Yesterday was a good day.

Living with my sister is good times. It doesn't matter what we're doing, I'm always laughing. Grocery shopping, watching TV, cooking dinner. It's all golden. (All of these were done yesterday, by the way.)

But the best times are spent playing Mario Party. We lost to the computer after nearly an hour and a half of playing, and still had a great time! 

I can't tell you how many times I've nearly peed my pants from laughing while playing this game with Alyson. It's just not as much fun anyone else. Stupid dance moves, squeals, groans and laughs. It's one of my favorite things about living with Aly.

Shortly afterward, we started making dinner. Aly made salad. It's about the best salad in the world. I would be content to eat only that salad for a month. So good. 

I made Fajitas!

There's just something so gorgeous about red and green bell peppers! 

Here's how you make an amazing fajita!

First, warm up a flour tortilla and layer it like so: 

Mmm! So yummy! 

Some other things you can put on your fajita:

Avocado/Guacamole (I wish I would have had some this)

Sauteed Onions (or mushrooms, which my sister loves)

Then you just wrap it up like so!

I was looking through pictures today and stumbled across a really old family picture. It was fun to look at my sisters and parents and myself and see how much we've all changed. To see how little our family pictures used to be before we added more people into the mix. I spent the next half an hour scrounging up other family portraits. It was so much fun, I just have to share them with you!

1995 or 1996

1999 or 2000

2003

2007

2010

I love my family SO much! They mean everything to me and I have no idea what I'd do without their support and love!

And now for some funny pictures! 

I miss you guys!

I've been such a slacker when it comes to taking pictures lately. I love the feeling of having my camera in hand and snapping a shot of something pretty or visually interesting to me, but I just haven't done it in a while. 

So today, when I went for my walk, I decided to snap a few pictures. I didn't take very many, because it's a residential neighborhood and didn't know if people would want me snapping pictures of their pretty foliage or something. Silly new neighborhoods where I don't know anyone. In my old neighborhood, I know that no one would have minded me taking pictures. Oh well.

Here are my favorite shots of the morning!

 Life is beautiful. Glad I get to live it. 

I've been doing really well on my new diet and exercise regime! I've lost 4 pounds in the past 7 days and I'm feeling pretty darn amazing! So tonight, for kicks and giggles, I decided to try on my favorite dress. It has been my favorite dress since I was 213 pounds (my heaviest.) And with every pound I drop, it just keeps looking better. I can't say that with a lot of clothes. Most look baggy and unflattering now that I've lost 40 pounds. But this dress continues to look better and better. I thought I would show you a short timeline of me wearing this dress!

Fall of 2008 - Approximately 210 pounds

April 2010 - Approximately 188 Pounds

Today! - 172 Pounds!

(Isn't my cat so adorable? And wow I need to clean that mirror.)

It's crazy to see the difference. When you lose weight, you see yourself everyday and can't always see the pounds coming off. Looking at pictures really helps you to realize it! I can't wait to try on this dress at my goal of 155 pounds and see how fabulous it looks on me! 

I'm feeling pretty awesome right now.

Dear Prospective Employers,

I am looking for a job. I've sent you my application, so I'm sure you are aware of this. Please consider me. I like living in Vegas and would very much like to stay here and work at your facility.

Please and thank you,

Kathryn M. Weber

To Pandora -

I am not entirely sure how this happened, but I would very much like to keep listening to your station for the rest of the month. Isn't it a compliment that I like music so much that I've already used up all of my free listening for the month. I think I deserve some kind of reward for that. How about letting me continue to listen to music? Deal? 

Kay thanks.

My lovely home:

I miss you. I love where I am right now, but there's something different about the smells and atmosphere of this place. I must admit that I do not miss the cold that you are experiencing right now, or the remodeling that you went through as soon as you were purged of my existence. But I still miss how comfortable I felt around you. Please keep mom and dad safe and warm. 

Your old tenant,

Katie.

P.S. I promise to come and visit.

Itty Bitty,

You're a great cat. Goofy, a little needy since we moved, but still adorable. Thanks for hanging out with me because I'm new in town and have no friends. It makes me feel a bit like a crazy cat lady. But I'd rather be a CCL than be home all alone on a Saturday night. So thanks. 

