Day 18 - See Day 4.
Day 19 - Disrepecting Your Parents
That's not a very good prompt. It's bad, wrong, disrespectful. Don't do it.
We all have, as children, teenagers and probably early twenties. But as you get older, you will realize your parents, given they are sane and not disfunctional, are right about most things. And like it or not, you will eventually tell your kids some of the same things you hated hearing from your parents.
Day 20 - How Important Is Education
Extremely. I wish I had gone to college directly after high school and stayed and finished it before starting a family. But you cannot tell a teenager 'in love' anything. (See above regarding parents being right.) I want and expect my kids to go to college directly after high school. We are planning to pay for them to attend college (WT at least) even if I have to work three jobs to do it. I want them to do things the right way in the right order to make their lives easier later.
Day 21 - One of my Favorite Shows
Parenthood. NBC. Love it! Watching it on the DVR right now!
Okay, that's all I got for now! Ugh! Bedtime!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Day 17: High/Low
We played this game at the dinner table a few times. Everyone telling their high and low for the day. For the past year, that's a little tougher.
Highs:
Our vacation this past summer. Def a high! Awesome trip!
Getting the job in HR and then at Arden. (Even though I miss HR!)
Braden finishing elementary with A Honor Roll for all five years.
Our 10th anniversary. Wahoo!
Paying off Derik's truck!
Lows:
Seth leaving us early in the summer. Bummer!
My granny having to go into a nursing home.
That's it. Pretty good year for the Carleton's!
Highs:
Our vacation this past summer. Def a high! Awesome trip!
Getting the job in HR and then at Arden. (Even though I miss HR!)
Braden finishing elementary with A Honor Roll for all five years.
Our 10th anniversary. Wahoo!
Paying off Derik's truck!
Lows:
Seth leaving us early in the summer. Bummer!
My granny having to go into a nursing home.
That's it. Pretty good year for the Carleton's!
Day 16: Mainstream Music
I listen to a little bit of everything, including mainstream music. I have everything from Feist to Britney to Jay-Z to John Mayer to a lot of older and more obscure stuff. I like it all. I listen to top 40 radio stations as well as Christian radio. There is good and bad in mainstream music. I am a grown up and I can listen to what I want.
How's that?
Not sure if the person who wrote the blog challenge intended to get Christians to rail against the evils of mainstream music or if they were hoping for someone more like my husband, who would rant about sell outs and manufactured bands (like Nickelback). Not getting either out of me.
How's that?
Not sure if the person who wrote the blog challenge intended to get Christians to rail against the evils of mainstream music or if they were hoping for someone more like my husband, who would rant about sell outs and manufactured bands (like Nickelback). Not getting either out of me.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Day 14 & 15
I cannot believe I am only on Day 14. Good cow! I am never going to finish this blasted challenge.
My earliest memory...
I have bits and pieces that are from when I was a toddler. Like my mom taking us to my dad's to visit and running through his bedroom to go to the bathroom. I can remember where my mom was standing when I came back into the room. Not sure why that stands out. Also, I remember once at my mom's house (before she and Bill got married so I was under 4, I think) our dog, Patty, running into the house and heading straight for the cat food dish. The cat was actually eating and jumped straight up in the air and landed on the dogs back.
Everything else is from when I was 5 or older. So I guess that's it. Nothing ground breaking or traumatic, thankfully.
I decided to check out Day 15, which says My Favoritie Tumblrs. Easy..... I don't have favorite Tumblrs. I am sure some people I know have a Tumblr but I don't check them or look at them or anything.
My earliest memory...
I have bits and pieces that are from when I was a toddler. Like my mom taking us to my dad's to visit and running through his bedroom to go to the bathroom. I can remember where my mom was standing when I came back into the room. Not sure why that stands out. Also, I remember once at my mom's house (before she and Bill got married so I was under 4, I think) our dog, Patty, running into the house and heading straight for the cat food dish. The cat was actually eating and jumped straight up in the air and landed on the dogs back.
Everything else is from when I was 5 or older. So I guess that's it. Nothing ground breaking or traumatic, thankfully.
I decided to check out Day 15, which says My Favoritie Tumblrs. Easy..... I don't have favorite Tumblrs. I am sure some people I know have a Tumblr but I don't check them or look at them or anything.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Day 13 - Just One?
Day 13 is a place you would like to move or visit. How could I pick just one?
When it comes to where to visit or live, I'm definitely a 'grass is always greener' person. Almost anywhere seems better than here. When we were on vacation this summer, I kept saying "We could live here."
Moab, UT was awesome. I think I could be a way more outdoorsy person if I lived in Moab. Biking, hiking, and even climbing. There is so much to do there and beautiful is not an adequate word to describe the landscape.
Idaho, with its green rolling hills and mountains in the distance, seemed like a beautiful place to live.
All the little towns around Yellowstone were quaint and cool, inspiring people to get outdoors.
Even the Black Hills of South Dakota were beautiful and full of little towns that beckoned me to open some sort of little touristy shop and live a simple life.
Seattle was so amazing both times we visited. Derik and I both have said many times that we would love living in the Seattle area. Endless opportunities to explore and plenty of entertainment and culture to experience.
I am sure all of these places have their downfalls. Higher crime rates, state income taxes, etc. But from a visitors point of view, they all seem better than here.
As for visiting, my list is endless. New York, Chicago, Florida, Jamaica, Brazil, Greece, Italy, England, Ireland, France, all of Europe for that matter, Australia and the list goes on.
Derik thinks there is plenty of places to visit within the United States that we could spend out lives traveling our own country. I know he is right, but to visit other cultures and stand in places with thousands of years of history seems so amazing. I hope I get the opportunity to travel abroad someday. And hopefully Derik will come along too!
When it comes to where to visit or live, I'm definitely a 'grass is always greener' person. Almost anywhere seems better than here. When we were on vacation this summer, I kept saying "We could live here."
Moab, UT was awesome. I think I could be a way more outdoorsy person if I lived in Moab. Biking, hiking, and even climbing. There is so much to do there and beautiful is not an adequate word to describe the landscape.
Idaho, with its green rolling hills and mountains in the distance, seemed like a beautiful place to live.
All the little towns around Yellowstone were quaint and cool, inspiring people to get outdoors.
Even the Black Hills of South Dakota were beautiful and full of little towns that beckoned me to open some sort of little touristy shop and live a simple life.
Seattle was so amazing both times we visited. Derik and I both have said many times that we would love living in the Seattle area. Endless opportunities to explore and plenty of entertainment and culture to experience.
I am sure all of these places have their downfalls. Higher crime rates, state income taxes, etc. But from a visitors point of view, they all seem better than here.
As for visiting, my list is endless. New York, Chicago, Florida, Jamaica, Brazil, Greece, Italy, England, Ireland, France, all of Europe for that matter, Australia and the list goes on.
Derik thinks there is plenty of places to visit within the United States that we could spend out lives traveling our own country. I know he is right, but to visit other cultures and stand in places with thousands of years of history seems so amazing. I hope I get the opportunity to travel abroad someday. And hopefully Derik will come along too!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Day 12: Bullet Your Day
My Tuesday...
5:30 - Woke up on first alarm (not typical, I normally turn off like 4 alarms).
5:45 - Soak in bathtub until my back feels tolerable.
6:15 - Get dressed and go make Braden breakfast and pack his lunch.
6:35 - Braden emerges from his room, lays on couch watching TV, where I will remind him 20x to eat as I pass back and forth through the house getting ready for the day.
7:15 - Derik gets up and starts prodding Braden to get ready. Yea! Love the mornings when he is here to help and take Braden!
7:25 - Finished getting myself ready, go pack my lunch, eat a serving of applesauce & sit for five minutes.
7:40 - Derik leaves with Braden. I leave for work.
7:45 - Clock in, pull up two computers in the library, check my email, listen to announcements.
