back to the '80s

I've been reliving the '80s lately, by reconnecting with old friends on Facebook. It's been a lot of fun to exchange messages, relive memories and share milestones.

But nothing took me back to the '80s like this did this morning:

It's '80s Day at Dani's school. Of course, she informed me of this last night at 10:15 when it was too late to get my hands on leg warmers and top-siders. Instead, we dug out some old pink foam rollers for her to sleep in, and I hacked up one of Darren t-shirts Irene-Cara-style. It's amazing how those radical 80's hair skills like, totally came back to me! With a hairdryer in one hand and a can of hairspray in the other, I majorly Molly Ringwalded Dani's hair. I only wish I'd had a can of Aqua Net on hand!

We pegged her jeans, plastered on the blue eye shadow and scrunched down her socks. What I wouldn't have given for some twister beads this morning. Dani cracked herself up when she caught her reflection in the mirror. "I can't believe y'all thought this was a good look! I can't believe I'm leaving the house in this."

It was like staring at my 17-year old self as I watched her drive off - so much so that I had to run upstairs and dig through old photos! Here's another one of me at 17:

The really funny thing is, Dani suffers from the same "I Was Born In The Wrong Decade" syndrome that I suffered from at her age. I always wished I'd been a teen/young adult in the late '60s/'70s. Dani does, too. Her room is covered in John Lennon posters - and check out her book bag:

I love that kid! She beats to her own funky drum, it's true, but that's one of the things I admire about her.

That, and she just texted me, saying, "I'm bringing you lunch today. What do you want?"

<3

boys

Twice yesterday, I was surprised by two little gifties left for me. The first one, at the bottom of the laundry basket, stealthily tucked beneath the last few socks, took several months off my life.

The second one was discovered last night, in the dark of my car, as I reached into my purse for my cell phone. You can't tell from the picture, but this nasty little dude is slimy and sticky and wiggly and gross. Aidan knows how much I love it. {insert curled lip here}

I have a couple of suspects in mind.

NSV = non-scale victories

As you know, I gained back 6 pounds and only ended up losing an overall 2 pounds last month. I pinpointed my problem as emotional eating and avoidance of exercise because of those same emotions.

This week, I've strived to overcome that, and I've been pretty successful in both areas (eating and exercise). I still wasn't gung ho, though... I've just been faking it 'til I make it. Know what I mean?

Yesterday, I saw an older woman (my friend's Granny) whom I hadn't seen in several months. She asked if she'd ever met me. At first, my feelings were a little hurt because YES she's met me, many times! When I said, "Granny, I'm Stacy!", her mouth dropped open and she gasped, "You've lost so much WEIGHT! Cara told me you'd lost weight, but you don't even LOOK the same."

Then last night, an old high school friend reconnected with me on Facebook, and said, "You look exactly the same as you did in high school. Not a day over 20!" I'm 39, and it's a recent picture.

Today, I feel GUNG HO AGAIN! I needed those NSVs!

ribbon storage... and the BOOK!

Last spring, I saw an idea that I loved and couldn't wait to implement. In my scraproom, I had a big drawer full of random ribbon, all mumble-jumble. Most everything else I use is out and visible - otherwise, I just don't use it, and that's been true of my ribbon.

Last week, I finally got around to hanging it up! It's not the same as Donna'a exactly, but it works and I'm happy with it! I haven't decided exactly where to hang it yet....

And this is late in coming...

you might remember this post? Here's the published copy. WooHoo!

Here's the layout up close.

Happy Tuesday!

Month 5 Weigh-In

It was bound to happen sometime, and sometime is now.

I only lost 2 pounds the entire month of August.

Well, that's not entirely true.

The TRUTH is, I lost 8. Then I gained back 6 in the last two weeks.

Not good.

I've identified the problems:

1. I did some emotional eating. I knew I was doing it, but didn't seem to care .THAT's not good, and not normal for me, either.

2. I didn't eat during the day.

3. I ate empty calories and junk at night.

4. I overate empty calories and junk at night.

5. I didn't exercise.

But today is a new month.

A new slate.

A new day.

A new beginning.

I'm back on track, and I resolve to invite God to be the center of this again. (In fact, I've already done so.) It's obvious that I can't do it by myself, isn't it? But with Him, it's possible; He's proven that to me so many times!