Muscles:

I know you protest, but don't deny how good this stretching feels. Stop fighting it and just relax.

Silly meaty tissue.

I was reading some of my older posts today. I have so many posts that I just love! 

But I realized that they are practically dead to the world. They are buried so deep inside of my archives that chances are no one will ever read them.

So I've started "Best Of Sunday!" 

Twice a month, I will revive one of my all time favorite posts from this blog! 

This week, I picked one that made me feel really great about me, which I have been needing lately.

The original post (linked here!) was a challenge from another blogger (who unfortunately made her blog private) to write ten things about you that are awesome! It made me feel inspired to look at the good and not the bad! And I've decided to play again!

1. I wrote a book. And I think it's good!
2. I have great taste in TV, music and movies.
3. I'm not afraid to sing in front of people. Whether it's huge crowds, my friends, or the person in the car next me at an intersection.
4. I make videos on YouTube, and people actually watch them.
5. I can make instant friends with just about everyone. Even if we don't stay friends, for that one night we are best buds.
6. I have amazing long natural hair. It's thick, it's soft, it hasn't been fried by chemicals. And the best thing, it doesn't get greasy for two days after I shower. I love my hair.
7. I decided to lose weight and actually followed through. I have lost 30 pounds and am still going strong! (I've lost more than that since then.)

*I can get from M. Night to any actor/actress and back. Ex: M. Night to Robert DeNiro. M. Night directed The Village with Joaquin Phoenix who was in Ladder 49 with John Travolta who was in Hairspray with Michelle Pfieffer who was in Stardust with Robert DeNiro who was in Hide and Seek with Dakota Fanning who was in War of the Worlds with Miranda Otto who was in Lord of the Rings with Elijah Wood who was in Forever Young with Mel Gibson who was in Signs directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It's so useless but it works.

1. I'm a total gamer. I've never played a video game I didn't like! And I've played quite a few. 

2. I have rockin' curves! Seriously. Totally hot

3. I can play the guitar. I taught myself.

4. Photoshop is my best buddy. I've made some pretty awesome creations in there!

(Zombie picture is totally creepy! I love it!)

5. I'm a nerd and proud of it! Call me a nerd! It's not an insult, it's a compliment!

6. I play expert on Guitar Hero. Cause I'm just that cool!

7. I am insanely close to being in the normal, healthy weight range for my height. Just a few more pounds and I'm there! It feels SO good knowing that I've accomplished something so huge!

8. I have dainty little hands with long skinny fingers and pretty natural nails!

9. I can tap dance.

10. I realize that there are so many more things than just twenty that make me awesome. And that's pretty awesome just in itself.

We're all amazing in our own ways. I think we should take the opportunity to remember the good things about ourselves. The traits that make us awesome!

What are ten things that make YOU awesome?!

I'm sitting in the living room of a house with a very open floor plan trying to be very quiet as I type this.

My sister and four friends just had a crazy party down on the strip and are now passed out and I don't want to wake them.

It's been quite refreshing sitting in the silence for once. I usually have some form of noise in the background; Music, TV or a movie. But today, I can't have any of that. It is just the soft noise of my fingers pushing the keys.

And in all of this silence, I have been able to think about the good things and even do a few of them.

I read a good hundred pages of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire tonight while everyone was asleep. I love this story. It's so inventive and imaginative and magical. I am so glad I decided to reread these books. 

I got dressed and went for a walk around the neighborhood. I have a perfect path lined out around the little gated community and it's about three miles long. There are nice uphill and downhill slopes that make the walk a little more challenging. And when I go, it's early enough that I get to see the sunrise.

Only today was different. It had rained in the night and the streets were shimmering with water that hadn't dried and it all smelled like a cool spring rain. The air was crisp and chilled and felt so good as I walked around the community. It was strangely quiet. Usually there are quite a few people starting their cars (Silly Vegas people think it's cold enough outside that they need to start their cars to warm up before going to work. It's 55 degrees people! That's not cold!) and heading off to the jobs they have to provide for the nice cars and homes they have. 