8:30 - Attend fundraiser assembly. Realize I am going to be doing a lot with this fundraiser. (At least I got a cool ghost penguin out of it!)
9:15 - Put up new building maps in every room for Norton. (Laminated, cut out, and stapled up in every single room, 48 maps to be exact!)
10:45 - Start printing cutest Kindergarten pictures for parent orientation for Mr. Ulibarri. Good idea, Mr. U!
11:15 - Printer runs out of the blue toner. Go ask Kay for toner. Go check with Norton for toner. No toner in building. Will hopefully finish tomorrow, doubtful though, toner will likely take days.
11:30 - Put books back on their shelves. (I pulled penguin books. They wanted pigeon. Somebody gave me the bird, but it was the wrong one. Ha!)
12:00 - Lunch: grapes, carrots, cantelope, and a small thing of lowfat cottage cheese.
12:30 - Cafeteria duty.
1:00 - Library classes.
2:50 - Round up bus kids and put them on the bus.
3:00 - Sort volunteers forms for Kay.
3:45 - Clock out. Head to pick Braden up at Jalen's where he gets off the bus and go home!
4:00 - Have a snack. Update and print script for PTA meeting. Respond to emails and texts regarding PTA business while watching TV with Derik and Braden. Also, started a load of laundry, wiped down kitchen counters, swept floor, and picked up the bar & kitchen table.
5:40 - Go to Greenways for Back to School Night (parents only).
6:00 - Listen to presentation by Braden's three teachers.
7:00 - Hold PTA meeting to approve budget. (I speed read and we're done in less than 10!)
7:30 - Arrive at home. Derik's grilling steaks. I make rice, green beans, and rolls.
8:00 - Phone call from to my mother-in-law to confirm plans to pick her up at the airport tomorrow.
8:45 - Phone call from Elizabeth to discuss school/kids/Greenways info.
9:15 - Going to Walmart for dog food and other things we ran out. (Just realized I forgot bread! Ugh!!)
10:00 - Started this blog, while eating brownie, listening to Derik complain about the Pirates fans whooping for two hours throughout the ballgame.
10:45 - Time for a bath to make my back and neck stop hurting. Maybe one more brownie. Then bed!
I wasn't tired until I started on this!
5:30 - Woke up on first alarm (not typical, I normally turn off like 4 alarms).
5:45 - Soak in bathtub until my back feels tolerable.
6:15 - Get dressed and go make Braden breakfast and pack his lunch.
6:35 - Braden emerges from his room, lays on couch watching TV, where I will remind him 20x to eat as I pass back and forth through the house getting ready for the day.
7:15 - Derik gets up and starts prodding Braden to get ready. Yea! Love the mornings when he is here to help and take Braden!
7:25 - Finished getting myself ready, go pack my lunch, eat a serving of applesauce & sit for five minutes.
7:40 - Derik leaves with Braden. I leave for work.
7:45 - Clock in, pull up two computers in the library, check my email, listen to announcements.
8:30 - Attend fundraiser assembly. Realize I am going to be doing a lot with this fundraiser. (At least I got a cool ghost penguin out of it!)
9:15 - Put up new building maps in every room for Norton. (Laminated, cut out, and stapled up in every single room, 48 maps to be exact!)
10:45 - Start printing cutest Kindergarten pictures for parent orientation for Mr. Ulibarri. Good idea, Mr. U!
11:15 - Printer runs out of the blue toner. Go ask Kay for toner. Go check with Norton for toner. No toner in building. Will hopefully finish tomorrow, doubtful though, toner will likely take days.
11:30 - Put books back on their shelves. (I pulled penguin books. They wanted pigeon. Somebody gave me the bird, but it was the wrong one. Ha!)
12:00 - Lunch: grapes, carrots, cantelope, and a small thing of lowfat cottage cheese.
12:30 - Cafeteria duty.
1:00 - Library classes.
2:50 - Round up bus kids and put them on the bus.
3:00 - Sort volunteers forms for Kay.
3:45 - Clock out. Head to pick Braden up at Jalen's where he gets off the bus and go home!
4:00 - Have a snack. Update and print script for PTA meeting. Respond to emails and texts regarding PTA business while watching TV with Derik and Braden. Also, started a load of laundry, wiped down kitchen counters, swept floor, and picked up the bar & kitchen table.
5:40 - Go to Greenways for Back to School Night (parents only).
6:00 - Listen to presentation by Braden's three teachers.
7:00 - Hold PTA meeting to approve budget. (I speed read and we're done in less than 10!)
7:30 - Arrive at home. Derik's grilling steaks. I make rice, green beans, and rolls.
8:00 - Phone call from to my mother-in-law to confirm plans to pick her up at the airport tomorrow.
8:45 - Phone call from Elizabeth to discuss school/kids/Greenways info.
9:15 - Going to Walmart for dog food and other things we ran out. (Just realized I forgot bread! Ugh!!)
10:00 - Started this blog, while eating brownie, listening to Derik complain about the Pirates fans whooping for two hours throughout the ballgame.
10:45 - Time for a bath to make my back and neck stop hurting. Maybe one more brownie. Then bed!
I wasn't tired until I started on this!
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Day 11: Shufflin'
Still falling behind! At this pace, I'll have the 30 day challenge done in about 60 days!
I put my iPhone on shuffle and this is the first 10 songs that came up:
Jim Croce - Time in a Bottle
Norah Jones - The Prettiest Thing
Jimi Hendrix - The Wind Cries Mary
Veruca Salt - Number One Blind
One Republic - Stop and Stare
Gavin DeGraw - Crush
Eminem - Love The Way You Lie
Sheryl Crow - Light in Your Eyes
Bob Dylan - Rainy Day Women
Dishwalla - Counting Blue Cars
I have a huge variety of music on my phone. I skip a lot of songs, but these 10 I would actually listen to!
And yes...I skipped Day 10. It was intentional.
I put my iPhone on shuffle and this is the first 10 songs that came up:
Jim Croce - Time in a Bottle
Norah Jones - The Prettiest Thing
Jimi Hendrix - The Wind Cries Mary
Veruca Salt - Number One Blind
One Republic - Stop and Stare
Gavin DeGraw - Crush
Eminem - Love The Way You Lie
Sheryl Crow - Light in Your Eyes
Bob Dylan - Rainy Day Women
Dishwalla - Counting Blue Cars
I have a huge variety of music on my phone. I skip a lot of songs, but these 10 I would actually listen to!
And yes...I skipped Day 10. It was intentional.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
BC Day 8 & 9
Okay, it is quite obvious that I stink at daily blogging. I cannot seem to get on here every day. I even set a reminder on my phone, but I have become quite good at ignoring reminders (because I set one to workout daily too).
Day 8 is "A moment when you felt the most satisfied with your life."
That isn't too hard. I am pretty darn satisfied with my life. I enjoy my job, love my husband, have great kids. I'm thankful for my house, my car, my friends & family. I have nothing real to complain about. If I had to pick a moment, it would be on vacation this summer. Despite the fact that we were missing Seth, we had a great week together. I think any family of four that can spend seven days and 3400 miles in the car together without any fighting is pretty happy family! So there....I'm satisfied. Maybe I am easy to please or maybe I have finally learned that lesson in contentment that has plagued me for years.
Day 9 is "How you hope your future will be like."
First of all, who made this blog challenge up? It seems a little repetitive to me and I am only on Day 9. I think I already had to write about where I see myself in 10 years. This is more of the same, eh? I guess for this one, I'll think further into the future.
Derik and I are planning (hoping) to retired when I am about 55. We would like to have a nice RV by then so we can travel the country and visit all the grand-kids. I assume my kids will not live in Amarillo so I would like to be able to go see them whenever we like. Derik also has a dream of visiting every major league baseball park in the U.S.