I have a great support system in place that I've also neglected to lean on recently. When I finally returned and told them of my weight gain, I got so many words of wisdom and advice. A few that really hit home:

I say jump back in - today's a new day. Look for a big loss next week as you shock your body back into it's new routine! (thanks Shannon!)

Remember this is a lifelong journey you're on.... revisit your goals and your dreams and commit to making this week a good one. (Thanks Jayne!)

You have done so much already a little set back is okay as long as you don't let it knock you off your horse for good. (Thanks Les!)

I can so sympathize. Just went things are humming along, something derails you and you lose momentum. The most important thing is that you don't give up. I've done that before too...and it feels just awful. Get back into it right away. Here's a (((hug))) for good measure. I'm still here cheering you on! (Thanks Carrie!)

Just get back on that train and go forward. You can do it.... (Thanks Jat!)

It is okay. Remember this is a lifetime journey and about long term changes. Little ups and downs should be expected. You are doing GREAT!!!!! (Thanks Joanie!)

You are a shining example of God's love and light and with Him - you can do anything! We're human. We make choices - some of them are better for us than others, but sometimes, for me, he lets me stumble in order to remind me to lean on Him. (Karin, you're so right. Thanks!)

Stace. Can you imagine a year ago, thinking that losing 6 pounds in a month would be a BAD month? (said before the month was over, but still... I love you Ginger.)

Look how much you HAVE lost! Even with a little gain.. you've still lost a lot!! Get back in there and back on track. It can be done.. you've already proven it! (Thanks Ginger!)

I'm glad to see you come here for encouragement and then keep on keeping on...I want to be more like you when I grow up. (Aww Alli. ((((hugs))))

And the one that spoke the loudest to me, James 1:4: Let perseverance finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (Thanks, Nina!)

Here I am Friday night, holding the amount I've lost to date: 57 pounds. :)

I smelled a squirrel because I'm sexy and I do what I want.

Darren danced with a football player because the voices told him to.
Dani did the Macarena with a noodle because she thinks she needs some serious help.
Aidan ran over his dog because he's cool like that.
Ian yelled at a surfer because HE'S cool like that.

So. What did YOU do?

Pick the month you were born:
January----- --I kicked
February---- --I loved
March------- --I karate chopped
April------- ----I licked
May--------- --I jumped on
June-------- --I smelled
July-------- ---I did the Macarena with
August------ --I had lunch with
September--I danced with
October----- -I sang to
November---I yelled at
December---I ran over

Now pick the day (number) you were born on:
1-------a birdbath
2-------a monster
3-------a phone
4-------a fork
5-------a snowman
6-------a gangster
7-------my mobile phone
8-------my dog
9-------my best friends' boyfriend
10------my neighbor
11------my science teacher
12------a banana
13------a fireman
14------a stuffed animal
15------a goat
16------a pickle
17------your mom
18------a spoon
19------a smurf
20------a baseball bat
21------a ninja
22------Chuck Norris
23------a noodle
24------a squirrel
25------a football player
26------my sister
27------my brother
28------an ipod
29------a surfer
30------a llama
31------A homeless guy

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:
White---------because I'm cool like that
Black---------because that's how I roll.
Pink----------because I'm crazy.
Red----------because the voices told me to
Blue----------because I'm sexy and I do what I want
Green--------because I think I need some serious help.
Purple--------because I'm AWESOME!Gray----------because Big Bird said to and he's my leader.
Yellow--------because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars
Orange-------because my family thinks I'm nuts anyway.
Brown---------because I can.
Other----------because I'm a Ninja!
None----------because I can't control myself!

the cat needs love

I wish I knew how to do animation. If I did, I'd YouTube a video of our pathetic cat bustin' out with her best LL Cool J impersonation.

When I'm alone in my room sometimes I stare at the wall
And in the back of my mind I hear my conscience call
Telling me I need a girl who's as sweet as a dove
For the first time in my life, I see I need love
I need luuuuuuv.

She's lonely, the cat.

I know she is because she knocks on Dani's door all the time.

