You are my Sunshine ......

All my childhood life my daddy took me to school in his Chevy pick-up truck.  While I was too small to see out the front windows I would sit on his briefcase so I could see out.  One of his good friends told him one day that we must talk the whole way to school because anytime he saw us in the road we were talking.... my daddy quickly corrected him saying, "No, we're singing."  Hence comes the title of my post... We always sang this song together while on the way to school.  I loved it! And it's probably one of my favorite things that I share with my daddy. 

Since it's Father's Day I wanted to do something different rather than focus on my weight loss. Which I promise to get back to tomorrow. :)

Fathers, dad, daddy, pops, papa, Father figures.. however you look at them are very important people and I think that sometimes they get looked over or pushed to the side for those crazy over bearing moms! Just kidding.

I am very lucky to have such an amazing daddy in my life.  I'm not saying he's perfect, because we all know that no one is.  However, he's been such an important part of my life for 25 years I can't imagine my life without him.  He was always around when I needed him and supported everything I've done.  I can't remember a time in my life where I didn't know that my dad loved me with all his heart.  A few important people in my life didn't have the chance to have active father figures in their lives and my dad was always sure to make sure they knew how important they were to him too and to provide that role for them at times.  If and when I ever get married, I sure hope they can measure up to my amazing daddy!

Besides my dad I've been fortunate to share in the love of two amazing grand fathers who always took care of our familes.  As young kids, I can remember Pappy taking me, Curry and Cody to the cow barn almost every Wednesday... the day of the sale.  While we were here we would have a lemonade (which I always hated) and look at all the animals that were being sold.  We had cows, a pig and a goat at different times.  My Grandaddy was always know for his cooking and we spent many a Friday night enjoying fish he had cooked or some tasty treat.  My uncle always spent time cooking for our family too and treating us to random dishes that were sometimes of unknown substances! haha!

I could go on and on about the amazing men and father figures in my life.  They stretch as far as my family does.  My uncle Hoyt always said, "Nothing good happens after midnight."  He is one of the wisest men that I know and is looked up to by many people.  My Compton uncles always played an important role in my life as well.  It's for sure that one that I've always be sure of is that family matters!  Family is there through thick and thin and they have your back even in those times when you think no one else does.  We've been through some awesomely happy times, but also some incredibly sad ones as well.  I believe that it's through all these experiences that familys learn to take care of each other and be what the others need.

I am forutnate for my family, those who are and aren't blood related to me.  I surely can't forget the father's of my friends along the way who also treated me like their own daughther... I mean we all know I'm the favorite Bracken daughter anyways! haha!  I hope you've enjoyed reading a little about my family. 
After some busy weeks I hope to update you on the weight loss tomorrow!

I get by with a little help from my friends

Apparently, yesterday was National Best Friend day or something like that... I woke up to a million pics and collages on Instagram with that # (pound sign) as Mama Laughlin says... who I love haha!

Anyways, I started thinking about this and I am seriously amazingly blessed with some of the best people in my life. Some of them are friends, some are family, but they all matter to me and help me more than they will know.  I have handful of VERY best friends and we all have that ONE or maybe more who knows us inside and out, but I believe that each and every person in our lives helps to shape us to the person God has us to become.  They play a role that sometimes we don't understand until their time in our life is over.

You're going to learn about some important peeps in my life today...

There are just some things in life you don't forget and the day Heather and I met is one of them.  We were in college and I remember walking into class and seeing that some heifer had taken my seat.... I'm a creature of habit so this highly disturbed me!  There was an open seat beside Heather, which I ended up sitting in.  I guess from there we have to say the rest was history.. because lots of our memories will need to stay there haha!  We met our freshman year of college and I am sure I never knew what an important role she would play in my life.  Through good times and even a few bad we are still the very best of friends.  Her family is my family, actually I'm their favorite daughter! haha It started in college, but more and more in our lives people ask us if we are sisiters.. apparently we look alike, and we've even gotten the twins comment before.. I apologize to all the people I've laughed at who asked this, but it's seriously funny to me.  This is a girl I can share anything with from good, funny times and even sad ones when I need a friend, she shows up without a thought.  I couldn't be more thankful that someone stole my seat that day...