Hopefully I will have three lovely daughters-in-law and some grandchildren by the time I'm in my 50's (and not much before then!) that I get along with wonderfully. Seeing that I didn't get to have a daughter of my own, I hope at least one of my sons will marry a girl that I can go shopping with and enjoy spending time with. (1 out 3 isn't too much to ask!) I think we would also like to be able to take the grand-kids on the road with us for a little time each summer. I know some kids that get to do this with their grandparents each summer and it just sounds like such a wonderful time to bond with your grand-kids and really be a part of their lives.
Okay, so that's it. Tomorrow I will try to post Day 10, but all bets are off. The odds aren't in my favor!
Day 8 is "A moment when you felt the most satisfied with your life."
That isn't too hard. I am pretty darn satisfied with my life. I enjoy my job, love my husband, have great kids. I'm thankful for my house, my car, my friends & family. I have nothing real to complain about. If I had to pick a moment, it would be on vacation this summer. Despite the fact that we were missing Seth, we had a great week together. I think any family of four that can spend seven days and 3400 miles in the car together without any fighting is pretty happy family! So there....I'm satisfied. Maybe I am easy to please or maybe I have finally learned that lesson in contentment that has plagued me for years.
Day 9 is "How you hope your future will be like."
First of all, who made this blog challenge up? It seems a little repetitive to me and I am only on Day 9. I think I already had to write about where I see myself in 10 years. This is more of the same, eh? I guess for this one, I'll think further into the future.
Derik and I are planning (hoping) to retired when I am about 55. We would like to have a nice RV by then so we can travel the country and visit all the grand-kids. I assume my kids will not live in Amarillo so I would like to be able to go see them whenever we like. Derik also has a dream of visiting every major league baseball park in the U.S.
Hopefully I will have three lovely daughters-in-law and some grandchildren by the time I'm in my 50's (and not much before then!) that I get along with wonderfully. Seeing that I didn't get to have a daughter of my own, I hope at least one of my sons will marry a girl that I can go shopping with and enjoy spending time with. (1 out 3 isn't too much to ask!) I think we would also like to be able to take the grand-kids on the road with us for a little time each summer. I know some kids that get to do this with their grandparents each summer and it just sounds like such a wonderful time to bond with your grand-kids and really be a part of their lives.
Okay, so that's it. Tomorrow I will try to post Day 10, but all bets are off. The odds aren't in my favor!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Four Years Back or Forward
I was looking back through my blog and found this post from 2009. How cute is he? Braden was just finishing 1st grade and that picture of him with Mrs. Stary is just adorable. What a cute little face! It seems like just yesterday that he was in her class.
Time flies! I feel like I say that a lot, but it really seems like the years are passing faster and faster. If the next four years pass just as quickly, I might just curl up in the fetal position and cry.
In four years, Dustin will be starting his sophomore year in college. (Hopefully at WTAMU!) Seth would be beginning his Junior year in high school and Braden would be a Freshman. Yikes! That's too scary to think about.
Time flies! I feel like I say that a lot, but it really seems like the years are passing faster and faster. If the next four years pass just as quickly, I might just curl up in the fetal position and cry.
In four years, Dustin will be starting his sophomore year in college. (Hopefully at WTAMU!) Seth would be beginning his Junior year in high school and Braden would be a Freshman. Yikes! That's too scary to think about.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
BC Day 7: Zodiac
The question is do I think my zodiac profile matches up with my personality. Hmmm...
According to this Horoscope.com site, I am a Gemini. I've never paid much attention to this stuff. I figure its all a bunch of crap. Now that I have read over the profile, I see some things I agree with.
My favorite color is Green, which is the one colored listed under favored colors. That's right on the money. (Which is also green by the way!)
The personality portion says:
According to this Horoscope.com site, I am a Gemini. I've never paid much attention to this stuff. I figure its all a bunch of crap. Now that I have read over the profile, I see some things I agree with.
My favorite color is Green, which is the one colored listed under favored colors. That's right on the money. (Which is also green by the way!)
The personality portion says:
Versatility is a great keyword for this dual
sign. Expressive and quick-witted, the Gemini presents two distinctive sides to
his or her personality, and you can never be sure with which one you're going to
come face-to-face. On one hand, the Gemini can be outgoing, flirtatious,
communicative, and ready for fun, fun, fun. Yet when the other twin is present,
you can find this air sign contemplative, serious, restless, and even
indecisive. Both twins are able to adapt to life's circumstances well, making
them wonderful people to know. Things are never boring when a Gemini is on the
scene.
I agree with all of that too. Maybe there is more to all this zodiac stuff than I thought. I read through all the others areas that are listed and I would say I agree with most of what it says. Maybe I should start reading my daily horoscope!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Day 6: 30 Facts
30 Interesting Facts About Myself
1. I graduated high school the day before my 17th birthday.
2. I once hit a deer at 75 mph and didn't stop the car until I got to work.
3. Technically, I have 5 brothers. (not counting the three in-laws)
4. I attended 5 different elementary schools.
5. I watch teenager-ish shows/movies. (Secret Life) They are my guilty pleasure.
6. I never enjoyed reading until the last five years or so.
7. I was terrified to become a stay at home mom. Now I can say it's was one of the biggest blessings!
8. I love going to see live music! Small bars or big concerts...It's all good.
9. I have owned more pets than I can count. (I grew up with country cats and dogs. Don't judge!)
10. I have been trying to color my hair back to my natural color to a few years now. It's not possible.
11. At 14, I hiked to the bottom & back out of the Grand Canyon. Thought I was going to die, but I would do it again!
12. Watching hoarders makes me want to purge my house of any unused junk.
13. Dirty Dancing is my favorite movie and I was in love with Swayze when I a kid. (Before NKOTB that is!)
14. I love to dance when no one is watching. (Not Dirty Dancing style!)
15. I had my son at the exact same age as when my mother had me. (Even down to the month!)
16. I have a step son that is half my age, who rocks by the way.
17. I grew up thinking that all divorced parents were good friends, even after remarrying.
18. People sleeping on the couch is a pet peeve of mine.
19. I enjoy sleeping on the couch. (Haha! Yes, this drives Derik crazy because I don't let anyone else do it.)
20. I hate unloading the dishwasher. Don't mind loading it. Just don't make me put them away!
21. I'm the PTA President at my son's school and I'm darn good at it.
22. I was the definition of a wall flower in high school.
23. Public speaking used to terrify me! Not sure how I conquered this, but it really doesn't phase me at all anymore.
24. I would love to build a house in the country and own some horses.
25. I love love love my dogs, but I think about getting rid of them almost daily.
26. I wish I was a cat person instead of a dog person.
27. I have a daily cleaning schedule that I follow with to keep the house clean now that I work. I didn't clean today. Oops!
28. Hot Tamales are my absolute favorite candy!
29. I really want to be a good runner, someone that runs every day because they love it. But I'm not and I don't.
30. I have been to 25 states so far.
Wow! That is difficult. Not all interesting, but all true.