No, it's true. She knocks. (Remember, this is the cat who uses her paws to turn the glass knob on the family room door when she wants out.) When she wants Dani (who's teenage room is ALWAYS closed when she's not home, to keep out snoopy brothers and shedding cats), she stands on her back feet and knocks with her front feet. Pat pat pat pat pat, in quick succession, one paw after the other. When it first happened the other morning (or at least, the first time any of us noticed), Dani happened to be inside. She heard someone rapping on her door, and thinking it was Ian, growled in an animated way, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

There was no answer.

So she threw open the door, thinking she'd spook him a little and was disappointed that he wasn't there. Looking down, she saw the cat gazing up with longing in her eyes.

"WHAT THE!" Dani exclaimed. "Ashlie just knocked on my door!"

Both boys came running from their room to see for themselves. I don't think they believed 100%, but they giggled just thinking about it.

The next day, they witnessed it for themselves, and Ian literally fell on the floor laughing. This is how we know for sure that the cat knocks. I, however, still hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

Flash forward to this morning.

I'm sitting here at the computer, minding my own business and not paying one lick of attention to the cat, with whom I'm still cranky for dropping a load on the hardwood in the entryway yesterday, when she sidled up beside my leg and started meowing.

It wasn't a loud meow.

It wasn't a quick, punctuated mew; that's the one that says "I'm out of food, you stupid slag heap."

It wasn't a drawn-out longing mrrrrowwwwl, the one that wants to burst through the window and claim the squirrel on the other side as her slave.

This meow was different, somehow. It was kinda sad.

Even so, she's the cat, and on principle, I don't like her. So I ignored her. I'd already filled her water bowl this morning, so if she had a problem, it would have to wait until 3:00 when the kids return.

Soon enough, she gave up the meowing, walked around to the back of my desk chair, where my still-too-ample-butt is hanging off the back, and started knocking.

Yes. The cat knocked on my butt in the same exact way the kids described her knocking on Dani's door. I looked over my shoulder at her and said, "What's up, Cat? You need some love?"

At that, she rolled her head over in that weird cat way and waited to be scratched under the chin. And I, in a moment of weakness, felt sorry for her hairball-yacking self and gave her some love.

half-marathoner

Last winter, a few months after Darren started running (for fun - what a weirdo!), I quipped that we should plan a Disney vacation for January '09, so that he could run the half-marathon there. He laughed heartily, saying that he'd never be a marathoner, or even a half-marathoner.

Well. For the past few weeks, the man has been running 9 miles at a time. Of course, he's wiped for the rest of the day, and usually pretty sore the next day, but still. NINE MILES.

Tonight, we went walking through one of the parks he screams through on his runs. It's a beautiful park, tucked deep into a neighborhood in the heart of Fort Worth. If you're not a runner or a cyclist, or if you don't live in that neighborhood, you'd never know it's there. It follows a creek and meanders through oaks and pecans, over wooden bridges, past benches marked with remembrance plaques of loved ones lost. It was a beautiful walk, and he enjoyed taking it at a slower pace than usual.

We drove the rest of his route, through one gorgeous neighborhood and into the next, up the long hill to the top of the bluff, around Colonial, past the zoo, and back home to our neighborhood. It took forever to drive it. He runs it. It makes me hot just thinking about it. ;)

I think he could handle a half-marathon in 6 more months, don't you?

Taking donations now for our trip to Disney World.
ha.

One last time

School started today.

Ian's in 1st, Aidan's in 2nd, and Dani's a Senior.

The boys were bouncing-off-the-walls excited about school starting back up. Last night, Ian even had a stomach ache and couldn't sleep. They bounced out of bed this morning and giggled, laughed and wrestled through breakfast, teeth-brushing and getting ready. This year, no tears. No apprehension. No worries.

I'm sitting here enjoying the quiet stillness of an empty house. I have a hot date with the bug man in a couple of hours, a load of laundry to fold, some dishes to wash. Life is just busting at the seams around here. I'm also looking forward to carrying on a tradition later this afternoon.

When Dani started Kindergarten, a brand new Cracker Barrel had just opened near us, and I promised her an after school treat there on her first day of school. We’ve kept the tradition of going to Cracker Barrel on the first day of school ever since - even after moving across town from that neighborhood four years ago.

Also, on her first day of Kindergarten, she wore her hair in braided pigtails.

On her first day of high school? Braided pigtails.