We all have that lifetime best friend and with the exception of family good ol' Meagan would have to be that girl.  We pretty much grew up together playing barbies, babies, school, drinking Dr. pepper (well she spilled it more than drank it) and eating popcorn.  She grew up down the road from my grandparents where I spent every Friday afternoon.  We had our fill of fish growing up, that's for sure... I hope we didn't have an over exposure to mercury as young children! haha  We don't talk every day and life has taken us a little further apart (distance wise) over the years, but she's one of those people that I can call and talk about pretty much anything and who understands.  I love this girl to pieces.. and the whole Tram fam... I might be their favorite daughter too!

And I want you to know about my family.  My family is large and small all at the same time.  There were many more family functions when all of us "great grands" were younger.  My family has been through some hard times, as well as some of the happiest times!  They are stronger than I could ever imagine and when things seem to be going wrong we manage to make it work.  I couldn't be more thankful for my amazing parents.  They have this way of driving me bonkers (sorry ma and pa!) but I know without a shadow of a doubt that they always have my best interest at heart.  My mom is by far the best woman on this Earth, I am certain!  She puts up with more than I know I could ever deal with and she takes care of pretty much any one she can.  I claim all the time that I am too much Jim and not enough Susan.. which is probably true.  I hope that I can be like 1/4 of the woman she is some day. 

Over the last few months I have really seen who my true friends, believers and supporters are.  It's been amazing how many people do care and that notice small things. Someone even said to me, "I'm loving seeing all these pictures of you and you just look so happy."  Truth is I really am.  I am happier than I've probably ever been.  I remember days when I thought I wouldn't ever be this happy.  Troubles abound when we least expect them and sometimes drag us down to places we didn't know exist but I am thankful for everyone of those people who has brought me to this place even through those hard times when I know I'm not easy to deal with.

My final shout out goes to some awesome people who have supported me through this amazing journey of weight loss.  Other than the above I have to say how much I appreciate the kind words, motivation and company of J Biggy who even exercised with me in our classrooms... that's love! I am also thankful for Samantha who joined me on this journey and is pretty freaking rock star! She pumps out some push ups like I've never seen... and every time I think about how I want to keep up with her! And I couldn't have ever started this journey without some encouraging words and a push from Leann who helped me "JUST DO IT!"  Aaron keeps me going and knows how to push and pull on my heart to keep me in the game!

Last and ABSOLUTELY not least is my amazing team of supporters from GRIT and from the Laurens Y where I am blessed to also teach ZUMBA!  Two amazing instructors, Brie and Annette have no idea how much they push me!  I love the yelling, sweat, and enthusiasm they put into GRIT! Marie and Libba and Andrea convinced me to try it and little did I know how much I'd love it and find something so exciting!  I am thankful for the GRUNTS Libba pushes out! She and Marie are freaking awesome!  Andrea, Lauren, Samantha, Stephanie, John and Tracy are awesome team members.  We by far have the BEST GRIT TEAM EVER!  Each and everyone of you have helped me, given words of wisdom, pushed me or yelled at me to keep going.  I would not be as motivated as I am without you ALL! You will never EVER understand how your support has changed my life!

I hope you've enjoyed reading about some of the amazing people in my life.  Have a wonderful weekend..... today is weigh in day! There will be an update soon!  Keep moving, YOU CAN DO IT!

Love to you all!

Jena

let the good times roll!

I can't even believe how busy life has been lately.  It's because of all this crazy and business that I haven't posted in almost a month... PLEASE accept my sincere apologies!

Lots has happened everything from field trips, field day at school, bridging of my 3rd graders, beach trips for Memorial Day, etc. etc.  And I'd be lying if I didn't say I have enjoyed every minute of it! Some more than others of course.

Of course there have been some weigh-ins through all this.. I lost and even gained one week-- talk about WAK UP CALL!  I won't even go through all that, because it's in the past.  I will say it made me realize a few things and make some changes.  I'm also pretty lucky to have some amazing friends to bring me through those amazingly TOUGH times!

I went down to the beach for Memorial Day weekend, and I was very pleased with myself.  The nights we ate out I made good choices, and managed to lose lots of weight that week!

As of last Friday I had lost a grand total of 57 pounds.  I set out to lose 80 lbs at the start of this, and thought that making it to 50 would be a feat and then I would hopefully make it to 80.  Secretly, (I know it's not a secret anymore) I want to lose 100 lbs.  I can do it, I know I can! 

I had an amazing weekend last weekend with some of my most favorite people.  This week has been overwhelming at best.  School is over for summer time, not that I don't have a training to attend Monday and Tuesday haha!