1. I graduated high school the day before my 17th birthday.
2. I once hit a deer at 75 mph and didn't stop the car until I got to work.
3. Technically, I have 5 brothers. (not counting the three in-laws)
4. I attended 5 different elementary schools.
5. I watch teenager-ish shows/movies. (Secret Life) They are my guilty pleasure.
6. I never enjoyed reading until the last five years or so.
7. I was terrified to become a stay at home mom. Now I can say it's was one of the biggest blessings!
8. I love going to see live music! Small bars or big concerts...It's all good.
9. I have owned more pets than I can count. (I grew up with country cats and dogs. Don't judge!)
10. I have been trying to color my hair back to my natural color to a few years now. It's not possible.
11. At 14, I hiked to the bottom & back out of the Grand Canyon. Thought I was going to die, but I would do it again!
12. Watching hoarders makes me want to purge my house of any unused junk.
13. Dirty Dancing is my favorite movie and I was in love with Swayze when I a kid. (Before NKOTB that is!)
14. I love to dance when no one is watching. (Not Dirty Dancing style!)
15. I had my son at the exact same age as when my mother had me. (Even down to the month!)
16. I have a step son that is half my age, who rocks by the way.
17. I grew up thinking that all divorced parents were good friends, even after remarrying.
18. People sleeping on the couch is a pet peeve of mine.
19. I enjoy sleeping on the couch. (Haha! Yes, this drives Derik crazy because I don't let anyone else do it.)
20. I hate unloading the dishwasher. Don't mind loading it. Just don't make me put them away!
21. I'm the PTA President at my son's school and I'm darn good at it.
22. I was the definition of a wall flower in high school.
23. Public speaking used to terrify me! Not sure how I conquered this, but it really doesn't phase me at all anymore.
24. I would love to build a house in the country and own some horses.
25. I love love love my dogs, but I think about getting rid of them almost daily.
26. I wish I was a cat person instead of a dog person.
27. I have a daily cleaning schedule that I follow with to keep the house clean now that I work. I didn't clean today. Oops!
28. Hot Tamales are my absolute favorite candy!
29. I really want to be a good runner, someone that runs every day because they love it. But I'm not and I don't.
30. I have been to 25 states so far.
Wow! That is difficult. Not all interesting, but all true.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Blog Challenge Day 5
Okay, so I am a little behind. No surprise there, huh?
Day 5 of this Blog Challenge says "A Time You Thought About Ending Your Own Life".
I cannot recall a time in my life that I ever felt lost or desperate enough to even consider it. There have been bad times and I have plenty of regrets, but I don't think I have ever considered it. I think that goes back to being a child taught that God would never put more on you than you can handle. I have always thought that suicide was an indication of lost faith and giving up on God. While I have had times that I doubted and even times I felt God was not looking out for me, I don't think I could ever completely give up hope and go there.
Hope this whole daily blog thing gets a little more uplifting soon. Not much fun so far.
Day 5 of this Blog Challenge says "A Time You Thought About Ending Your Own Life".
I cannot recall a time in my life that I ever felt lost or desperate enough to even consider it. There have been bad times and I have plenty of regrets, but I don't think I have ever considered it. I think that goes back to being a child taught that God would never put more on you than you can handle. I have always thought that suicide was an indication of lost faith and giving up on God. While I have had times that I doubted and even times I felt God was not looking out for me, I don't think I could ever completely give up hope and go there.
Hope this whole daily blog thing gets a little more uplifting soon. Not much fun so far.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
BC Day 4: Religion
I'm a Christian.
I have attended Baptist churches as a child and as an adult. I was out of church for my teens and early twenties. I am saved, have been baptized (twice, but that's another story). My husband became a believer in 2004. Braden is also saved and was baptized almost two years ago.
I have blogged about my spiritual walk in the past. I need work, as we all do. Lately more so though.
This is a way bigger subject that I have the energy or time for today.
I have attended Baptist churches as a child and as an adult. I was out of church for my teens and early twenties. I am saved, have been baptized (twice, but that's another story). My husband became a believer in 2004. Braden is also saved and was baptized almost two years ago.
I have blogged about my spiritual walk in the past. I need work, as we all do. Lately more so though.
This is a way bigger subject that I have the energy or time for today.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
BC Day 3: Drugs & Alcohol
It's late. Long day. Going to keep this short.
Drugs are bad. Illegal. Don't do them. I could elaborate about experiences and the dangers of drugs, even "gateway drugs" like pot, but it's late. I hope my kids make wise choices and avoid the trouble of finding out for themselves what kind of trouble drugs can bring you.
Alcohol is an adult beverage that should be consumed responsibly. Again, I hope my kids wait until they are adults and then choose to consume wisely.
Not a day goes by that there isn't something in the news demonstrating the pitfalls that drugs and alcohol can bring. This is a no brainer. Not enjoying the blog challenge today. Maybe I'm just tired and cranky. Bedtime!
Drugs are bad. Illegal. Don't do them. I could elaborate about experiences and the dangers of drugs, even "gateway drugs" like pot, but it's late. I hope my kids make wise choices and avoid the trouble of finding out for themselves what kind of trouble drugs can bring you.
Alcohol is an adult beverage that should be consumed responsibly. Again, I hope my kids wait until they are adults and then choose to consume wisely.
Not a day goes by that there isn't something in the news demonstrating the pitfalls that drugs and alcohol can bring. This is a no brainer. Not enjoying the blog challenge today. Maybe I'm just tired and cranky. Bedtime!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Day 2: 10 Years From Now
Where do I want to be in 10 years?
Still happily married to my sweet and wonderful husband, but enjoying a lot more time together.
Have Braden in college with Dustin and Seth both in a satisfying career.
Debt free, with the exception of the mortgage and maybe a single car.
Still working for CISD in a position that makes me feel good about myself & allows me to help others everyday.
Hmmmm....
Definitely thinner or at least more fit. It would be fantastic to have completed a couple 5Ks by then. And to have hiked the Grand Canyon with my husband and boys. Derik has lots of hiking goals that require me to be in better shape, which is something I need to be anyway.
I guess I'm pretty happy with my current life. So other than paying off debt, I don't have any radical changes or crazy goals for the next ten years. Just want things to stay as good as they are now or keep getting better!
Still happily married to my sweet and wonderful husband, but enjoying a lot more time together.
Have Braden in college with Dustin and Seth both in a satisfying career.
Debt free, with the exception of the mortgage and maybe a single car.
Still working for CISD in a position that makes me feel good about myself & allows me to help others everyday.
Hmmmm....
Definitely thinner or at least more fit. It would be fantastic to have completed a couple 5Ks by then. And to have hiked the Grand Canyon with my husband and boys. Derik has lots of hiking goals that require me to be in better shape, which is something I need to be anyway.
I guess I'm pretty happy with my current life. So other than paying off debt, I don't have any radical changes or crazy goals for the next ten years. Just want things to stay as good as they are now or keep getting better!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Blog Challenge Day 1
So I'm a day late! I'm a dollar short too. Nothing new. Here we go. Day 1 is to discuss your current relationship.
I am married. I have been married to Derik for almost eleven years. We have been together for almost thirteen. We have a great marriage. It hasn't always been great, or even good, but right now it is great.
I think there are a couple reasons it is great right now. Mostly because I am married to a very loving and considerate man. Even when I don't deserve it, he is loving and forgiving. Sometime in the past year I have come to adopt a new way of thinking.
Somewhere I read these two statements and they rang true to me:
"The grass is greener where you water it."
and
No matter how long you have been married, you should "date your husband".
For many years, I was always thinking the grass was greener was elsewhere. Not that I wasn't happy with my husband, but it was the idea of always wanting more or better or different. When are you are always wanting or waiting for something more, you cannot be very happy with what and who you have now. So I have been mentally working on being content. Praying for contentment.
The other idea of "dating your husband" sounds simple, but after I really considered what all it entailed, I realized I had let many of the things you do when dating fall by the wayside over the years. I began leaving little sweet notes for my husband again. I try to make sure I look good when he comes home or if we are going somewhere together. No more endless yoga pant and pony tail days. I try to make sure when he comes home, that I greet him with a smile and a hug and kiss, instead of immediately dumping all the crappy parts of my day on him. I text him sweet, playful messages during the day. There are plenty of things, little considerations, that you give someone when you are first dating. I have just been trying to extend the same to my husband. Some days I do better than others and some days I stink at it. But overall, it's helping. I think Derik is happier in our marriage and I know that I am.
So my current relationship is a great marriage that I think will last another 50 years.
I am married. I have been married to Derik for almost eleven years. We have been together for almost thirteen. We have a great marriage. It hasn't always been great, or even good, but right now it is great.