Today, on the first day of her senior year, she asked me to braid some pigtails.

After school, we’ll drive across town to have dessert at Cracker Barrel ...one last time.

Olympics in review

We've spent more time in front of the TV in the last two weeks than we have in the last year. No exaggeration. Every night after dinner, we tuned in to NBC and watched Olympic coverage, and then many nights, Darren and laid in bed and watched the late night coverage until our eyelids grew heavy and we couldn't focus any longer. We didn't miss a single Phelps race. We watched with interest as our local gymnast Nastia Liukin took gold. The boys were especially excited about the Olympics, this being the first one they've been old enough to take notice of.

Just before the games began, we read "An Hour at the Olympics" - a Magic Treehouse story about the first Olympics in Athens. We were reading a chapter each night before bed, but one night, Ian couldn't resist and read 6 chapters in a row out loud to me. to finish the book.

As we watched the opening ceremonies, he said, "Wait a minute. This is in CHINA?"

Darren answered in the affirmative.

"Ah MAN," said Ian. "I was gonna ask you to take me there!"

"There", meaning "the opening ceremonies". He wanted to be there in person, and just assumed we could hop in the car and go. Even now that the games are over, that night remains his favorite of the whole 2008 games. His most favorite part was the guy running in mid-air to light the flame.

Aidan loved Track and Field the most. He couldn't narrow it down to one event - he loved the sprints, the relays, the discus, the jumping, EVERYthing. He thinks he can be an Olympian one day.

Dani 's favorite was the swimming - specifically, rooting for Michael Phelps. One night while I watched upstairs, I heard her down here jumping and screaming and going crazy, then she yelled, "MOM!! ARE YOU WATCHING THIS? YOU BETTER BE WATCHING THIS!"

I love the swimming. Always have. Diving didn't do much for me this year, for some reason. I still remember Greg Louganis hitting his head on the platform back in '88 like it was yesterday. I just googled it and showed the footage to Dani. She gasped, just like I (and the world) did all those years ago.

Also this year, aside from Nastia, I was disinterested in gymnastics, which for years was my absolute FAVORITE. Anyone remember this ad featuring Mitch Gaylord? I tore it out of my Rolling Stone magazine back in '84, framed it, and gave it a place of honor in my bedroom for years. (Dani just quipped, "Your parents let you have that poster? Wow." lol!)



But my favorite this year, hands down, was beach volleyball. I don't know why, exactly, except that I played a lot in college, and while I was far from exceptional, I have really great memories of all those Sunday night games. Someone asked the other day which event I'd like to medal in if I could choose one. Me? Beach volleyball - one, because it would be a BLAST, even (or especially) playing in the pouring rain, and two, because it would mean I had a hot enough body to be wearing the official "uniform".

Darren watched an awful lot of volleyball this year too, and says it was his favorite event. But to his credit, he watched just as much men's and team volleyball as he did the beach variety. ;)

It was fun watching and rooting and discussing Olympics coverage as a family. I can hardly wait for 2010 - I love winter events more than the summer ones!

bloated and gross

This morning, I woke up bloated and with a familiar nagging cramp in my belly. I felt gross and fat all day.

Tonight was Meet the Teacher night at school, and I made myself get all gussied up, knowing that I'd be seeing school-mom friends, some of whom hadn't laid eyes on me since May. I must admit, I was looking forward to the accolades.

But not a single person mentioned my weight loss. (Tina, bless her sweet heart, DID say "You look wonderful", but I'm not counting her, 'cause she's seen me off and on all summer.) Others have told me that I look like a different person, so I find it hard to believe that people who haven't seen me in so long didn't notice at all.

Just a few minutes ago, another friend who's losing weight mentioned the same wonder. "Why don't people notice? I keep thinking people will say something!" And another friend said, "Weight loss is a sensitive subject. People who don't know us well will hesitate to say anything, because it could be misconstrued as a backwards insult." As in... telling someone they look they've lost weight could be misinterpreted as, "Are you saying I NEED to lose weight?" It's just the way women are, so other women tend to tread lightly around sensitive subjects. I understand that, and I'm glad my friend pointed it out.