But today was Sunday and everyone was sleeping in. A nice older couple was cleaning out weeds in their front yard and we nodded and said "Mornin'" as I passed. The flowers on some of the trees and plants are coming in to bloom and look so pretty.

So I walked about three miles while thinking about spring and Harry Potter. About how good it feels to be exercising and eating right again. About how much weight I've lost and how amazing it feels to actually be able to move around without huffing and puffing. But most of all how good I looked in some of the clothes that I brought with me in hopes that maybe soon I'd fit into them. I even tried on my old swim suit from when I was huge. It was always far too tight on me and now it fits my figure perfectly and I feel so thin!

Everything feels good. I have my down moments, but who doesn't?

I have so many things to look forward to. So many things to love. And so many people who love me too! How could anything possibly be THAT bad.

My mom and I made the realization a little while ago that when we think about the trips we've made, we are quick to think of the really horrid experiences. 

Like that hotel in Anacortes, WA that had slanted beds and an elevator so old I wasn't sure I would survive the ride to the first floor.

Or the restaurant in Annapolis, MD that had flies and ants on the tables and disgusted us so much we couldn't eat. (Except dad. He didn't even flinch.) We affectionately renamed the place "McNasty."

It's harder for me remember the good times during those trips. There were so many amazing times when we were on the road that they all blur together making the few terrible experiences that much more easy to recall.

It made me realize how much that applies to my life. When I look back on my youth, it is so easy to remember the heartbreak, the injustices and the disappointments that I experienced. So easy, in fact, that I often focus solely on those awful, depressing memories and completely disregard the fact that they are but a handful of misery compared to all the innumerable good times that were had. I concentrate completely on those bad memories until I can't remember my life as anything but the smell of fish and slanted beds. 

But it is so much more than that. There are so many positive things in our pasts to focus on, countless uplifting memories to recall, endless good times that were spent on the road of life that far outnumber the dreadful experiences. 

It's something I'm working on, but I'm going to try and remember the good and laugh at the bad. I'm going to be grateful for my heartaches and know that I learned something from each and every one of them.

I have a lot of things to be happy about in my life. Let's list a few.

- Wonderful parents who are so supportive and encouraging! -

- Beautiful sisters who are so sweet, loving, and so ready to help me! -

- An amazing boyfriend who treats me so well and makes me smile more than I ever thought I could! -

There are so many other examples of the places happiness can be found in my life.

However, I haven't been feeling very happy lately. And I couldn't figure it out. There are so many great things in my life to be happy about. 

But tonight it hit me. 

How did I not figure this out sooner? It was so obvious. Everything that has been bothering me lately is because I'm afraid I'm not good enough. That I'm too heavy. That I don't have the qualifications or skills to succeed in life. That I'm going to fail.

Yeah, I moved to Las Vegas. And that was a HUGE step! And I'm so proud of myself now that I've realized just how big a step that was. The rest of this isn't going to be easy, but I took the first step.

However, even though I've been filling out applications like a mad woman, I am terrified of actually finding a job. Why? Because I know that's just one more step. A big scary step. 

I've also been gaining some of the weight that I worked so hard to lose in 2010. The other day, my sister and I went shopping in this store with some awesome clothes. But the instant I walked in, it was obvious that the clothes wouldn't fit me unless I was a size 4. I couldn't help but feel like a big balloon walking around the clothing racks with all of these tiny girls. 

I'm so scared that I'm going to fail or lose these things that make me happy that I'm almost pushing them away with my insecurities. 

And so today, I will start the road to being a new me.

A new me doesn't mean that I will become a size 4. 

A new me doesn't mean that I will land the perfect job on the first try.

A new me means that I am going to work so hard to love me for the beautiful, amazing woman that I am. 

I want to be happy with myself. And I'm going to do all that I can to get there. One step at a time. 

...Happiness...

...Listening...

...Believing...

...Inside Jokes...

...Laughter and Smiles...

...A hug on your worst day, your best day, or your most average day...

...Understanding...

...Never running out of things to say...

...Trust...

...Helping each other up when we fall...

...Content silence...

...Comforting...

...Spending time together...

...Sharing...

...Support...

...Letting someone see your vulnerable side...

...Teasing...