I think there are a couple reasons it is great right now. Mostly because I am married to a very loving and considerate man. Even when I don't deserve it, he is loving and forgiving. Sometime in the past year I have come to adopt a new way of thinking.
Somewhere I read these two statements and they rang true to me:
"The grass is greener where you water it."
and
No matter how long you have been married, you should "date your husband".
For many years, I was always thinking the grass was greener was elsewhere. Not that I wasn't happy with my husband, but it was the idea of always wanting more or better or different. When are you are always wanting or waiting for something more, you cannot be very happy with what and who you have now. So I have been mentally working on being content. Praying for contentment.
The other idea of "dating your husband" sounds simple, but after I really considered what all it entailed, I realized I had let many of the things you do when dating fall by the wayside over the years. I began leaving little sweet notes for my husband again. I try to make sure I look good when he comes home or if we are going somewhere together. No more endless yoga pant and pony tail days. I try to make sure when he comes home, that I greet him with a smile and a hug and kiss, instead of immediately dumping all the crappy parts of my day on him. I text him sweet, playful messages during the day. There are plenty of things, little considerations, that you give someone when you are first dating. I have just been trying to extend the same to my husband. Some days I do better than others and some days I stink at it. But overall, it's helping. I think Derik is happier in our marriage and I know that I am.
So my current relationship is a great marriage that I think will last another 50 years.
The first picture is our first dance ever (Dec 2000) and the other is this summer in Arches National Park. We are still pretty hot I think! Haha!
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Vacation Pics
Four Corners
First stop in Arches
Grand Targhee Resort
Grand Tetons
Geothermal pools in Yellowstone
Grand Prismatic Pool
Beautiful waterfall
Cool kid with a cool statue
Roosevelt Arch
Lower Falls (worth the hike)
Playing in the snow on top of a mountain on the 4th of July
Mount Rushmore
Crazy Horse Monument
One fantastic trip!
Summer Update
Last post was in April. Ugh! I really stink at this. In my defense, I started working in April and it seems like it's been non-stop since then.
I started working HR for CISD in April, just part time. It's has made the summer fly by! I cannot believe that school starts in two weeks and I start full time in two days! I got a position at Arden, where I have been volunteering and subbing for the past four years. Of course, Braden isn't there anymore! He will start 5th grade at the Greenways Intermediate, where I am PTA President. Trying to stay involved despite working full time. We will see how that goes.
As I said, summer has flown by! Braden and I drove to Houston to pick up the boys the day after school let out in May. It was nice to start the summer with them here, instead of having to wait a week or two like we have in the past. Unfortunatley, Seth got a little homesick after 4 weeks and decided he wanted to go home at the end of June. We were all bummed, but he's 13. I am sure I ditched my dad and step-mom a lot when I was 13 and they only lived across town, not 600 miles away from all my friends.
The week after Seth we home to Houston, we went a on a week long epic vacation! (I know, we tried to convince him to stay at least for vacation but no!) We headed across New Mexico to Four Courners first. The kids got to be in four states at once for all of a minute because there was a line of people waiting to take photos and it was like 110 degrees in the shade! We snapped a few pics, shopped the Native American booths around the monument, and high-tailed it to the sweet air conditioning of the car. We headed for Moab, Utah. No particular reason we chose Moab, other than it was the furtherest we could drive on Day 1 and not end up in the middle of nowhere.
We stopped at Wilson's Arch just before getting into Moab and the kids were in awe! It was very cool to see such an amazing rock formation right off the side of the highway that we could climb without having to hike anywhere or pay anyone. We checked into our hotel in Moab and headed for the brewery so Derik could sample the local brews. The food was great, the whole outdoorsy-adventurous atmosphere was super cool. We were loving this little town!
The next morning, we got up with the sun and headed to Arches National Park. So amazing! It was picture perfect and the weather was mild in the morning. We took tons of pictures and hiked all the nearby arches, even climbing up a few places that Derik wasn't thrilled with. Dustin and Braden still say this was the best part of the trip. It was amazing to stand in the middle of a rock arch that had taken a hundred thousand years or longer to form. Amazing isn't a good enough word to describe this beautiful and awe-inspiring place. It was pure evidence of God's creation to us as nothing that terrific could be made without the intent of inspiring wonder and awe.
About noon, we headed northeast across Utah, through Salt Lake. We saw lots of Morman temples and even BYU along the way. In the heart of Mormon country, their temples can be seen from far away. They are gleaming bright white with tall spires pointing to the heavens. It was a long day in the car. We made it in to Idaho close to dinner time. The green rolling hills with mountains in the distance were beautiful. Finally just before dark, we drove over the state line into Wyoming (like 2 miles over the line, the area was referred to locally as Wydaho). We were staying at Grand Targhee Resort which is up a mountain at the end of the road. It is a ski resort and was almost deserted off season, which was great for us. No crowds here.
The next two days were spent exploring Yellowstone National Park. I will spare you the play by play or we will be here for days. We saw stunning waterfalls, including one that required a 600ft hike down switchbacks to view. I made it back up without a heart attack or piggy back ride so I felt accomplished. We walked a 3 mile track to view geyers and geothermal pools, which Braden was a little afraid of at first. He was picturing himself being boiled to death, melting flesh and all, should he trip and fall off the walkway. We saw Elk and Bison, up close and personal. We drove to the original entrance that Teddy Roosevelt had built. Spent sometime in West Yellowston, Montana eating Mad Dogs (a delicious concoction of a brat dog and brisket that I will be duplicating at home) and checking out the bears and wolves in the wildlife refuge center. It was A LOT of driving in two days. The entire week was A LOT of driving!
After two days at Yellowstone, we were ready to move on. We headed west across Wyoming, the most desolate state in the union. Hours and hours of driving with only a couple gas stations along the way. It was beaufiful but lonely. We did pass directly by a strip mining facitility, where saw warning signs about 'orange clouds'. When we got to an area with good signal, I googled it and found out that strip mining produces poisonous orange clouds that are toxic and should be avoided at all costs. Glad we didn't drive through one! We finally made it to the Black Hills of South Dakota by that evening, found a hotel and some good dinner.
The next morning, we headed to Mount Rushmore. Awesome! I would recommend everyone visit once. For me, it didn't inspire any deep patriotic feelings, but the amazing feat of the men who built this without our modern technology were inspiring. It is very cool. We also saw the Crazy Horse Monument, which once finished will be three times the size of Rushmore. (If they ever finish it!) Be warned that everything at Crazy Horse costs you! It was obvious that they are still tryin to raise funds to work on the monument. Braden thought this was the coolest though. The whole area of the Black Hills has so much to offer. The towns are quaint, lots of shopping, and plenty for kids to do too. Had we known how much there was there, we would have waited and done a separate trip there. I can guarantee we will go back to spend more time in this area.
The final day of driving south, back to Amarillo, was LONG and BORING! 12 hours in the car on two lane highways through Nebraska, eastern Colorado, and the Oklahoma & Texas panhandles. I wouldn't suggest that drive to anyone! Ugh! As much as we wanted vacation to last forever, we were all ready to get out of the car when we reached the house. It was a great trip. 3,400 miles in total. We learned that we can all enjoy each other for a week, even in close quarters, but maybe not for much longer than that. We also learned that we would rather spend more time in one place than drive so far and try to fit so much in. Good lessons learned and we look forward to even better vacations in the future!
I'll post some pictures of the trip soon.
Dustin stayed another two weeks after vacation. Braden was sad when he left, but he has done well (better than past summers). Braden did a two week introductory tennis class at AC and thinks he might want to continue lessons once school starts. Dustin's been busy with friends and football since going home and we haven't heard much from him.