I promise to focuse more on the next post, but today I'm just sending some updates and randomness.  I am happier today than I was last time I posted and I couldn't be more thrilled with what I see when I look in the mirror, or how I feel when I buy a MEDIUM dress for the first time in my life or resist the fried chicken at a school luncheon.  I am amazed by myself. I don't do it all exactly right every single time.  What would be the fun in that?!?!  I have my fun and I have my ass busting times too!

PS tonight in GRIT I felt freaking amazing when Brie yelled, "Jena's gonna kick your ass!" While we were doing mountain climbers.... so yeah maybe I did kick some ass tonight!

Hang around, I promise to update more often soon!

LOVE YOU ALL!

A few pictures I managed to get up!..

 

My sweet Meaglet... she met me at the KC concert... in shorts.. crazy girl!

 

Miss this girl.. even if you have seen this pic!

Me, J Biggy and the photo bomb- Chuck! This was just the start of the photo shoot of the concert!

 

Me and Josh... ps it was raining during this musical fest!

 

This boy is the LOVE of my life!  He calls me Aunt Jenny and I love it!

 

One of my sweet kids wrote this about me!  I was touched!

 

PS don't forget sweet ol' Sarah.... love this girl! and her saran wrap too!

The wonders never cease to amaze me....

First let me apologize I really wish I was better at keeping up with this, but a girl's gotta have a life and well I do teach 24 pretty awesome kids every day who depend on me a whole lot!

So a little re-cap... last week was hectic, crazy, stressful and just one of those I was tired of by about Wednesday morning... I did manage to get up and be at the gym at 5:30 Friday morning, which was something I never thought I'd do.  Weigh in Friday night- 1 lb down...... It wasn't exactly my happy face, but I knew this week had been out to get me... especially the stress but honestly I won... beacuse I still lost a pound! Yay me! 

Friday night I met my parents for dinner and didn't do much else... it was nice to have some Saturday time to myself to do a few errands and gather items for Mother's Day and the ma's birthday on Monday! She loves to double wham me!

Saturday afternoon I told Samanthat we were gonna tear up the roads... and we did! Let me brag on that girl for a minute... she stuck it out the whole time... she ran when I told her to run and she NEVER quit on me and that was one long freaking walk/run.... 5.6 miles to be exact! I was so proud of both of us!

Sunday I got to spend the day with a lot of my family which really was nice... oh Enoree!  We took family pics and seeing them made me super ecstatic! Can't wait to post them and print them!  I'd post them here, but this thing is being ridiculous when I try to do that.... so until later!

Sunday me and Sarah and Andrea went for a walk....

No need to go into the rest but just know this... I have struggled this week with feeling pretty crappy... but I've still got my workouts in.  And today... 3 of them.. I started with 30 mins of cardio around 5:45 am, walked and did weights at school with J Biggy and then met my awesome GRIT team for this new 12 weeks of GRIT.  Let me tell you something.. that was some tough shit.. excuse my language please...but it was HARD!  During that one track with all those clean and presses.. I hit every single one of them.. and every time that I did I got chills.. and I even started to cry one time...
Don't get me wrong I'm not sad about that at all, but you don't understand what it's like for a girl like me to come from where I have and be able to do stuff like that... It's empowering, it's moving.. it's amazing!

I am stil a little scared of those jumps on and off the step.. but I'm coming after those things... soon!  I did feel like I was gonna toss my cookies tonight, but I managed to keep it going! I was surrounded.. literally by my amazing team.. I was seriously in the middle of them and I could feel their energy and know we all work so well together.  It's really one of the greatest feelings EVER!  I can't thank Marie, Libba, Tracy, Stephanie, Andrea, Lauren, Joan, and Samantha enough.. and our amazing leader BRIE makes me find that inner push EVERY SINGLE TIME!  I love them and they have changed my life in a way I can never explain....

This IS THE WEEK!... Stay tuned for a weekend update for something EXCITING!

Love you peeps!

"The struggle is part of the story...."

I found this quote so fitting for how I was feeling today. You know how sometimes they say some days you're the windshield and some days you're the bug.... I am totally feeling like the bug today.  Nothing I really care to get into, just my feeling today.

I did manage to accomplish a few things today though and J Biggy even came with me to the Y to try out a few things.  We decided to start doing out workouts at school for a while and making our own gym there ha!  I hope that's more motivating for both of us.

