All done

Well kids, I did it....I got the braces, I suffered the endless hassles of picking at my teeth, feeling uncomfortable in professional settings, getting carded every time I wanted a drink since I looked like a 15 year old, etc etc...and now it's all over. A few notes:

• Getting the braces off did not hurt at all- it felt kind of like I was getting my teeth cleaned. Might have helped that I took a Tylenol 3 in advance, but who knows


• I did get the 'my teeth are huge and slimy' feeling for a day or two- didn't last long at all


• I am shocked at how many people I've seen since getting them off that haven't seemed to notice. It's very surprising


• I still don't have full feeling in my lower lip and chin (due to the surgery), but I do have more feeling than I did a month or two ago....I haven't given up hope that I will get all feeling back


• If I had to do it all over again, I would- no question. The pain and annoyance were not even the hardest part- it was the cost of the surgery that was the biggest pill to swallow

So that's that....I really do hope that this blog helps others who may look into having orthognathic surgery at some point! Below are my final two pictures:

5 Months, 6 days Post Op

Hola! I know, I know...it's been a REALLY long time since I've written a proper blog regarding my surgery/braces. Why so long, you may ask? Mainly because I haven't had ANY updates! Since my last post I've had zero changes. There are a few things that I still can't eat- for example, I still can't bite into a solid apple and eat it that way (I'm scared to try) and I still can't eat taffy or anything chewy like that due to the braces (not the jaw recovery). I still have numbness in my lower lip and chin area. I'm still told that this is normal, but in all reality I'm terrified that the feeling will never come back. My teeth are straight and my jaw is working just fine. My bite feels perfect to me...as perfect as it's ever been, anyway.

I had an orthodontist appointment last week. I had my fingers crossed when I went into the office, hoping that I would at least get the "Braces Off" date and/or be able to stop wearing these dang rubber bands! My lips and gums are SO irritated (still) from the rubber bands- they are NOT fun. In order to get the bands where they are suppose to go, I have to open my mouth as wide as possible and stretch one end of the rubber band back to the very top back tooth...while keeping enough slack in the rubber band to zig zag up several teeth. I hope that makes sense. Anyway, when I do that, the rubber band cuts into the very corners of my mouth! Seriously, I have tons of tiny, itty bitty cuts on the corners of my mouth...OUCH.



So I ended up getting good news and bad news. Bad news first- I have to keep wearing the rubber bands. The bands are keeping my bite where it is suppose to be...and they help my jaw learn where it's suppose to be when it's 'resting.' Good news- I only have to wear them for one more week because MY BRACES ARE COMING OFF NEXT MONDAY!! Whoot whoot! I almost cried in the office during my appointment because I was so excited. I knew I was getting close, but I didn't know I was this close! I'm so excited! I'm nervous, mainly because my teeth are still uber sensitive and I'm not sure how much the braces coming off is going hurt, but I can handle anything at this point....I'm ready.

So next Monday at 9am I will go into Dr. Smith's office to have my braces taken off. The Doc is then going to put a permanent retainer on my bottom teeth (behind them to keep them in place- it won't show) and I'll have a regular retainer to wear at night on my top teeth. I can't even imagine what my teeth are going to feel like without all this metal! Seriously...I've forgotten. I'll have some 'after' shots taken at the orthodontist right after they finish up. Then, I'll have to schedule a follow-up with my surgeon so that he can do my 'after' pics as well. I'm curious to put all the pics side by side to see what it looks like....I'll share, don't worry.

I guess what I'm most excited about is NOT being paranoid about my teeth anymore. I've NEVER felt that way. Forever I was constantly hiding my teeth so that no one would notice how crooked they were. Then, when I got braces, I was always paranoid that I had something in my teeth or that I looked like a 15 year old. I've never been comfortable just smiling...ever. I'm thrilled at the thought of just not thinking about my teeth anymore and just living with them! It will definitely make me more willing to smile in pictures...and will make me much more comfortable giving presentations and what-not. Dang, I'm excited.