I was hoping for one last get-away before I start full time, but it wasn't in the cards. So I am enjoying this weekend, slept in yesterday and got up for a workout and dog walk this morning. Thinking maybe some pool time is in order. I am feeling the need to savor the last bit of summer.
I am going to start a 30 day blog challenge. Hoping I can stick with it and post daily at least through the challenge. We'll see how that goes. I don't have a good track record.
I started working HR for CISD in April, just part time. It's has made the summer fly by! I cannot believe that school starts in two weeks and I start full time in two days! I got a position at Arden, where I have been volunteering and subbing for the past four years. Of course, Braden isn't there anymore! He will start 5th grade at the Greenways Intermediate, where I am PTA President. Trying to stay involved despite working full time. We will see how that goes.
As I said, summer has flown by! Braden and I drove to Houston to pick up the boys the day after school let out in May. It was nice to start the summer with them here, instead of having to wait a week or two like we have in the past. Unfortunatley, Seth got a little homesick after 4 weeks and decided he wanted to go home at the end of June. We were all bummed, but he's 13. I am sure I ditched my dad and step-mom a lot when I was 13 and they only lived across town, not 600 miles away from all my friends.
The week after Seth we home to Houston, we went a on a week long epic vacation! (I know, we tried to convince him to stay at least for vacation but no!) We headed across New Mexico to Four Courners first. The kids got to be in four states at once for all of a minute because there was a line of people waiting to take photos and it was like 110 degrees in the shade! We snapped a few pics, shopped the Native American booths around the monument, and high-tailed it to the sweet air conditioning of the car. We headed for Moab, Utah. No particular reason we chose Moab, other than it was the furtherest we could drive on Day 1 and not end up in the middle of nowhere.
We stopped at Wilson's Arch just before getting into Moab and the kids were in awe! It was very cool to see such an amazing rock formation right off the side of the highway that we could climb without having to hike anywhere or pay anyone. We checked into our hotel in Moab and headed for the brewery so Derik could sample the local brews. The food was great, the whole outdoorsy-adventurous atmosphere was super cool. We were loving this little town!
The next morning, we got up with the sun and headed to Arches National Park. So amazing! It was picture perfect and the weather was mild in the morning. We took tons of pictures and hiked all the nearby arches, even climbing up a few places that Derik wasn't thrilled with. Dustin and Braden still say this was the best part of the trip. It was amazing to stand in the middle of a rock arch that had taken a hundred thousand years or longer to form. Amazing isn't a good enough word to describe this beautiful and awe-inspiring place. It was pure evidence of God's creation to us as nothing that terrific could be made without the intent of inspiring wonder and awe.
About noon, we headed northeast across Utah, through Salt Lake. We saw lots of Morman temples and even BYU along the way. In the heart of Mormon country, their temples can be seen from far away. They are gleaming bright white with tall spires pointing to the heavens. It was a long day in the car. We made it in to Idaho close to dinner time. The green rolling hills with mountains in the distance were beautiful. Finally just before dark, we drove over the state line into Wyoming (like 2 miles over the line, the area was referred to locally as Wydaho). We were staying at Grand Targhee Resort which is up a mountain at the end of the road. It is a ski resort and was almost deserted off season, which was great for us. No crowds here.
The next two days were spent exploring Yellowstone National Park. I will spare you the play by play or we will be here for days. We saw stunning waterfalls, including one that required a 600ft hike down switchbacks to view. I made it back up without a heart attack or piggy back ride so I felt accomplished. We walked a 3 mile track to view geyers and geothermal pools, which Braden was a little afraid of at first. He was picturing himself being boiled to death, melting flesh and all, should he trip and fall off the walkway. We saw Elk and Bison, up close and personal. We drove to the original entrance that Teddy Roosevelt had built. Spent sometime in West Yellowston, Montana eating Mad Dogs (a delicious concoction of a brat dog and brisket that I will be duplicating at home) and checking out the bears and wolves in the wildlife refuge center. It was A LOT of driving in two days. The entire week was A LOT of driving!
After two days at Yellowstone, we were ready to move on. We headed west across Wyoming, the most desolate state in the union. Hours and hours of driving with only a couple gas stations along the way. It was beaufiful but lonely. We did pass directly by a strip mining facitility, where saw warning signs about 'orange clouds'. When we got to an area with good signal, I googled it and found out that strip mining produces poisonous orange clouds that are toxic and should be avoided at all costs. Glad we didn't drive through one! We finally made it to the Black Hills of South Dakota by that evening, found a hotel and some good dinner.
The next morning, we headed to Mount Rushmore. Awesome! I would recommend everyone visit once. For me, it didn't inspire any deep patriotic feelings, but the amazing feat of the men who built this without our modern technology were inspiring. It is very cool. We also saw the Crazy Horse Monument, which once finished will be three times the size of Rushmore. (If they ever finish it!) Be warned that everything at Crazy Horse costs you! It was obvious that they are still tryin to raise funds to work on the monument. Braden thought this was the coolest though. The whole area of the Black Hills has so much to offer. The towns are quaint, lots of shopping, and plenty for kids to do too. Had we known how much there was there, we would have waited and done a separate trip there. I can guarantee we will go back to spend more time in this area.
The final day of driving south, back to Amarillo, was LONG and BORING! 12 hours in the car on two lane highways through Nebraska, eastern Colorado, and the Oklahoma & Texas panhandles. I wouldn't suggest that drive to anyone! Ugh! As much as we wanted vacation to last forever, we were all ready to get out of the car when we reached the house. It was a great trip. 3,400 miles in total. We learned that we can all enjoy each other for a week, even in close quarters, but maybe not for much longer than that. We also learned that we would rather spend more time in one place than drive so far and try to fit so much in. Good lessons learned and we look forward to even better vacations in the future!
I'll post some pictures of the trip soon.
Dustin stayed another two weeks after vacation. Braden was sad when he left, but he has done well (better than past summers). Braden did a two week introductory tennis class at AC and thinks he might want to continue lessons once school starts. Dustin's been busy with friends and football since going home and we haven't heard much from him.
I was hoping for one last get-away before I start full time, but it wasn't in the cards. So I am enjoying this weekend, slept in yesterday and got up for a workout and dog walk this morning. Thinking maybe some pool time is in order. I am feeling the need to savor the last bit of summer.
I am going to start a 30 day blog challenge. Hoping I can stick with it and post daily at least through the challenge. We'll see how that goes. I don't have a good track record.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Monthly Update
Welcome to my monthly blog update! I have good intentions, but this is last on my list of priorities, behind catching up on shows I DVR'd (yes, that is a word), perusing Pinterest, or going to bed. Which means, I blog late at night when there is nothing on, I've already pinned enough to drive my friends crazy, and I cannot sleep. This doesn't happen too often.
I'm on Day 23 of the Shred and determined to finish. I took all my measurements on Day 1 and am eager to see what has changed on Day 30. I'm actually a little scared too. What if I've busted my hump for 30 days, sweating and grunting, for no loss in inches? I've been nursing a sore knee, limping half the time. Aside for a recent 4 day hiatus, brought on by a bout of the stomach bug and extended by two date nights in a row, I have been consistent. I think I took two Sundays off, but otherwise have been shredding it everyday. Surely I have lost a few inches from somewhere.
I have also been using Lose It! to count calories and track my weight. I've lost 7 pounds since I started the Shred. It's a good start, but it sure it taking longer than I expected. I was thinking that I only have a little weight to lose (18 pounds from my starting weight) so it should go fast. WRONG! Apparently the less weight you have to lose, the longer it takes. No double digit weight loss weeks for me. I'm jealous of those Biggest Loser peeps that are dropping 10 pounds in a week! I'm plugging away though with a pound here or a half pound there.
