day4

another half pound lost…and feeling good. The protein is essential for my particular body. I feel so much better with it.

*I did have a diet soda today, but didn’t want the icky water with my lunch.

*I tried the grilled chicken salad at Port of Subs. It was really really good. Although I did want chips soooo bad because I always get chips with my sandwich there.

*no exercise today.

Day 4–just okay!

day 3

Today shows a loss of three pounds. I didn’t see any loss on day 1 or 2, which is to be expected. I know part of that loss is water weight, but honestly, I’m so full of water from drinking, and from the fruit, I can’t imagine it being more than a pound of it.

*as long as I have my ice water with me, I feel less like having to “drive thru”, but let’s be honest, there’s nothing like a Sonic Diet Coke, or any other delicious concoction, in the middle of a Las Vegas afternoon.

*i really really want homemade bread. :)

*my ‘need’ for sugar has been minimal, and my protein crave has lessened as I’ve added a small portion to one meal of the day.

MY MENU
–fruit medley for breakfast
–cafe rio salad for lunch…no tortilla, no rice, no guac, and no dressing. I did have a little grilled chicken and black beans for my daily protein boost. I really do much better that way.
–garden vegetable soup for afternoon snack
–two small red potatoes with salsa on top for dinner

Day 3, encouraging! :)

day 2

DAY 2

*No diet coke craving. Although, I did have some crystal light toward the evening.

*I did much better drinking more water. Although, now I have to pee a lot more.

*I ate 1350 calories today. Much better than the meager 800 yesterday. I added a small amount of walnuts, which helped boost my calories…and sustained me through the morning. I also had double the soup portion this evening…but it was soooo good, and soooo low in calories.

*kudos to me for not breaking the rules even though Adam came home from China today, and we went out to eat. Oh, and I made him homemade bread that I have yet to taste. I will be a bread making fiend when this is over. :)

Day 2–easier.

cleanse, shmeanse

How did I let my sister talk me into a 10-day Fruit/Veggie CLEANSE? Seriously! Totally not me! And I am totally doing it! And I will plot it out here on the blog so that I can remember that although it’s 10 days, it’s ONLY 10 days! And it will be worth it. Or so they say! :)

DAY ONE

I have only consumed 800 calories so far, and that is really really trying. I’ve already eaten dinner so how am I going to get to 1600? I need to have a bigger breakfast tomorrow. I only had a banana today. That will help.

I’m dreaming of caramelized apples drizzled with cinnamon, green peppers dipped in salsa, and plain air-popped popcorn. Which should I have tonight?

Overall, Day 1, not hard!

two adoptions and seven kids later… :)

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Our three foster children: Joseph, Brian, and Adriana were officially adopted into the McCracken clan on Thursday, August 11, 2011. We adopted them from Clark County Foster Care here in Las Vegas. We are so happy to have an official day to celebrate and commemorate their inclusion into our family. The three Littles have been with us for almost a year now, and we have considered them “ours” from the moment we got them. But there is something about the adoption decree that allows us, the parents, to exhale that last bit of breath. You know, the “what if” breath that we don’t even know we are holding until the judge says, “YES.”

At the courthouse…we had so many friends and family members in attendance. In addition, there were many dear workers from Clark County, whom we consider friends, who have been involved in this wonderful placement. Joseph kept wrapping my arm tighter and tighter around his tummy. Brian wouldn’t let go of Adam. And Annie, well, she’s just smiley bubbly Annie…happy to be along for the ride. :)

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We’re guessing most people are not excited to see their name listed on a docket at Family Court. We got quite a few stares as we were taking pictures of it.

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And look at all the amazing people who came in support of this awesomeness:

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It was obviously a beautiful day. Thank you, to everyone who attended, and who continue to support our growing McFamily!

Welcome (officially), Jo Jo, Brian, and Annie:

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while the cat is away…

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Last summer, Adam was going to hike Mummy Springs (Fletcher Peak) while we were in Washington. Unfortunately and tragically, he forgot his hiking boots, which was only discovered after driving an hour to the trailhead, after work.  Needless to say, his hiking hopes were quickly squashed.

Well, another summer has come, which means his wife and children have fled to Washington for the summer. And so  he gave Mummy Springs another go this past weekend.

Hiking boots, check!

GPS, check!

Brand new bivvy, check!

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I  believe Adam hiked nine miles total, catching a ride from some nice travelers back up to his truck! I am so glad he took some last minute time away for himself, doing the thing that he loves the most. And he says the only thing that would have made his overnighter better was having me there. Ahhh, shucks! :)

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one dad, seven ninos, and a new GPS

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We have the Best Dad Ever!

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On Father’s Day weekend, we went up Fletcher Canyon (Mt. Charleston). We hiked four miles and had a blast in the water. Dad kept dunking our heads in. And daddy finally got to use his new GPS. (he lost the old one in an airport somewhere between here and Shanghai, seriously!)

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Best Father’s Day yet! June 18, 2011

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it’s finally done :)

We are loving our new home. It is everything we had hoped for. Todd and Kyle at New Freedom Properties, along with their crew, worked the magic below. Adam and I chose everything, and New Freedom put it together. I was soooo nervous about paint and flooring and counters matching, but I think we did an okay job for our first time. Adam took pictures from the same angle in the before and after photos so we can really appreciate the difference in each room.

Here is the before-and-after tour:

The Kitchen

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The Dining Room

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The Front Area

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The Family Room

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The New Breakfast Bar

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I hope you liked the tour. I’ll show pics of bedrooms and upstairs after we are all settled. For now we are swimming in a sea of boxes. But hey, at least I now have a walk-in pantry to put everything in. :)

welcome home

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We finally did it. The vagabonds have turned domestic, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. There has been no buyer’s remorse, no regrets, no second-guessing. We know we bought the right house at the right time in the right place. Now if we could just move in already!!!

Before and During side-by-sides:
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Progress is being made, as you can tell from the photos. The flooring should be finished in the next few days. Then comes new counters and stained cupboards. So excited for that. :) Finally, they will lay the carpet. We are still shooting for a move date of Memorial Day Weekend, but it looks like we could actually be officially done with the remodel a few days before that.

Here’s our beautiful pool, and outdoor kitchen. We LOVE this feature.
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We’ll keep pictures coming, as the updates happen.