Weight Loss Goal= MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

It has been a loooong road it seems but I have FINALLY met my weight loss goal! In April of this year I made a decision to get serious about my health and today I can happily say that I am the size that I was before I became pregnant with Reyna 10 years ago! I am fitting nicely into a size 8 and I am overjoyed about it! A diet overhaul and excercise are to credit for my success! I am not stopping here though because it is time for new goals and moving forward.  I have signed up for weight training and I have started running (something I have always loathed). I have lost the weight but I want to tone and I want to be stronger. As we ladies get older our bones get weaker and strength training is just the thing to slow that process down. I want to thank everyone that supported me along the way like you Natalie Higgs for always helping me see the little molehills as a great success and see them more as mountains of accomplishment and let's not forget letting me vent when necessary! To my kids for being my biggest supporters and always telling Mommy she was doing great. To my hardworking husband, thank you for all of your encouragement and support, you are my ROCK! Last but not least thank you Ms. Rebecca and to a few of my fellow dance moms from the studio for always making laugh and your encouragement, you guys are great (Toni, Tracey and Brandi)! (Even though you guys liked to sometimes make fun of me in the process!)

I looked hard for a BEFORE photo but it was not easy to find because I rarely allowed anyone to take my picture (because I hated seeing my fat self in pics) but I found a pic from Nico's 1st Communion in April of this year. Wincing as I post this pic.....

 

The AFTER was a bit easier to find and much easier to post:)

CONGRATS to my favorite Indie Author!

Colleen Hoover's, Slammed Series has been not only picked up by a major publisher recently but it has now been optioned for film:) I knew when I found this little gem nearly 10 months ago from an unknown self published indie author that I had found something special! Her rapid firing success is much deserved. I have recently learned that she is a Texan like myself and that we grew up only a few short miles from one another! How crazy is that??? Small world we live in for sure!

I absolutely fell in love with her story and the characters that she created. I can not wait to see it come to life on the big screen!

Slam Poetry is a big part of this story and I wanted to share one of my favorite slams from the first book:

“Sometimes life gets in your way.
it gets all up in your damn way.
But it doesn't get all up in your damn way
because it wants you to just give up and let it take control.
Life doesn't get all up in your damn way because it just wants you to hand it all over and be carried along.

Life wants you to fight it
Learn how to make it your own.
it wants you to grab and axe and hack through the wood.
It wants you to get a sledgehammer and break through concrete.
It wants you to grab a torch and burn through the metal and steel until you can reach through and grab it.

Life wants you to grab all the organized, the alphabetized, the chronological, the sequenced. It wants you to mix it all together,
stir it up,
blend it.”
― Colleen Hoover, Slammed

Again a BIG, HUGE, ENORMOUS, GIGANTIC, OVERWHELMING Congrats to Mrs. Hoover! (And if you have not read this book yet......RUN, do not walk, RUN and get this book ASAP! You will not regret it;) Just click HERE to buy your copy now!

Perez Family Update

Hello all!  It has been a few months since my last post and boy have we got lots to talk about!  So much has happened in such a short period of time.  I guess I will start with the biggest and best change and that is we are FINALLY out of the apartment and in a house that fits our family perfectly! We are back in the kids school zone and we are no longer are commuting:) The house is very nice and the neighborhood is great. The location is ideal and the kids love it here!

School started last month and the kids are all doing exceptionally. After meetings with all teachers we learned that Nico and Reyna both currently have all A's and Pito has all A's and B's! We are very proud of them for their academic success.

Reyna is on the competitive dance team this year and has proved to be very dedicated to it. She spends approximately 10 hours in dance practice per week in the evenings and is still maintaining straight A's in school. So very proud of her and her maturity at such a young age.  The boys have advanced up to the next belt in Tae Kwon Do and are doing well in their classes. We recently had their photos taken in uniform. I will add a few to this post.

The boys Tae Kwon Do photo

We took a trip to San Antonio to the Riverwalk and to Sea World this summer and visited my awesome cousin in Houston as well who is more like a sister to me than a cousin.  The kids loved riding her horses and running wild on her ranch! It was a great time. Several of my other cousins came up while we were there for a little mini reunion and it was great to catch up and see everyone.

 

 Us on the San Antonio Riverwalk

The kids at Sea World watching the Flamingos

 Reyna and one of my cousins horses

 Cousins!

Me, Reyna and my cousin Amie at her house in Houston

Felipe came home September 24th from Afghanistan for a 20 day visit.  We had a blast while he was here.  The 2 of us took off for a 3 day getaway to an amazing spa called The Lorian in Old Town Alexandria.  It was absolutely magical! You would never guess that such a place was so nearby. we enjoyed every second of it. I will add a few photos from our stay there.  Felipe also surprised me with a brand new, gorgeous wedding ring set and totally stunned me. Once we returned he had a great time with the kids taking them to Kings Dominion amusement park. He bungee jumped with the boys and we spent the day riding rides and eating junk food:)  We spent our days having lunch and movie dates while the kids were in school and running a ton of errands that had to be done while he was here. We did not waste a minute during his visit.  He left this past Sunday and will most likely not return until April. Please keep in your thoughts and prayers especially during the holidays. It will be difficult spending Thanksgiving and Christmas apart.

Champagne and Strawberries @ The Lorian

Dinner @ The Lorian

My new wedding ring set!

Kings Dominion 

 Felipe doing the "Extreme Drop" at Kings Dominion with the boys!

Felipe and I both also took control of our health and have made big changes with our bodies! Felipe has hit the gym over in Afghanistan and started doing the insane Insanity program.  He gained 13 pounds of muscle and came home looking and feeling amazing!  During the six months that he was gone I  underwent my own transformation and have now lost a total of 47 pounds!!!! I went from an embarrassing and unhealthy size 16 to a now happy and healthy size 8:) I am now focusing on toning and building muscle.  I feel better than I have in over 10 years! I am running a 5k with the kids weekend and love that I am able to do those kinds of things now.

Reyna celebrated her 10th birthday this month and was so happy that her dad could be here for it! We had a dance party for her at her dance studio (All That and Jazz) and she had a blast with all of her girlfriends dancing and playing! She had pizza and delicious cupcakes from a local cupcakery (Confections) and they were a hit!

 Reyna's Birthday Bash

We had family photos made while Felipe was home by a great photographer (Kiki and Mimi Photography) at a local park and the photos came out looking incredible! I could not have asked for more.  You can see a gallery of my favorites here. I can't wait to design our Christmas cards using these great photos!

A couple of my favorite photos from our session:)

It has been an eventful past few months and I am thankful for everything that we have and for such a dedicated husband and father who does all he can for his family!  He is such a blessing to us and we miss him so very much! Please keep him in your prayers. We wish you all a very happy holiday season!

All Our Love,
Felipe, Katy, Pito, Reyna and Nico