Keeping track of what I eat and staying under a calorie budget has been eye-opening. It totally shows when I blow my budget and the scale doesn't budge the next morning, or even worse - moves in the wrong direction. Ugh! Overall, I am making healthier choices, eating more veggies, and eating less overall. I feel like I'm starving most of the time, but it's all mental. It's not because my body needs food, but because my mind or taste buds weren't satisfied with what I ate. Learning to say no to snacks and desserts has been hard, but I think I am making progress.
The best part is that my family is eating healthier too! Derik has begun his own journey to be more fit and is no longer complaining about wheat bread, whole grain pasta, or the vegetables that I put on his plate. Braden is making progress too. Not enough to eat the Parmesan Zucchini I made the other night, but he's taking baby steps. The real challenge will be this summer! Switching to feeding 5 and a picky Seth could be difficult. Dustin will eat anything and I can always count on him to help cook and try new things. There may be a lot of sandwiches in Seth's summer diet!
Speaking of summer! We are five weeks from the end of school! All together now....Woohoo! We couldn't be more excited for summer to get here! But we do still have five weeks to get through and they are sure to be busy!
In just 48 hours, we will be on the road to Houston for a weekend visit. We are going to see Dustin in a school play and we will celebrate Seth's 13th birthday on Sunday. It's sure to be a great weekend! I was afraid Derik and Braden might have to go without me, but turns out I have a super nice new boss that agreed to let me take a day off after only three weeks.
Oh right! I haven't posted since I got a job. I GOT A JOB! It's in Human Resources for the school district. I've been a substitute for four years and finally have a job with a set schedule. It's only part time, which works great for this last two months of school and through the summer. I'm still available for the things I need to be doing at Braden's school through PTA and this summer, I'll have my work day done before my boys are even out of bed. (Night owls! They party all night and sleep half the day!) So far the job has been great. I learned the ropes quickly and enjoy the people I work with. I think it will be great and puts me a good position to hopefully secure something full time for next school year.
Time to walk the dogs, flip the laundry, start dinner, and watch American Idol with my guys! Maybe I'll shoot for a two week update this time!
I'm on Day 23 of the Shred and determined to finish. I took all my measurements on Day 1 and am eager to see what has changed on Day 30. I'm actually a little scared too. What if I've busted my hump for 30 days, sweating and grunting, for no loss in inches? I've been nursing a sore knee, limping half the time. Aside for a recent 4 day hiatus, brought on by a bout of the stomach bug and extended by two date nights in a row, I have been consistent. I think I took two Sundays off, but otherwise have been shredding it everyday. Surely I have lost a few inches from somewhere.
I have also been using Lose It! to count calories and track my weight. I've lost 7 pounds since I started the Shred. It's a good start, but it sure it taking longer than I expected. I was thinking that I only have a little weight to lose (18 pounds from my starting weight) so it should go fast. WRONG! Apparently the less weight you have to lose, the longer it takes. No double digit weight loss weeks for me. I'm jealous of those Biggest Loser peeps that are dropping 10 pounds in a week! I'm plugging away though with a pound here or a half pound there.
Keeping track of what I eat and staying under a calorie budget has been eye-opening. It totally shows when I blow my budget and the scale doesn't budge the next morning, or even worse - moves in the wrong direction. Ugh! Overall, I am making healthier choices, eating more veggies, and eating less overall. I feel like I'm starving most of the time, but it's all mental. It's not because my body needs food, but because my mind or taste buds weren't satisfied with what I ate. Learning to say no to snacks and desserts has been hard, but I think I am making progress.
The best part is that my family is eating healthier too! Derik has begun his own journey to be more fit and is no longer complaining about wheat bread, whole grain pasta, or the vegetables that I put on his plate. Braden is making progress too. Not enough to eat the Parmesan Zucchini I made the other night, but he's taking baby steps. The real challenge will be this summer! Switching to feeding 5 and a picky Seth could be difficult. Dustin will eat anything and I can always count on him to help cook and try new things. There may be a lot of sandwiches in Seth's summer diet!
Speaking of summer! We are five weeks from the end of school! All together now....Woohoo! We couldn't be more excited for summer to get here! But we do still have five weeks to get through and they are sure to be busy!
In just 48 hours, we will be on the road to Houston for a weekend visit. We are going to see Dustin in a school play and we will celebrate Seth's 13th birthday on Sunday. It's sure to be a great weekend! I was afraid Derik and Braden might have to go without me, but turns out I have a super nice new boss that agreed to let me take a day off after only three weeks.
Oh right! I haven't posted since I got a job. I GOT A JOB! It's in Human Resources for the school district. I've been a substitute for four years and finally have a job with a set schedule. It's only part time, which works great for this last two months of school and through the summer. I'm still available for the things I need to be doing at Braden's school through PTA and this summer, I'll have my work day done before my boys are even out of bed. (Night owls! They party all night and sleep half the day!) So far the job has been great. I learned the ropes quickly and enjoy the people I work with. I think it will be great and puts me a good position to hopefully secure something full time for next school year.
Time to walk the dogs, flip the laundry, start dinner, and watch American Idol with my guys! Maybe I'll shoot for a two week update this time!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Time Flies
Ten years ago tonight, I was in the hospital. Slow labor, getting an epidural, and anxious to meet my son. I cannot believe it has been ten years!
Motherhood has rocked my world! I am a completely different person than I was that night, ten years ago. All for the better! I have grown so much as a person and as a wife. And I have a completely wonderful and amazing little boy (that I can't call little for much longer)! He is my sunshine, my joy, and a pure gift from God.
Okay, way mushy. Just cannot believe my little boy is turing 10. We have ten weeks of elementary school left. In two years, he'll be in junior high. In five years, he'll be learning to drive. In eight years, he'll be graduating high school. Time flies. Let this be a reminder to make every day count.
Motherhood has rocked my world! I am a completely different person than I was that night, ten years ago. All for the better! I have grown so much as a person and as a wife. And I have a completely wonderful and amazing little boy (that I can't call little for much longer)! He is my sunshine, my joy, and a pure gift from God.
Monday, February 20, 2012
February Homestretch
This whole sugar free month has been tough. It straight up sucks! I don't know what I was thinking trying to go sugar free on Valentines Day! I tried to plan ahead and told my husband way in advance no candy or chocolates. Unfortunately no one informed the mom that brought the chocolate fountain to the class party. She totally sabotaged me! In reality, I have only had a few small cheats so far this month. With only 9 days to go, I think that is pretty good. I haven't even been substituting sugar-free or diet sweets. I just went cold turkey. My gummy calcium and vitamins have helped because they are a little sweet, but they don't count because they are vitamins.
The downside is...I haven't lost any weight! If you take out all the sweets and end up eating more fruit and carbs because you want something for dessert but deny yourself, you still make no progress. Surprise surprise! I am going to stick with it to the end of the month. I have been keeping up with the Fab Ab Feb challeng and it's kicking my butt! I have missed days here and there, but I am on track with what I should be able to do as of today. I have decided my biggest challenge is not having a set routine. If I could get up and work out every single morning after dropping Braden off Monday to Friday without fail, I know I would be able to stick to it. But with working some days (no set schedule, just when needed), it doesn't ever work out that way. And once I've put it off for work, it's too easy to put it off for meeting a friend or running an errand or (shame on me!) laying on the couch!
So I have started the Couch to 5K Program program. It's slow going, but I am staying on track. I also ordered Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred the other day so I plan to start that soon. I am going to try to be consistently working out. Swimsuit season is coming up and I just want to be comfortable in my own skin. I think a tan would help with that tremendously! I may have to check into spray tanning since I am too scared to fake bake. But it's been said and I believe it's true: Tan fat looks better than white fat!
On that now, I am off to do my C25K Day 3!
