Looking back this past year

Well, 2019 is almost over.  I can't believe it's going to be 2020!  This past year has had it's good and bad, for sure.  Here's just a few of the happenings:

I lost my uncle and brother in law at the beginning of the year.

But on a happier note, we had 2 grandkids born this year!

We got to take a wonderful trip to Croatia and Slovenia!

I did an actual TRAPEZE swing!

I started doing trapeze yoga with my sister!

Larry and I celebrated 30 years of marital bliss! 

I finished my Invisalign!

We went to New Mexico to visit our son over Thanksgiving!

Lots of fun weekend trips to see our grandbabies, daughter and her family.

Celebrated 5 years at my job!

So many fun concerts, times with friends, games and good times!

Here's to new beginnings!  His Mercies are new every morning!  My word for this past year was relationships.  Although some became distant, others drew closer.

I don't have a word yet for this next year but I would like to continue to work on relationships, and keep my heart and mind serving the King of Kings.  

On to 2020!!

Straight teeth!!

I got some amazing news at the dentist this morning!!!  My invisalign will be done TOMORROW!!  I go in the morning and get fitted for a retainer and get all the attachments off!   it's been about a year and a half since I started this journey!

I couldn't wait to start and now I can't wait to finish!!

It's been a long long journey but I love the end result!

AFTER!!

BEFORE!! Those are some crazy teeth!

And.... it's just in time for our awesome vacation!!

We head to Croatia & Slovenia tomorrow!  Everyone keeps asking me why Croatia.  Well, I hear they have the most beautiful beaches in the world!  And there's a wonderful place I want to see called Plitvice Lakes.  Plus, it's just somewhere that not everyone goes to!  I can't wait to see everything and just have some time off! 

I'll post pictures and blog about it on my return. 

Here's to new adventures and straight teeth! 🍷😄

6 weeks left!!

What week am I on???  It's hard to keep track.  When I originally got my Invisalign they would say week 1 of 55, week 2 or 55 etc.  At week 52, they did a rescan on my teeth and sent away for the last phase-the refinements.  So normally, I would change out my aligners every week.  On week 52, I kept that one in for a month and a half until my new refinements came in. 

So after getting my refinements, there's only 7 weeks left!!  10 at the most they said.  So I'm on week 2 of the new and final aligners.

I'm so very close to being done!

It's been a journey for sure.

Invisalign is a commitment.  You have to keep them in most of the time.  Just take them out to eat. Then brush teeth and put back in.  So I have to carry toothbrush and toothpaste everywhere.  Not much snacking (which is kind of a good thing!) because it's just a pain to take them out and then brush teeth for a quick snack.

But I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

My teeth have moved a lot!  I'm amazed at the changes.

Almost there!! As excited as I was to start...I'm even more excited to be done already! 

I started May 11, 2018...so it's been over a year now.  

I'm ready!!

Invisalign Journey

I started this Invisalign journey almost a year ago. I'm on week 40 now!  I've got 15 weeks to go!  It's been quite a year of getting used to my teeth moving all over the place! 

I've gotten used to taking my toothbrush everywhere.  Taking my aligners out when eating-then brushing and getting them back in real quick.  I've felt the pain of them moving each and every week.  I've felt the weirdness of not having them in.  It's strange to say but when they aren't in my teeth feel so loose and awkward.

But the end is in sight now!  I only have 15 weeks to go!  And what a difference!  Looking back on week one --I just can't believe how crooked they were! 

I'm looking forward to the end result.  Looking forward to being able to eat again any time I want and not worrying about the aligners!

And looking forward to that straight beautiful smile!  👧

Back to Braces

When I was a kid I had terrible teeth.  Big overbite and pretty snaggle-y.  So braces it was.  I started braces in about 5th grade.  I was about 10.  I went on to wear them for a solid 4 years.  FOUR YEARS!  It was torture.  I was the girl in class with the awkward headgear.  Braces hurt physically but maybe even worse was the teasing from classmates.

Fast forward almost 30 years.  My teeth are crazy again!  I hardly wore my retainer as a kid since it was just such an awful time and my teeth really paid the price.  I've been thinking of venturing back into the world of braces for years but could hardly bring myself to endure the pain.  So I started thinking of Invisalign.  I thought it would be a better option as an adult.  So I researched, and thought, and thought some more.  It's actually been a few years now, and I finally decided to go for it!

So after all the pesky details and months of getting all my broken fillings fixed and getting my teeth cleaned, it was time to do the scan!  Pretty cool too! The one thing I was dreading was the making of the mold of my mouth.  But with the aligners they take a machine and scan all your teeth and make a 3D model!  They can project out and show you what the finished project will look like!

So week one was just getting used to the aligners.  Taking them in and out every single time I eat.  Brushing every time.  I have to leave them in at least 22 hours a day so that leaves little time to eat or snack.

Week 2 they put these little attachments all over my teeth in key spots.  They are tooth colored so people don't notice too much but it helps holding the aligners in place and getting the pressure right so my teeth will move!  So it was a little more of an adjustment taking them in and out.  But I'm getting used to it.

So we are week 3 now.  I change the aligners every week. I get 6 weeks at a time from the dentist when I go in to see him.

I've got about a year to go with this process.

I'm sure I will like the ending but it's the getting there that's hard.  Taking them out to eat.  Brushing my teeth 4 times a day.  Not really being able to snack because it's such a pain to take them out and brush. Teeth that are painful.  These are just a few of the inconveniences at the moment but sometimes things worth doing are hard.

So here's to the next year!