Updates, Updates

I find the irony of my previous post too much to handle. Only 2 weeks after blogging about my visit to Tuscaloosa and our dodging tornadoes, a massive tornado literally ripped through the city I called home for 4 years of my life. I don't think there are enough words in the English language to express my deepest pains for Tuscaloosa. I also don't think I can stomach reliving the terror of watching the live streaming of that tornado. It was a moment I will never forget.

I also feel a load of guilt for my petty complaints over the newly refinished kitchen of my old house. The house in which I resided for 1/2 of my college career was all but ripped to shreds. That lovely new kitchen has been destroyed. Thankfully, however, my dear friend, whom I once called roommate as well, is safe! God is sovereign. The neighborhood, and even some neighbors, around that house, however, were not so lucky. We grieve for the lives lost.
Here are a few pictures of my old house:

 My house is the white one in the middle

Here is our neighborhood. Our old house is in the top left corner. You can definitely see the path the tornado took. 

The Milo's across the street, where we ate just weeks earlier, was completely demolished in the storm. It is very disheartening to see the damage, but I have no doubts that Tuscaloosa will rise above this, stronger than ever!

On a happier note: I have lost 18 LBS since November, with Weight Watchers!! If any of you are wanting to trim up a bit, please consider WW. It has done wonders for my eating habits. If you've tried WW in the past and it either didn't work or didn't stick, try it again. They have revamped the whole program to where it actually encourages healthy habits (i.e. fresh fruits and veggies are 0 pts, what a deal)! In the midst of my 18 lbs, I reached my 10% weight loss goal that WW set for me. To congratulate me on the loss (and for being in the program for 16 weeks), I got this super awesome key chain and charm. 
Forgive the not-so-great lighting in the photo:

Snaps for me :)

In WW, they encourage you to celebrate your weight loss by treating yourself to something. I decided that for every lb. I lost, I would put $5 into a jar. At the end of my weight loss journey, I would take the $$ I "raised" and go buy myself some new clothes. Well, I had to cheat on that just a little bit, because literally nothing but a couple of shirts and one pair of shorts still fit me. And by fit me, I mean they're not falling off of me. 

Thankfully, Gap was having a 40% off sale today in honor of Memorial Day, so I got a few necessary items to keep me from looking like a complete hobo. And guess what...I fit, with some room to move, in a size 6! I have not been a size 6 since high school!! I'm pretty excited about this. I also donated all of my big clothes to Goodwill, so no excuses for weight re-gain. 

I still have 10 lbs to go to reach my personal goal. However, I'm just not sure that I should lose that much now. For the first time in, I'd venture to say since body image began to matter, I feel good about my body. It's an amazing experience. I'm going to keep trying to lose the weight, but the stress is off. Now, it's the fun part of weight loss. It's the "let's see how much more I can lose" part. 

Anyway, moving on to the rest of my updates. I also lost a few lbs off my head. And no I don't mean I lost an eye or nose. I lost some herr! And by lost, I mean I had some cut off my head. About 6 or 7 inches to be exact. This was my first big hair cut in 3 1/2 years and it was definitely time.

Here is the before and after:

 I was a little nervous

But I think it was worth it!

I dried my hair in 9 minutes today. It used to take me 20!! That's less than half the time! WOW! I'll take that. And I have the cutest, tiniest little ponytail now.

I finally got my post-wedding hair cut...almost a year later. 

Well I believe that is all for my updates. Stay tune for more (really exciting) updates to come! I'm really excited to share our next update, but I must wait. Excited yet? You should be!!! 

OH WAIT! I do have one more update. 

About a month ago, we got a super cool Nikon d40x! It's amazing! Just look at this super awesome picture: 

 

What a doll!!

Alright, that's all. Thanks for reading and being interested in what's new with the Wiggins duo. Remember, stay tuned for some super exciting news coming to a blogspot near you (aka, this one). 

 

A Tornado of Reunions

Last week I had a little vacation time and took a little trip to Tuscaloosa to visit my two favorite friends. We had such a blast and I wanted to share my photos from the week. These were all taken with my iPhone4 and edited on instagram. If you have that app you should follow me @catewiggie.
Enjoy!
First of all, I visited my old roommate who still lives in our old house. It was a wonderful visit, until I realized that our kitchen (that was built in the 1940s) was completely redone. And added a new DISHWASHER!!! I lived in that house for 2 years with no dishwasher because our landlord told us it wasn't possible. Apparently he was lying.

So unfair! It's a whole new kitchen.

On Thursday, Cathie and I had a photoshoot with Aliciana. She is such a great photographer. Here are some of my favorite shots that she took. Check out Lici's flicker page: flickr.com/alicianab

On Friday, we went to Milo's -- My favorite fast food place in Alabama. 

While we were in Milo's the tornado sirens went off and the bottom fell out. We decided it was time to head home and take cover. I took this photo after the tornado passed. We were really scared there for awhile but God is bigger.

Friday night the girls and I decided to go out to our favorite bar, The Alcove, for a few drinks. Afterwards I decided we needed to relive our old college days and go for a late night Taco Bell run.

After one drink each we decided that 11 pm was past our bedtime. So we went back to Cathie's apartment and listened to the endless musical library that is Aliciana's iTunes. 

The next day it was time to head back west. But before I headed back, I had to stop by Wendy's and finish up my super (un)healthy food. 

It was a beautiful day for a 3 hour drive. I just had to take a picture. 

I will never get tired of this sign: "84 miles to Jackson, 7 miles to Chunky"

All in all it was a fantastic week. I had a blast with my best friends. It was so refreshing and exactly what I needed to reboot. Hooray for reunions!!

We are not so different

To the Widows: We are not so different. I do not know what it is like to lose a husband, but I do know what it is like to be disappointed by the one you love the most. I know what is like to face a life that didn't quite turn out as you planned. I know what it is like to allow another person to be the corner piece to your puzzle. We are not so different.

To the Orphans: We are not so different. I do not know what it is like to physically lose a parent, but I do know what it is like to be battered, bruised, and broken by the selfish decisions of a parent. I know what it is like to lay awake at night and long for it to all be different, better. I know what it is like to feel empty and alone. We are not so different.

To the Homeless Man: We are not so different. I do not know what it is like not to have a roof over my head, but I know what it is like to lose faith in humanity, in God. I know what it is like to hope for a better place. We are not so different.

To the Last, the Least, and the Lost: We are not so different. I know what it is like to be alone, wandering aimlessly. I know what it is like trying to find a reason, a path, a purpose. I know what it is like to feel meaningless, searching for something greater. We are not so different.

To the Righteous Man: We are not so different. I know what it is like to feel superior to those around. I know what it is like to feel pious, high, and mighty. I know the pleasure that comes from religion. I also know what it is like to be pitied and downcast. I know the pain that you have caused because I'm sure I've caused it too. We are not so different.

We are all the result of the same fall. We all feel the same pain, share the same hope. We have all lost something or someone. We have all been robbed of our innocence.  We have all been beaten and broken by the world around. We are not so different, indeed.