...Forgiveness...

...Memories...

...Telling someone how you feel...

...Forever...

I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life that I love. 

Kari over at Lime Green Movie Girl (who has an adorable blog, btw) has tagged me! I will now be sharing with you fifteen little known facts about myself! Which is perfect, since I have a lot of new readers and I want to scare them away with goofy things about me.

I've never really had a lot of money, so I've had to be very creative with my gifts for the people I love on Valentine's Day. 

These are all super simple and very inexpensive. Definitely perfect for last minute gifts and will put a smile on the face of the ones you love!

1. Buy a box of children's Valentines and write a note on each one. Put them back in the box and give the entire thing to that special someone!

2. Cut out three hearts. Write the words "I" "Love" and "You" on their own heart. Then take a picture of yourself holding them in front of you. The pictures are plenty, but if you want to spend a little extra time and cash, print them and put them in three separate frames.

3. I've always been a fan of a good card. Feel free to buy a card from the store if it's the perfect card for someone you care about. Just don't leave it there! Be sure you write something inside of the card that will mean something more than whatever Hallmark wrote.

4. Create a scrapbook page!

(This is a two page spread that I made of lovey type pictures of my family.)

5. Buy an inexpensive Valentine's themed puzzle. Put it together, flip it over, and write a message to your loved one on the back. Take it all apart and put it back in the box. It's a fun Valentine and an activity! I did this this year and had so much fun with it! (Another option is to write something you love about that person on the back of each piece of the puzzle!)

6. Make a short video telling someone how much you love them and post it on YouTube! This is a great one for those of you in Long Distance Relationships or living away from your family or friends! It lets them see your smiling face and hear your voice as you tell them how much they mean to you!

7. And for all of you bloggers, be sure to dedicate a post to those you love on February 14th!

Do you have anymore great ideas? I'd love to hear them in the comments!

Vegas is funny. 

There are a few things that have really made me laugh since I got here.

Getting lost looking for post offices that don't exist.

The ice cream truck that drives around the neighborhood...  in the WINTER!

But nothing is more funny than getting mistaken for a hooker.

Ready for a funny story? 

Apparently you don't have to walk the streets for people to think you're a hooker. All you need to do is live in Las Vegas and have a Facebook account.

I got on Facebook today to find this message:

1. I only changed my location yesterday. Scotty is so on top of things!

2. $1000, Scotty? That's it? I'm worth $1003!

3. Thanks Scotty! I am glad you think I'm hot!

4. You can't even check my age before you write me? C'mon Scotty! 

So Scotty, the decent looking white guy, I am afraid I have to turn you down. While I am of legal age, I'm pretty sure prostitution is well... illegal. But it's totally flattering that you thought I was a whore! 

Oh Vegas... you're so funny!

Moving is a crazy amount of work. I never expected to be this busy when I got here.

Definitely the biggest project has been unpacking all the stuff that I brought with me. How silly I was to think that I was practical about what I brought along. I'm thinking that I over did it a little bit. 

It's nearly impossible to get around my room to even put things away because there is so much stuff. I'm slowly making progress, but it's quite the project. 

I decided that I would post a picture of the crazy mess that is my new room.

It's pretty crazy isn't it? 

This picture reminded me of those "I Spy" books I used to read when I was a kid. So I created a few little rhymes so you could take joy in my chaos!

I'm moving today.

To say that I am terrified would be a GIANT understatement. 

There are a few things that scare me more than those times. 

1. I am scared that I will fail again.

2. It's nearly 5 hours farther away from home than it was the first two times.

3. It's a much bigger city where I don't know anyone but my sister.

I'm also really excited, but my fear of failing is making me a nervous wreck right now. 

To help me feel better, let's list some good things!

1. Being so close to Alyson!

2. Warmth!

3. More people and more things to do!

4. Being nearer to Kevin. 

I am definitely excited. It is however, very hard to be sitting in my old room on the computer that has not yet been packed when the rest of the room is completely empty but for the furniture that belongs to my parents. It's like a ghost room.

And it looks so much bigger and yet, smaller at the same time. It's strange. 

I'll be on my way to new adventures in a few hours. Wish me luck!