Thinking about tonight at school, I did notice one mom give me the up-and-down once-over on her way to hug me. And the other moms? I'm sure they noticed, too, but wondered if they should say anything or not. I like to imagine that as they watched me walk away, their conversation went a little something like this:

"Look at her butt!"
"I know. It's TINY"!
"She must have lost 4 cup sizes."
"It's taken 10 years off her."
"I wonder how much she's lost?"
"How's she doing it?"
"Who's gonna ask her on Monday?"

LOL! My butt's not tiny.
Yet.
A girl can dream.

oh - and Darren reminded me that even all Bloated and Gross (that would be a cool name for a girl band. Or... not.), my newest skinny pants still fit comfortably. True, that. Thanks honey!

Top Ten Reasons I Want to Reach and Maintain....

(click to enlarge)

My sweet new friend Diane W. gave me this idea, and totally inspired me to do it. This list, which I created while chatting with her, is taped to walls and dashboards, here and there, some complete lists, and some bits and pieces of the list... tucked into my mirror, in my wallet, on the speedometer, on the fridge, in the book I'm currently reading.... gracing my fridge, my vanity, my computer monitor, the window above the kitchen sink. It helps to see those reasons everywhere I turn. I'm almost halfway to my goal. No turning back, no turning back!

tutorials for Mom and Aunt Sis

To save my blog to your favorites:
Assuming you're using Internet Explorer, which you probably are, you should see a yellow star near the top left of your screen. Next to that, you should see a yellow star with a green plus sign on it. The yellow star will open your "Favorites". The green plus sign will let you add a site to your Favorites. Click the green plus sign, then click "Add to Favorites". That's it! It'll add whatever site you're currently sitting on. From now on, to find the site you just bookmarked, all you have to do is click the yellow star, and it'll bring up a list of all the links you've created.

If you don't see the green plus sign and the yellow star, there's another way. At the very top of your screen, just below the navigation bar (where you type in the web address you want to visit), you'll see "file", "edit", "view", "favorites", "tools", and "help". Click on "favorites", and then click "add to favorites". Easy peasy!

To comment on my blog:
At the end of every blog post, you'll see "posted by Stacy K at whatever time." Right after that, you'll see "6 comments", or however many there happen to be. Click on that link. (You can tell it's a link because it's a different color, and your cursor turns into a pointing hand when you roll over it.)

The link will take you to a page that lets you read all previous comments, and also leave your own. You don't need to have an account to leave a comment here. Just click "anonymous" after you type your message. But make sure you sign your name so I'll know who the anonymous comment is from! :)

I hope this helps.
I tried not to speak in too foreign of a language.
Now... COMMENT so I'll know it made sense to you. :0
Love you!

bedroom retreat

While Darren and Dani toured colleges for a week, I got down to the dirty task of renovating our bedroom.

Originally, my plan was just to clean and declutter it. For 4 years, it's been the catch-all for junk that has no where else to go, and there was junk piled here, there and everywhere; we both hated being in there. I'd never even decorated it, though I'd been collecting a bunch of stuff over the years for that purpose. Here it is, before:

Darren is working from home more than ever now, and he struggles to find a spot that's quiet and peaceful - a place where he can concentrate. That was my main motivation for redoing our bedroom - to create that space for him.

It took me 2 days to sort, trash, box, store and otherwise dejunk the room. While doing that, I decided that the room HAD to be painted. It's the only room I haven't put my touch on since we bought the house, and it was time. I'd always envisioned a blue room - a soothing, calming, dusky blue. But that was for me. With Darren in mind, I decided to go with something he'd like better, and ended up choosing a golden honey color. I already had sheets, a rug, and a few other items in that color (I always thought it'd be the accent color to my blue). Then I decided to add stripes. I bought paint in two close shades - in fact, they were side by side on the paint chip. First, I painted the whole room the lighter color, and then Cara helped me measure and tape off 10-inch stripes, which we painted the darker color. The curtains are simply panels of fabric that I haven't sewn yet, and the chair was a serendipitous find. I wasn't even chair shopping when I discovered this at the fabric store - marked down from $550 to $190. I couldn't resist it! Well, I DID resist it for a day, but I went right back and got it the next afternoon. :)

(Click photos to enlarge)

I've painted more quotes on more walls in more buildings than I care to remember. This time, I cheated and used a computerized die cut machine to cut the letters out of self-adhesive vinyl. :)