So yes, that's my big news. One more week, baby. I've already scheduled a cleaning and whitening for the following weeks (couldn't in til June, though). Below is how happy I am right now. =)

5 Months Post-Op

This is just a tease- will be updating everyone this weekend sometime....I have news!

3 Months and 2 Weeks post-op

Hello hello....I know, it's been a while. Today marks my three months and two weeks post- surgery date. Does it seem like it's been that long to you? Sure does to me...life with braces tends to crawl by. I do have a few updates, though:

1. As far as my jaw goes, I can eat whatever I want. I can chew as well as anyone I suppose
2. The muscles around my mouth are still adjusting to my face's new 'layout.' When I chew something really chewy...like gum..I still have difficulty keeping my mouth shut while I chew. It's weird and makes me choose very carefully what I will eat in front of people


3. I still do not have feeling in my lower lip/chin area. There is a constant tingling, so I guess that means it's healing, but it's really driving me crazy. I can't wait til it feels normal again. How long will that take? Could be a few more months...could be never. Only time will tell. If my feeling never comes back it's going to be really depressing.


4. My teeth are looking great- straight as straight can be, I suppose. Went to the orthodontist for a check up yesterday and was told I might be braceless by June.


5. Did I mention that I CRIED during my ortho appointment? Seriously. 12 year old girls can get braces and be just fine, but I ended up tearing up? It was so embarrassing. The lady that was changing out my wire was having a lot of difficulty and kept putting a lot of pressure on me....and I guess my teeth are just uber sensitive post surgery, cause it made me cry. I was so embarrassed. The lady felt really bad about it, but I don't feel bad about her feeling bad. I've had most of the ladies in that office mess with my braces, and she was by far the worst as far as trying to make sure I wasn't in pain. For a second, I honestly thought she was going to break my jaw. I'm not kidding.


6. So yesterday I got out of my thicker wire and into a smaller one...my last wire before I have none! This wire doesn't hurt or anything, so that's good.


7. The worst part about yesterday is that Dr. Smith put me in 'ostrich' rubber bands. For those of you who haven't had braces, the bands now have animal names...I think so that people will remember what they are in? Who knows. Anyway, ostrich rubber bands are really long and really skinny so that they can connect several teeth at a time. On each side of my mouth, I have to start the band on the back, top tooth and zig zag it (connect to lower one, the up and over, then the one under that, then up and over, etc etc) across like 8-9 teeth. By the time I get both bands on, my jaw might as well be wired shut. I can't even open it wide enough to get in an advil! My back molars need to turn up and connect with my top teeth a little different...that's what the ostrich bands are suppose to accomplish. THEY HURT LIKE HELL...and I have to wear them all the time (except meals) for the next two months. I'm sooo not excited. I kept waking up in pain last night, and when I woke up this morning I wanted to cry. It felt like I had pushed my teeth together as hard as possible all night long. Again, I don't know how little kids do this! I feel like such a wuss!


8. So, I do the bands...keep cleaning well...and go back to the ortho in May. I'm suppose to get my 'braces off' date at that appointment...I can't wait. I'm going to have a huge party when this is all over with. =)

10 1/2 Weeks Post-Op

Great news- my surgeon doesn't want to see me again until my braces are off! He told me that I'm healing perfectly, that I can try to eat whatever I would like, and that there is nothing more he can do....except take my 'after' photos once my braces are off. =) He also told me to tell my orthodontist that he thinks I'll be good to go to get my braces off in April or May opposed to June or July. I can't wait to tell Dr. Smith and see if he'll be willing to 'de-brace' me sooner than originally planned- I HOPE SO!

Since I am able to eat so many things now, I've already started gaining some of the weight that I lost this past year back. I have dedicated this week to a 'do-over' week and am getting back on track with eating better so that I can maintain the weight loss I have had over the past year...will keep you posted.

