Where have all the mangos gone?

Bad news everyone...... mangos, are ALL GONE... well at least for 6 months or so. It literally crushed my tender heart when Jan informed me that is why we havent gone to our trusty local fruit stand:

I dont know if I had put in this blog how amazing delicious the mangos are here. I loved mangos at home. I loved the flavor, and texture..... but at home, they were huge, and light in color and usually found for $1.50 EACH! Here, they are smaller, softer, so juicy and sweet! They have a flavor that makes you want to... well.... you get the picture. We could get a bag of 10 for $3! You can actually drive up to mango trees here, as long as they arent on someone property... and get them. The picture I am putting here are: 1) Jan getting mangos from the top of our car. 2) A road side mango spot at someones home. 3) the handmade basket with mangos

we got from the roadside stand.

2 Chicks on a Skinny Mission

So, I started yet another blog with my bestie Melanie. Both of us have over the years kind of let ourselves go on the healthy area and want to lose some weight. So, to help each other out, we started a blog together. It is a way for us to keep each other accountable for our daily intakes and exercises!

We are both blessed with a wonderful at home support system, but having each other is just that extra push I think we both need! We both have goals, and being we are so alike, we will be basically on the same regimen.

When I was little, I was little. But once I hit puberty, my weight skyrocketed. Since I was young, I always had doctors looking at my thyroid, bc it was visible to the eye that it was enlarged. I was put on medicines way back I believe when I was close to 15. I might be off a year or two. now, I am never going to point fingers, or do the blame game, or make any excuses for how my weight has been over the past 14 years, but so many factors in my life had a good job at NOT helping me!

I have always felt I had a beautiful face. I love my eyes, and my blonde hair (though that may change on occasion haha) I love my height and honestly, I love my curves. I just want to have um, shall I say LESS curve, more TONE! Even in my college times around the age of 18 I wanted to try plus size modeling. I am not ashamed to be called plus size! Hell, size 12!!!! Is considered plus size today!!! that is AVERAGE! haha I look at plus size models and think, damn they are sexy! I am not wanting to be a size 2, not even a size 6! I want to be closer to a 10-12! I dont look through fashion magazines and think, wow, I wish I was like her. I DO look through magazines and see the "average" girl, and think of that as my inspiration.

I once lost 40lbs in a matter of 6 months! I was so happy, had almost hit my target weight, then for whatever reason, quit on myself. I did have a personal trainer, but I lost the most weight when I was happy! I find when I am happy, on the inside, I work harder to be even MORE happy!

have you ever heard of The Secret? I know many people do not believe that only your thoughts can do ANYTHING in life, but I will tell you now, my thoughts have given me EVERYTHING in life. Including the bad things!!! Maybe not all of them, but especially the things that happen to me personally, if I questioned my ability, I couldnt do it. If i said, I will never do this, then I still havent. SO, one of the best things, out of the MANY that I got out of the secret was this phrase: "Believe and you shall Recieve"! If you stop with the I donts and replace them with the I wants, you will honestly see a difference in your attitude, which then affects your mood, which affects your outlook, and you bring more and more positivity your way, and before you know it, everything in your life is a positive. I will admit, I still and learning this! but, I can feel it! I know its true and in knowing that, I know that I am very close to living it!

No matter how much weight I may be, everyone (unless they are just being nice) always says that I do NOT look my weight. Which is something I can thank my height for.

To end this, I want to say, that I am so thankful for my life. I am thankful for my family, and my friends. For love, and laughter. I think we all need to just be thankful sometimes when we think about how bad we think we have it.

As Jan says to me, I say to you" If your not happy with it, then CHANGE it". damn I love that woman!

just a lil poem

I have never smelled

exactly what the earth smells like

till I stepped foot

on this land

the dirt and trees

and sea and grass

all fill the air.

I remember the feeling

of excitement

and nervousness

I had in my gut

as each step I took

was closer to you

I am in love with the island

the clouds are like actors

making shapes

in the sky

The sunsets are emotional

leaving you thankful

for today

and excited

for tomorrow

I am lucky

to wake each morning

and know I am where

I should be

the tastes

the sounds

the smells

and feels

all make this world

a world of its own

These are the three pictures I sent in to the photo contest here on the island for pictures of flame trees. I thought something close up, showing their beauty would be best. I love the first one! they all are so different in color. Red, orange, pinkish. They are so beautiful!

I might try to have a photo day tomorrow while jan is at work. You can submit as many as you want, and I would love to win. Not just for the $500, but just to say that I WON!! hahaha it would honestly make me feel so confident in my photography.

Randomness is good

So, one of the things I have had to get used to, was the fact that as Jan and I are closing our eyes to go to sleep, most of the world I knew is just waking from their night.

It has been yet another day here in the Pacific. Woke last night to the feeling of my legs and feet wet, wondering what in the hell, when I hear jan say "close the window quick". It had started to rain and it always comes in our bedroom window at the foot of the bed. So, I ended up sleeping with wet feet last night haha

Do you ever stop, and think, "is my life real?" Sometimes I stop, and look at the apt around me, the sky, the palms, and it almost feels unreal. Its very odd. I guess i am still getting used to my surroundings.

I have been looking into going to school for Hospitality/Tourism Management. Get a job at one of the resorts here would be nice. I think I would like it. Interaction with people from everywhere. I even saw they had a job opening for housekeeping. Not something someone goes OH WOW I wish I could that, BUT it is a job. AND it is a job at a resort. So, there is a foot in the door. We will see though.

Jan has been so supportive with me trying to find myself in regards to school and a career. Thankfully haha It is scary sometimes when I look back at my friends who have careers. Sometimes I get frustrated, or almost fall into this funk about it, but, I try to remind myself that I am doing something so different than almost everyone I know! I am following my heart, and seeing the world on top of being with the person I love. I hate knowing that there are some, even my loved ones, who arent able to do what I am doing.

Ok, off to pick Jan up. Just wanted to put some of my thoughts here for today.

Remember:

“If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

Dear Mr Trade Winds

Dear Mr, Trade winds from Japan,

I wanted to write to you today to thank you for cooling this tiny island down a little! When you started to come around, I laughed in ecstatic joy. (if that is even a phrase) When you started showing up, I again believed in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny. I thought, through the heat I endured while here, that you were but only a fairy tale of the islands. But, Trade winds, you are NOT! You are real. And you are so nice! And with you showing me that fairy tales do come true, I am looking forward every day to that mermaid friend I have always wanted. And you have now given me

Thank you trade winds from bring your confidant The Rain! Mr. rain makes my heart happy. Somehow he peps up the dry little grasslets and talks them into being much greener these days.

Without you Mr Wind and Mr Rain I would still be sweating while writing you this letter. But now, with you blowing in my hair, I thank you.

Sincerely,

The blond girl living in Saipan who isnt used to the heat.... aka Lauren

photography eyes

Being that I love photography so much, I wanted to post some of my pictures up here. Since I was young, i have had an amazement to see how different the world around us looks through the lens of a camera. I try to get reality pictures. pictures that might seem scary or sad to some, are exquisite to me! So, here are some of my work. And who knows, maybe one day you will be able to go to the local book store and actually find my work sitting on a shelf next to some awesome photographers!