This is the view from our bed. We have bookcases all over the house, but our room houses the books that are most special to us for whatever reason. Before the redo, this case was jam-packed with books. I made myself cull and purge, and then added trinkets - from here and there in forgotten corners and random cubby holes - that are special to Darren. The blue geode is from Pitkin, Colorado, where we've spent our past two summer vacations. The cross is made of peat, and came from our Ireland trip. The brass globe was a gift that my brother David gave Darren for Christmas when we were newly married. It has a secret compartment inside it, and David spent hours cleaning and shining it to like-new condition after finding it in a junk store. Darren has always loved it. The toile boxes are my "happy files" and contain letters, cards and notes from years past. The case on top houses Darren's clarinet, which he pulls out and plays every once in a while. I organized all of his sheet music and it's now stored in the ottoman by his chair.

We love our room. We spend HOURS in there now. I love to sit in the chair and read next to the window. Darren's sitting there working right now. I make the bed every day (ME!!) and keep the room pristine. It's a retreat within our own house. The kids know it's special, and think it's kinda cool that they're no longer allowed to bring toys in there, or sit on our bed, or sit in the chair, EVER, unless it's in one of our laps.

oh - and one more photo, especially for my neice Brittani. She gave this Eiffel Tower print to me for Christmas a few years ago, to commemorate Darren and my trip to Paris in 2002. I finally hung it! It makes me happy to think of Brit and then Paris first thing every morning. :)

It was a ton of work, but it's been GLORIOUS to have a space that's all our own. I did it for Darren, but I'm reaping the benefits as much as he is. :)

Weddings

A couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of photographing our neice Shaina's wedding. Our whole family got dressed up (something we rarely do all at the same time, because we're not fancy dressers without reason, and we never have reason. Our church is very laid back and casual, for instance.) ANYway, since we all looked nice, I set the camera up and handed it over to to nephew-in-law to snap a pic of us.





This past weekend, Darren, Dani and I attended the wedding of our good friend Luke and his beautiful bride, Lacie. It was such a lovely wedding, and I even convinced Darren (DARREN!) to dance with me. He grinned all the way through The Chicken Dance (and tried to claim it wasn't any fun later), and then we danced to Rod Stewart's "Have I Told You Lately". I bought a new dress for the occasion several weeks ago, and although it fit at the time, it was a little snug on my tummy. I hit a plateau and didn't lose a pound for the past 2+ weeks, so I was nervous about putting the dress on again. I was surprised and ecstatic when it fell over my stomach without clinging! I think it's cool how, when I'm not losing pounds, I'm often losing inches in their place. :)



See all those bruises on my calves? Yah. There are more all over my torso, the backs of my arms, and my thighs. And my feet. The bottom of my right foot looked like a chicken breast that someone had taken a meat mallet to, and it also featured two puncture wounds. Why, you ask? 'Cause I'm a klutz, and fell off the tall stool I was using when painting our bedroom. More on that later. :)

the program

I know you are probably bombarded with PMs and emails wanting to know just
how YOU do it. Well, add me to the list. Can you give me a run down of what you
are doing to make these amazing changes? I know you are a busy gal...I mean come on, you're busy shedding those pounds!! But I would really appreciate your help. Any advice is greatly appreciated. ~Lisa

Finally, I'm blogging about my program. Sorry it's taken me so long to get around to it!

EXERCISE

Walking. I started in March by walking 1 mile each day, three days per a week. At the time, it's all I could do! After a while, I increased my mileage and my speed, walking a longer distance in the same amount of time.

Nia. Two weeks after I began my weight loss journey, I joined a Nia class, which is a combination of dance, yoga and martial arts. It's SO MUCH FUN, it doesn't even feel like exercise. I've missed it so much this summer, and can't wait for school to start back up so I can dive back in to my Nia routine. I do it for 50 minutes each Tues/Thurs morning. I know it gives me a good cardio workout, but it's also been fabulous for toning and building muscle. I've never had visible arm muscles, but now I do, and all I can contribute it to is the martial arts part of Nia. I don't use weights or anything else.