Besides that news, I have nothing new to report. My next Ortho appt isn't until mid-March.

I am definitely setting up a personal blog- hoping that it will be up and running by the end of this week. In personal news, I had a b-day last week (the big 2-8) and was blessed to get to hang out with some great people. It's taken me several years to really realize how blessed I am when it comes to friends, but man do I realize it now!

Chris was very sweet to me for my b-day and V-day....I am truly spoiled rotten. Chris actually makes me a homemade V-day card every single year, and this year the card was just precious. Not only was it really sweet, but the card was really pretty technical and he put lots of thought and work into it. See the card below- it's a pop up! I would tell you what the bottom of the card says so that you know how sweet it is....but I think Chris would probably kill me. Sorry.

Hope all is well!

Exactly 9 Weeks Post-Op

This post isn't going to be too fancy or witty- I'm in a hotel room in Texas (again) watching LOST and I'm on a commercial break. Yes, now you understand my priorities. =) So today marks 9 weeks since my surgery date- does it seem like it's only been 9 weeks to you? Seems like a lot longer to me, that's for sure. You might be wondering why I haven't posted about a surgical follow-up recently....that's because I haven't had one. I've been traveling 3 out of the last five weeks, so I had to move some appointments around. I was all set to go in last week, but then I got iced into my house for a few days and had to move my appointment yet again. Anyway, my new appointment is this Friday....but I don't really expect much more than a "looks good."

So I just realized that I have never posted about the surgial costs that I've endured by having this surgery. Most of my friends and family don't really care, but this blog is mostly for people having the surgery or considering the surgery....so it's something that should be covered. First of all, unless you get diagnosed with TMJ, this jaw is considered an elective surgery. This was very frustrating to me, considering my underbite had gottten so bad that I couldn't bite correctly and looked quite abnormal from the side. This surgery was definitely not 'elective' for me....or cosmetic. Getting braces was cosmetic for me...the surgery was to correct my bite. I don't understand why insurance companies can't see the difference. So, once I knew that my surgery was termed elective, I had two options from my insurance- have the surgery in the hospital or have the surgery in my surgeon's office as an out-patient. This was a troubling decision for me.

On one hand...having it in the hospital I would have been hooked up to an IV (and IV drugs) all night and would have had nurse's care for at least 24 hours. This was very appealing to me. It also would have helped give Chris a break for an extra day or two. This surgery had to have been hard on him as well (although he's never said so, has never complained and didn't seemed phased at all), and it would have been nice not to put him out. Being in the hospital was also appealing for my high-anxiety self...knowing people were there to help me if something went terribly wrong. On the other hand, my costs were much less doing it out-patient, I was surrounded by people who do this surgery all the time and are use to reactions, etc, and being home after the surgery was somewhat appealing to me as well.

Honestly, I wanted to have the surgery in the hospital- simply for the reassurance that I wouldn't be in pain and that I'd have emergency care a few steps away. In the end, however, the surgical costs were going to be a little over $10,000 more for having in the hospital, so I elected to do it outpatient. In the end, I ended up paying almost $20,000 out of pocket for the surgery. Shocking, isn't it? Trust me, I know. To think of all the things that one could do for all that money! If my teeth hadn't gotten as bad as they did, I never would have had the surgery simply based on the costs....but I didn't have a choice when it came down to it. How does one come up with this amount of money in just a couple of months? Sure, there are lots of options- cash in some of my 401k (and end up losing a lot more than $20k by cashing out), take out a personal loan, pay part of it and charge part of it....and whatever else you can think of. In the end, a true blessing from God is what got my surgery taken care of.