The downside is...I haven't lost any weight! If you take out all the sweets and end up eating more fruit and carbs because you want something for dessert but deny yourself, you still make no progress. Surprise surprise! I am going to stick with it to the end of the month. I have been keeping up with the Fab Ab Feb challeng and it's kicking my butt! I have missed days here and there, but I am on track with what I should be able to do as of today. I have decided my biggest challenge is not having a set routine. If I could get up and work out every single morning after dropping Braden off Monday to Friday without fail, I know I would be able to stick to it. But with working some days (no set schedule, just when needed), it doesn't ever work out that way. And once I've put it off for work, it's too easy to put it off for meeting a friend or running an errand or (shame on me!) laying on the couch!
So I have started the Couch to 5K Program program. It's slow going, but I am staying on track. I also ordered Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred the other day so I plan to start that soon. I am going to try to be consistently working out. Swimsuit season is coming up and I just want to be comfortable in my own skin. I think a tan would help with that tremendously! I may have to check into spray tanning since I am too scared to fake bake. But it's been said and I believe it's true: Tan fat looks better than white fat!
On that now, I am off to do my C25K Day 3!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Blog Fail and Update
I obviously stink at blogging. I'm sure anyone who bothers to read my wanna-be blog has already decided this. Probably back in October when I dropped off the map. Sorry! I started working more and the whole holiday season was just busy.
So... Here we are in February and I'll bring you up to speed on what's been going down around here.
My Journey for Joy is on hiatus. I started November already feeling a little defeated in my efforts to keep up and so I just decided a slower time would be better. (I know! I'm the ultimate procrastinator!) Our holiday season was nice. We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas day here with my family and then spent almost a week around New Years with Derik's boys and family. I would post pics, but I used my new iPhone 4s to take pictures and video, which promptly croaked and I lost everything (pictures of my son's first choir concert, last elementary Christmas party where he was a toilet papered snowman, all Christmas pictures from home and family visits, and videos of Braden first adventures with a BB gun)! Very upsetting! Believe me, I learned my lesson. I did, thankfully, upload this one video to YouTube to share with family before my stupid phone died. Watch closely: http://youtu.be/C_yFl_WAthI
Note to iPhone users: Turn on your icloud photostream immediately! If your phone takes a inexplicable nosedive, you will lose everything if you don't have your icloud set up!
January flew by! I am not sure if it was because we started back to school later than usual or because I was working quite a bit, but I really don't remember any stand-out events during the month. It just sort have disappeared.
This month, February, I am partnering with my good friend, Mattie, to be sugar-free! I know, right? That's huge for me! We have both been sugar addicts for way too long and decided to kick it cold turkey with a month-long sugar fast. So far, I am doing well. I have been snacking on fruit, sweetening my tea with Truvia, and chewing those sugar-free dessert gums when I need something sweet after dinner. It hasn't been too hard so far (4 days down, 25 to go), but I am afraid Valentines Day might pose more of a challenge. I be helping with my son's class Valentines party this coming Friday. I am pretty good at resisting boxed chocolates and candy that kids exchange, but my friend Trisha's delicious cupcakes will be at this party. She will have vanilla or chocolate to choose from, both beautifully decorated with her homemade icing that is just plain amazing. See my dilemma? I may have to designate Friday my cheat day for the month!
I am also doing this Fab AB February challenge. Fab AB February The planking and sit ups are relatively easy for me, but push-ups (not the girl style ones) are a little more difficult. I have convinced Braden to do this with me. He is skinny as a rail, but has little muscle tone. So we are building muscle for him and burning fat for me!
A photographer friend inspired me to do the Pic A Day challenge in February. Using Instagram, I've been posting to Facebook so you can find them there if you are interested. I am no professional, like my friend, but you will get to see funny shots of my kid and lots of my dogs, I'm sure. They are always good for a cute pic.
I've also started a new Bible study. It is Discovering the Treasures of a Godly Woman by Elizabeth George which is study of the Proverbs 31 woman. I have yet to make it to the weekly group sessions, but I am still on track with the homework. It's not a video led study, so I am missing out on the fellowship and discussions but getting all the work done. It's been a refresher so far and I'm enjoying it.
While I'm on the Bible study topic, I want to share that Duty or Delight? by Tammie Head was a great study. It was perfect for me. When I started in Nov, I was struggling to be consistent in my prayer time and had check out of serving for the semester. I think this would be a good study for anyone feeling stuck or even for anyone new to Bible study. I did it all on my own (with a lot of help from Jesus to keep me on track) and would recommend it to anyone wanting to do a solo-study, but it would be great for the right group of women.
I'm off to Pinterest to find a good recipe for dinner. Something healthy yet filling and appealing to my picky eaters! It's a challenge!
So... Here we are in February and I'll bring you up to speed on what's been going down around here.
My Journey for Joy is on hiatus. I started November already feeling a little defeated in my efforts to keep up and so I just decided a slower time would be better. (I know! I'm the ultimate procrastinator!) Our holiday season was nice. We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas day here with my family and then spent almost a week around New Years with Derik's boys and family. I would post pics, but I used my new iPhone 4s to take pictures and video, which promptly croaked and I lost everything (pictures of my son's first choir concert, last elementary Christmas party where he was a toilet papered snowman, all Christmas pictures from home and family visits, and videos of Braden first adventures with a BB gun)! Very upsetting! Believe me, I learned my lesson. I did, thankfully, upload this one video to YouTube to share with family before my stupid phone died. Watch closely: http://youtu.be/C_yFl_WAthI
Note to iPhone users: Turn on your icloud photostream immediately! If your phone takes a inexplicable nosedive, you will lose everything if you don't have your icloud set up!
January flew by! I am not sure if it was because we started back to school later than usual or because I was working quite a bit, but I really don't remember any stand-out events during the month. It just sort have disappeared.
This month, February, I am partnering with my good friend, Mattie, to be sugar-free! I know, right? That's huge for me! We have both been sugar addicts for way too long and decided to kick it cold turkey with a month-long sugar fast. So far, I am doing well. I have been snacking on fruit, sweetening my tea with Truvia, and chewing those sugar-free dessert gums when I need something sweet after dinner. It hasn't been too hard so far (4 days down, 25 to go), but I am afraid Valentines Day might pose more of a challenge. I be helping with my son's class Valentines party this coming Friday. I am pretty good at resisting boxed chocolates and candy that kids exchange, but my friend Trisha's delicious cupcakes will be at this party. She will have vanilla or chocolate to choose from, both beautifully decorated with her homemade icing that is just plain amazing. See my dilemma? I may have to designate Friday my cheat day for the month!
I am also doing this Fab AB February challenge. Fab AB February The planking and sit ups are relatively easy for me, but push-ups (not the girl style ones) are a little more difficult. I have convinced Braden to do this with me. He is skinny as a rail, but has little muscle tone. So we are building muscle for him and burning fat for me!
A photographer friend inspired me to do the Pic A Day challenge in February. Using Instagram, I've been posting to Facebook so you can find them there if you are interested. I am no professional, like my friend, but you will get to see funny shots of my kid and lots of my dogs, I'm sure. They are always good for a cute pic.
I've also started a new Bible study. It is Discovering the Treasures of a Godly Woman by Elizabeth George which is study of the Proverbs 31 woman. I have yet to make it to the weekly group sessions, but I am still on track with the homework. It's not a video led study, so I am missing out on the fellowship and discussions but getting all the work done. It's been a refresher so far and I'm enjoying it.
While I'm on the Bible study topic, I want to share that Duty or Delight? by Tammie Head was a great study. It was perfect for me. When I started in Nov, I was struggling to be consistent in my prayer time and had check out of serving for the semester. I think this would be a good study for anyone feeling stuck or even for anyone new to Bible study. I did it all on my own (with a lot of help from Jesus to keep me on track) and would recommend it to anyone wanting to do a solo-study, but it would be great for the right group of women.
I'm off to Pinterest to find a good recipe for dinner. Something healthy yet filling and appealing to my picky eaters! It's a challenge!
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