So, my GRIT team is taking a break until the kick off of the next session next week.  Brie sent out an invite though for a GRIT fun run tonight at the regular GRIT time.  Marie encouraged me to go and so although I was quite nervous... I decided I might as well go!  It had started to rain a little, but didn't last.. We started with a run through the trails in the woods behind the Y.  Majorly slippery slopes I might say.. so slippery that I had a minor fall down into the mud... no worries I survived and Libba pretty much never got too far ahead of me and I felt better just knowing she was close.  Finally getting out of the woods was a relief and I was majorly huffing.... we ran around the back of the Y at which point I began to realize just how much I struggled with this running thing....
I had gotten pretty far behind the team and I was starting to get down on myself for always being last, when out of the corner of my eye I see Marie's son Ethan coming around the corner- who I also have the joy of teaching coming back for me.  He had been running with us through the trail.  This moved me to tears to see him come back and run with me, knowing how much I was struggling and I will forever be grateful.
We started farther up the road and I was just really struggling.  I had to take a few breaks to walk and at the time when I was running or walking alone I felt like I would never make it.  I honestly thought it would just be easier on me and the team of us running if I just went back.  But then I started thinking just how far I had come and the obstacles I have passed through.  I could see the GRIT shirts ahead of me and although I was frustrated with being behind... I knew I was better than the old me who would have stayed on the couch instead of run with anybody. 

Our run went towards West Main and down the Forest, then up and down that winding road back to the Y and once I started running towards the end of Sunset I never stopped until we got back to the Y parking lot.  I NEVER once stopped moving and having Brie come back to run with me was amazing.  It really helped me not to quit and just keep moving and give me the motivation I needed.  When we rounded the corner to the Y I could see the rest of the team on the steps, and I could hear them cheering and even right now I am crying just thinking about how much it meant to me.  Something about that team of people who I know without a shadow of a doubt support my decision to change my life makes me push ten times harder.  I knew I couldn't let them down and I had to finish this run for myself. 

No, this wasn't some amazing 5 mile run or anything even close and I could seriously care less.  But this was a major accomplishment for me in my book.  I ran almost the entire way and it wasn't flat land for once.  I promise I will NEVER EVER go back to that person I was before.  I cheated myself out of too much and I can't and won't do it. 

I can never ever let you know how much it meant to me to be a part of your team tonight- Brie, Marie, Libba, Stephanie and Ethan.... you make a major difference in my life and I can't ever thank you enough for your encouragement tonight... love you guys!

Today.. my struggle is a major part of my story.... which continues

I know soon we'll be together......

Don't get worried by reading the title... I'm not bummed about being away from someone or about to post anything sappy-- not today anyways lol!  That's part of the lyrics from one of my FAVORITE songs by Zac Brown Band.  Last night me, Jessica, Chuck and Josh went to an amazing concert at Williams Brice featuring some of my favs--- Zac Brown Band, Eli Young Band, Kasey Musgraves (sp) and Kenny Chesney... I haven't seen Kenny since I was in high school and could afford it when he was at the Bi-Lo Center.  We celebrated my graduation and Josh's birthday... and a few other awesome things like the fact that I've officially lost 48 lbs.

Exactly 4 months ago to the day, yesterday I started my journey with Aaron and the choice to change my life and the rest of it to come!  I met with him yesterday morning and after the lean diet week, I had lost 6 lbs.  I was STOKED and ecsatic to be at a total of 48. 

I can remember thinking to myself just how happy I'd be with my self if I could just get 50 pounds off.  I couldn't imagine what I'd even look like.  And I tell you now, I feel amazing and I am starting to look good.. and I know it. 

I've gone through a whirlwind of changes since January 4th and I'm not even close to the old girl I was and I for sure don't want to go back... EVER! If you're reading this right now... you have my permission to keep me accountable for keeping this weight off for the rest of my life.  My real goal is to lose 70 lbs.  And I have lost over half of that and I know that I will get there. 

If you follow me on Instagram or facebook I'm sure you've seen a lot of pictures lately and I am so happy with my life and the way I look and feel I want everyone to know it, see it and know it's possible if they have the same struggles too!  I enjoy taking pictures and much more now that I know I look 10x better.  It's nice to get some positive attention for your looks and here geuine words from people about how you look or inspire them.

I've gotten a lot of comments lately from people who are important to me, but also from people who I barely even know about inspiring them and motivating them to make a change and that makes me feel amazeballs!

On another note- I went shopping this weekend in hopes of finding something fabulous for the concert- Little did I know it was going to be winter weather and rainy... anyways I was ecsatic to be able to wear and fit into some clothes from a boutique and even bought a medium in a shirt from Francescas... and a new bra ;)

I'm having trouble uploading pics.. but stay tuned for some new awesome pics of me and my fabulous peeps!