In Jr. High and High School I was very close to 2 girls. We spent almost every single weekend together...and in fact I spent probably 3-4 school nights with them each week. I grew up in the boonies and was very involved at school, so my parents were understanding about me wanting to stay 'in town.' Anyway, spending this much time with my friends was also spending this much time with their families. One of my friends in particular has quite phenominal parents- always very understanding, always supportive, always willing to let me hang out, etc. I really considered this friends' parents another set of my parents. Truth be told, in some ways, they were better parents to me than my own. These two folks will always be dear to my heart and I owe them so much for the way I am and the way I want to be. I love them. One thing about my other parents is that they use to not have too much as far as money/belongings go, but they worked very hard in their live...they paid their dues....they were smart and thrify and dedicated....and it paid off greatly for them. They are now blessed with great wealth- which they put to great use through charities, helping people, bettering their surroundings and so much more. Meeting them and being around them you would never know that they are so wealthy- it's inspiring how they are still the same people although their situation has completely changed.

Over the years, I have always gone to this set of parents for financial advice, loans (to fix cars, to buy a car in high school, etc....which I always paid back), a shoulder to cry on, a buddy to drink wine with, professional advice on my career....anything and everything. Of course I went to them about the surgery- there is no way I wanted to do something stupid (like put it on my credit card) if that would hurt me later and there was something smarter (like cashing out my 401k) for me to do. I did not go to them for a loan...and I never ever considered that....until I got a phone call one night and my other mother said something like "you know, we thought about what you should do, and we thought it would be silly of you to cash in your 401k or charge it on your credit card when we can just loan you the money." I, of course, started crying immediately. It was so caring...so giving....so thoughtful....SO MUCH. I've learned not to mix businesses/money with friends/family, and I figured it was just too much to accept. My other mother convinced me otherwise. She has told me over the years that God wouldn't have blessed her with her wealth if he didn't want her to do something with it- and she feels that if she can make peoples' lives easier/better/happier, then she can and will. She's amazing. So yes, she wrote me a check. And yes, I'm making hefty monthly payments and will pay her back as quickly as I can. It was such a blessing. And you know what? When I am settled...and when I don't have to worry about money anymore....and when I am able to...I am going to help someone else. I may not be able to write them a $20,000 check, but I will make a difference in their lives.

So that's that. As far as my progress goes, I'm doing great. I'm trying more and more foods and find that I can eat most things...just not in public. ;) For example, I can make a sandwich and eat it at home, but I would never eat a sandwich in public because it's just too messy. My problem is that I can't chew and keep my lips together. I can chew, yes...it's just that my mouth is wide open if I open my mouth more than a half-inch. This is not a pretty sight! My jaw is working fine, but my muscles around my jaw and my lips are still getting use to things. For example, I cannot make a 'fish face' anymore- you know, the one where you suck the corner of your lips in? When I try to do it, it looks like I'm trying to pucker. I can't pucker, either. Well I can, but it's not normal yet....looks strained. My top lip is really feeling now, but it is also still a little tingly from the nerve damage...I'm hoping this heals soon. My lower lip and chin don't have much feeling at all, but I can tell they are healing because of the itching and tingling all the time. Once I have all my feeling back I will feel like a normal person again....I'm going to ask the doc when to expect this to come back because I'm getting frustrated. I still can't normally kiss my hubby and feel it! Not fun!

Well, that's about it- let me know if you have any questions! The doc had originally said that I'd be 100% normal as far as my functionality goes (not including the nerve damage/feeling) at 12 weeks...which puts me near the end of February. I'm excited! Enjoy the pics below- I'm cheesin' out.

9 week front view: 9 week profile:
Look mom, three fingers! Not too far in, but there are three! YAY!