Moving. Other than walking and Nia, I've just added small things here and there, like parking out in the lot and walking up to the store rather than circling and circling for the closest parking spot. I don't save all of my upstairs errands to do at once anymore. Now, when I need something upstairs, I just go. In May at the boys' school, I had to take photographs of about 40 individual kids, who were in classrooms all over the building. As I worked through the list, I made myself go up and down the stairs over and over. In the old days, I'd have mapped it out ahead of time to make sure I didn't have to climb the stairs more than necessary! At camp this summer, I had to climb a hill each time I went down to the swimming hole. I could've driven, but each time, I made myself walk. The first day killed me. By the end of the week, I was climbing while carrying on a conversation, and suddenly found myself at the top of the hill. I hadn't even realized I was climbing!! Since I work at home, I'd gotten in the habit of not getting up out of my desk chair for most of the day. Now, I make myself get up about once an hour and get some activity in - I walk down the block and back, water my plants, dance through a song, whatever. It keeps my metabolism going strong, which means I can burn calories easier, even just sitting at my desk.

EATING

Calories. As for eating, I've made some major changes there as well. I eat between 1500-1600 calories a day. I actually hired a nutritionist to help me with that for the first three weeks, because counting calories totally overwhelmed me. She planned my menus, gave me recipes, made my grocery lists, etc. I could only afford her for 3 weeks, but by then, I felt completely comfortable doing it myself. Googling "1500 calorie menus" is a great place to start, too. Another wonderful took is http://www.sparkpeople.com/. There, you can log what you've eaten and it'll track your calories for you. If you don't know the calorie count of something - say, a casserole - you can add the recipe and it will calculate the calories. The site is also full of articles, tips and support to guide you and encourage you on your journey to health.

Omissions. I cut out processed foods entirely. Basically, if it comes in a box, I don't eat it. I cut out dairy for the most part. I still eat eggs and cheese occasionally, but in strict moderation. I quit my daily Route 44 Sonic Diet Coke with Vanilla habit cold turkey. For a month, I challenged myself to only drink water. After that month, I started adding unsweet tea to the mix. I don't use fake sugar, ever, even though it would mean getting to eat yummy-tasting things and still staying under my calorie limit. My goal: the most nutrional bang for each calorie buck. You'd be amazed at how many empty calories you consume!

Eat more! I eat breakfast every morning, which was a HUGE change for me. I've never been a breakfast eater. Then I eat 5 more times throughout the day: a mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, late-afternoon snack, and dinner around 7:30. I never eat or snack after dinner. That alone was a huge change for me, because I'd gotten in a habit of not eating all day, and then way overeating in the evening. I snack on fresh fruit and veggies, dried fruit, almond butter, walnuts and pecans, and hummus. I try to keep my snacks packed in snack baggies, so I can grab one without having to think about it. I also carry them with me when I leave the house, to ward off temptation to snack on something unhealthy, and to keep my metabolism going. One thing I've learned is that you have to eat to lose!

Water Water Water. I keep a pitcher of cold water in my fridge at all times. I drink it all day long. I've gotten in the habit of taking a cup of iced water with me whenever I get in the car; it keeps me from wanting to stop and get a Coke somewhere.

This program is working for me, but it's imperative that you find what works for YOU. Good luck, Lisa et al!

tagged: Spouse

Desiree tagged me on her blog, so here goes!

What is his name?
Darren

How long have you been married?

17 years

How long did you date?

We never dated. We went from being best friends to talking about marriage to getting married to having Dani!

How old is he?

39 next month

Who eats more?

Hmmm. Probably him, but that certainly hasn't always been the case!

Who said I love you first?

He did. I was in Seattle, he was in Denton. When he said it, I was so amazed and overjoyed and shocked beyond belief that I said, "OK, BYE!" and hung up the phone. Then I burst into tears. LOL!

Who is taller?

He is, by 3 inches

Who sings better?

He sings better bass, and I sing better lead. :)

Who's temper is worse?

Mine flashes hotter, but his is triggered faster.

Who does the laundry?

I do

Who pays the bills?

He does.

Who cooks dinner?

We take turns. It's about 60% me these days, but not so long ago, it was 75% him!

Who mows the lawn?

He does

Who wears the pants in the family?

I let him think he does. But seriously, we both make decisions together and always listen to each other.

