know that I did really bad and was not happy about the results. The next month I vowed to do better, and at the February 2011 weight in I lost 8 pounds, and won the monthly prize! Yay!

Even though I think my 8-pound weight loss might have just been a fluke, I knew that I needed to do something to keep it going. However, February was crazy and busy, and was filled with a lot of eating and little exercising. I was worried at the March 2011 weigh in, and just wanted to not gain. Luckily, my wish came true, and I did not gain a single pound. I didn’t lose a single pound either, but at least I didn’t gain.

Now it’s March, and time to get serious. (No more close calls for me)! On Monday February 28th I joined Weight Watchers, and then just one week later on Monday March 7th at the Weight Watchers weigh in I lost 6.2 pounds! Another BIG yay!

So now everyone should be up to speed on The Beeson Family Lose to Cruise Extravaganza! Watch for the next update, and wish me luck in the April weigh in! ;)

Things that make me Happy...

Listening to 1980’s power ballads on my way to work…

even when I am running late.