7 weeks and a few days post-op

I don't have a calendar in front of me, but I'm pretty sure I'm seven weeks and four days post-op today. I had an orthodontist appointment this past Tuesday, and it went really well. Dr. Smith is very happy with my progress so far and told me that the rest of my time in braces will mainly be for my jaw to heal.....and making minor tweaks to my alignment. Actually, he said that if I hadn't had surgery a few weeks ago that I could get my braces off soon....but since I DID have surgery, I have to have them on for a minimum of six months. I was told six months should be about it, though....so I have a target date for my de-bracing- JUNE 09! Yay! At the appointment on Tuesday, Dr. Smith put a 'chain' on my top teeth....this is a thing (TIGHT) band-like material that hooks around all of the braces on the top and slowly and consistently pulls your teeth all together. This is to close any spaces that have developed, although I don't see any spaces. I can tell you one thing- this thing does NOT feel good! It's a constant pressure and is slightly more annoying than when I get my wires changed out. My next ortho appt is in March, and I was told that I'd have my wires changed out then and would be doing some different things with my rubber bands. How exciting (insert sarcasm here).

I have a follow-up appt with my surgeon on Tuesday (if the ice storm that is suppose to hit doesn't ice me in). I don't expect anything to come out of this meeting, really. I'm already eating most things, and the things that I can't eat won't be on the menu line-up anytime soon (things like salad, tacos, cheeseburgers, etc). I do want to inquire about my remaining swelling- I'm so ready for it to go down! Most of it is gone, yes, but I still have pockets of swelling on my cheeks. I also want to find out how much longer he things I will have to wait until I get all of my feeling in my mouth/lips/chin/etc back. My upper lip/nose is mostly back, but my lower lip and chin are still totally numb. It doesn't hurt or anything...just annoying. I know I should just have patience, and I'm trying, but I'm just so excited about being 100% someday.

I apologize that I've been neglecting this blog- I've been traveling every single week since I started my new job. It's going great, but it sure has been busy and crazy. I can't wait to update you all on the new job and the direction that my career is starting to take, but I'll save that for my personal blog that I am planning on setting up in the near future. =) In the meantime, just know that things are good.

Ok, two quick personal notes-

1. Most of you know that I am pretty OCD with certain things...especially anything to do with organization and tidiness. A week or so ago, I was out of town all week and came home to a not-so-clean house. Chris is usually good about cleaning up after himself, but this one week in particular just wasn't his week I guess. I drove for 6.5 hours and when I got home and started to unpack I started noticing things that needed done...like all of Chris's laundry (and now my travel laundry)....the dishes....the grocery shopping....taking the recycling...dusting...mopping...vacumming....changing the sheets...etc etc etc. When I went into the bathroom to put my travel bathroom pack away, I noticed that Chris had trimmed his beard and left the trimmer out, left bits of hair in different locations and had stuff all over the counter top. I teared up....I know, it's stupid. I guess I was just so tired and so overwhelmed at that moment with everything that I needed to do (because I can't just 'let it go' and go to sleep, etc as some of you may suggest) that I couldn't focus on anything else. I didn't get mad...I didn't say anything to Chris...I just unpacked and then started cleaning. I think Chris got the point of my frustration when I didn't go to bed until after 2 because I was doing everything that needed done. ANYWAY....I got home this Friday and Chris had vacuumed, gone to the store, done his own laundry, etc. Did he do everything that I would have done? No....but he did enough that it was manageable. Plus, he had flowers waiting on me (below pic). He made my day.
2. We went to see Mix Master Mike last night at George's...it was a great show and we are both worn out from the good times. Stayed the night with Apes and Ira and hung out most of the day- good weekend!

Here are pics from this week:

6 Weeks Post-Op

Good evening! I'm writing from my hotel room in Henderson, TX, where I just finished watching Grey's Anatomy and am about to watch Private Practice. I'm hooked, what can I say?

This is my second week on the new job, and I am completely loving it. It's amazing to feel like you can make a real contribution to a team and actually have it appreciated 100%. It's so exciting and it's so scary. My head is spinning, but I can't wait to really get my hands into everything. I'm going to be doing what I do best, along with a few things that I've never done before- should be great.

So...surgery follow-up. Yesterday was my 6 week mark...SIX WEEKS! In some ways it seems like so much more time has passed since the surgery...and in other ways it's like the surgery was last week. It's weird. So here is what is going on now:

• I can chew. I'm not biting into hamburgers or taking large bites of chicken breasts or anything, but I AM cutting up proteins into small bites and slowly chewing them....and it doesn't hurt! It's still weird, but I'm working on it. I'm adding more and more foods into my diet as I go along...just trying whatever I think I can. I wouldn't try a taco or chips or anything hard or anything, but most things are pretty fair game. I'm traveling a lot now, so it's sooo good that I have several options.
• I have most of the feeling back from my top jaw surgery-meaning I can feel my nose, have some feeling in my upper lip, etc. For example, when I put chapstick on my upper lip can actually feel where the stick is connecting to the lip! Yay!
• I still haven't gotten most of the feeling back in my chin and lower lip, but I can tell that some feeling is coming back. My chin itches and tingles some (which drives me crazy cause scratching does NOTHING to alleviate the itchy feeling), but I think that means it's healing. =) The surgeon told me that the lower jaw always takes longer to come back....so I'm not concerned at all. It's just annoying...I could put on chapstick without a mirror and end up halfway across my face without knowing it! LOL
• I can get about 2 1/2 fingers into my mouth now (refer to the gun analogy from previous post)...which is a big improvement. I see Dr. Lewis again in a couple of weeks, so I'm hoping to be up to three fingers by then....
• My smile is somewhat normal now. It's getting less crooked and more 'real' looking.
• I'm only wearing my bands when I sleep. I do, however, go to see Dr. Smith next Tuesday and expect that he's going to want me to switch some things up.
• I can go out into public and no one has any idea that I had major surgery just a little over a month ago. People who know me just look at me and know that something is different, but they don't necessarily know what it is
• I still find myself waking myself up in the middle of the night pushing my teeth together really hard. It hurts and wakes me up. I'm not sure why I do it...I think I'm trying to make the pressure from the bands go away or something? I tried wearing the bands during the day instead so that I would be aware of what I am doing, but with work and meals and stuff it was just too difficult.
• I'm gaining weight. =( I had lost about 10 lbs during my recovery, and the other day I got on a scale and realized that 4 of those lbs are already back on due to my increased diet. I'm going to try to keep the rest off....cause I needed to lose the weight anyway. I lost around 35 total lbs last year (including the 10 post-surgery) from working on it...and this year I want to take off about 15 more so that I'll be at my goal weight. Wish me luck- it's a constant battle!

Well, that's about all the updates I have! I have a lot of personal updates as well, but I think I am going to develop a separate blog for that so that individuals who read this blog for surgery information don't get bored to death with my silly life updates. =) I'll let you know once I get it set-up..it might be a while with my crazy work schedule.

Here is my 6 week profile pic. I was going to post a smile and a front photo, but I just got done working out and look like a wet rat. Enjoy!

One Month Post Surgery

Hello, friends! I apologize that it has taken me so long to update this...the past couple of weeks have been a little crazy! I'll first update you on the "how's your face?" question I've been getting, then I'll give you a brief update on Christmas/New Years/new job/etc.

Tomorrow is monumental to me- it's my one month post surgery anniversary! That's right kids, one month ago tomorrow I was laying in a chair having my jaw sawed apart from my skull. Crazy. I had my third follow-up appointment with Dr. Lewis this past Tuesday, and I'm happy to report that he believes me to be one of his poster children for orthognathic surgery. What does that mean? I'm doing great! I can now easily get two fingers into my mouth without cheating, I can talk without mumbling, I don't drool when I drink from a cup, I don't have any stitches hanging off of my sutures, my nose is back to normal, I'm allowed to softly blow my nose, I have very little pain and I have much more energy. As far as eating is concerned, I've eating MUCH more now...anything that I can chop up really small so that I don't bite to tear apart. This means that cut up pancakes, taco salad without the shell, pasta, rice, scrambled eggs, french toast, etc are all fair game! It's a whole new world. Dr. Lewis gave me permission this past week to begin chewing very soft things now, with a rule of "If it hurts, spit it out and don't eat anymore." To get use to this I've pretty much just been eating the same foods I had been, but am trying to chew some of the pieces up. It doesn't hurt really, but it feels really weird since I don't have feeling in my mouth. For example, I can take a bite of pancake and chew...but I can't really tell if it's between my back teeth or not. If that sounds weird, it's because it is. Really weird.

One thing that I haven't mentioned before is that with my lips and cheeks so swollen, my braces actually rub and touch my lips/cheeks at all times. If I take my bottom lip and try to make the top of my bottom lip touch the bottom of my chin (go ahead, try it), I have groove marks all over the inside of my mouth from my braces. A few days ago, a few of these grooves were really inflamed and gross looking...and I never even knew they were there since I have no feeling in my lip at all! I've started wearing a lot of wax on my braces now so that those indentions don't get really bad or leave permanent marks. I don't mind the wax that much, except that it makes me look like I have something in my teeth at all times. Whenever I see someone I know I just open my mouth really wide and say "it's wax, don't worry" so that they don't stare the whole time. =)

So yes, my mouth is doing great. For now I am working on stretching my jaw (hoping to get to three fingers within the next few weeks) and getting use to chewing again. I have no complains. Below are pics from today:
I told you about my Christmas with the Hottinger clan, but I believe that's my last update. Chris and I (and the pups, of course) went to my parents' house on Christmas Eve to spend the night and day with my family. I made dinner on Christmas Eve, then made four pies and some cookies for Christmas Day. After dinner we did gifts- and all I can say is that we were very, very spoiled this year. We are very blessed in all ways...we are so thankful for our families and friends! My parents got us several things, but our favorite was definitely the Wii and the Wii Fit- we have both been sore for days from playing! You think I'm kidding? ;) My biggest surprise of all (probably the biggest X-Mas surprise EVER) is that my Aunt C had sent a gift for me and Chris from TX to my parents' house. She got us......drum roll, please.....A DYSON VACUUM! I've been wanting one forever, mainly to help with the dog hair and perhaps keep me from having to vacuum every single day, so I had asked for giftcards for gifts for a while since I could never let myself spend so much money on a vacuum. I had no idea that she would get us the vacuum...we were both shocked.

Christmas day we did a nice breakfast and then we had cooked and cooked. We had about 12 family members and friends join us for Christmas lunch, and it was very nice. I was worried about having both of our huskies there with everyone, but they did great and were well behaved. The weekend following Christmas, Chris and I went with my parents and some of their friends to some cabins at Keystone State Park in Oklahoma. The weather was very nice and we had a great time. It sure was nice to get home, though!

This week has been awesome- my hubby and I have had our first whole week off together to just hang out since our honeymoon! We've cleaned and organized and re-arranged...and now we're just hanging out and being lazy- it's great.

New Years Eve was amazing...one of my favorite parties ever, in fact. The group was perfect...the weather was perfect...and everyone looked great and truly seemed happy. My night was REALLY made when several people told me that I was looking good....it was really nice to feel somewhat normal and not be self-conscious anymore. Thank you, girls....here are a few pics:

I start my new job on Monday, and I'm excited. I'm finally done with my old company and I couldn't be happier to not have to deal with some of the lying, sneaky and arrogant posers anymore. It's crazy...I wasn't really happy with the way that things went down there, but in the end it couldn't be better because I got a much better job....with a better company...for more money...in a nice office...with better people! Yay for karma! I am now the Project Manager for the Wal-Mart/Sam's accounts for XXXXXX company. Anyone who wants to know all the details about my new job just comment or email me and I'll email you back...I don't want to tell all the details on a public forum. =) I will be getting my new BlackBerry and laptop this coming up week, so I should be able to post more often after next weekend. Wish me luck and enjoy your week!