OK, so I need to tag someone ... Joe, Elaine, and Bobbie, you're it!

I miss Darren and Dani

...and apparently, I've compensated by falling off the wagon.
Last week, I indulged in 2 cheeseburgers, an order of onion rings, an ice cream cone, 2 large snow cones, and 2 dark chocolate Dove bars. I gained a 10th of a pound. That's not a big gain, I know. It's not even worth mentioning. But it makes me cranky to realize that I'd have LOST weight if I'd stayed true to my program. Grrr.

I've gotten some emails asking what my program IS, exactly. I'll elaborate soon.

Darren and Dani return home tomorrow night. They've had a great time so far. They both loved U of Chicago and think it's a perfect fit for Dani. Tomorrow, they have several appointments/interviews at Drew U in New Jersey. This morning, they woke up in D.C.; Darren's been keeping up with his running schedule and had a great run this morning from his hotel, past the Capitol, down the National Mall, around the Lincoln Memorial, past the White House, and back. In 55 minutes, he ran past some of the most famous landmarks in the U.S.!

I've kept very busy around here, in between calorie splurges. I totally upended my house and shook out most of the dust and clutter. I've done some fun, creative stuff, too. Last night, I hosted my Fortress church family. The house was PACKED with people, the air conditioner was blasting, we had two oscillating fans blowing, and STILL we couldn't cool the house down enough. It was 107 degrees outside, the heat index was 114, we were packed like sardines in my family room and kitchen, but even so..... good times. Good times.

But I still miss Darren and Dani. :)

college bound

Darren and Dani have been ridin' the rails. They departed Fort Worth on Amtrak's Texas Eagle late yesterday afternoon and arrived in Chicago early this evening. They've both decided that train travel is the only way to go. Darren can't wait to take me on a long train trip now. We've taken Amtrak before - between here an Oklahoma City - but it wasn't exciting enough to write home about. The longer routes have better accomodations, apparently. They enjoyed the lounge car, the observation deck and, of course, the dining car. If Darren ever DOES take me on a train trip, I'm gonna insist on a sleeping car, too. :D

They visit the University of Chicago tomorrow, and then Saturday,they board another train and head to Washington D.C. for a day of site-seeing. Then late Sunday evening, they'll board one more time and head for New Jersey, where they'll spend Monday keeping appointments with Drew University. They'll fly home Tuesday night.

A neighbor tonight mentioned that no one in our day ever thought about doing college visits, and what a cool idea it is. The thing is, colleges are so competitive these days, and scholarships are even more so, that a face-to-face meeting often gives you an edge. In fact, some colleges are requiring an in-person interview as part of the admissions process. Lucky for us, Dani found out about an excellent deal: if you're travelling on Amtrak for the purpose of college visits, one parent gets to ride free. Otherwise, I don't know that we could've made this trip happen!

Before they left, I told Darren that I really hoped they'd not only have fun, but also spend some time talking about serious stuff. They have, in fact, spent a lot of time talking, and Darren said it's been really, really good for both of them to connect that way. That makes me heart happy. It also made my heart sing when he told me that they got to laughing so hard on the train that he couldn't breathe. Evidently, they were imagining Aidan being in the circus. I guess you had to be there!

But I'm not, and I miss them both.
This time next year, I'll be making the trip somewhere with Dani- college-bound once more - only THAT time, she won't be coming back home. That's hard to imagine. I'm not going to think about it yet.

questions I stole from Carrie's blog

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments. What do you buy?

1. Produce: red seedless grapes
2. Bakery: frosted sugar cookies for the kids
3. Meat: salmon
4. Frozen: whole wheat waffles
5. Dry goods: walnuts

Let's say we are heading out for a warm weekend getaway. You're only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you. So, what's in your bag?

1. mu cut-off capri jeans
2. clean underwear
3. the white blouse I wore in the previous post

If I was to listen in on your conversations throughout the day, what 4 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?

1. Close the door!
2. Stop using your cartoon voice, Aidan.
3. Hello. (My phone rings incessantly)
4. The Wii is TOO LOUD.

So, what 4 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn't get to do, you probably wouldn't be in the best mood?

1. Check my e-mail
2. guzzle ice water
3. talk to Darren
4. sleep under a ceiling fan

You're driving down the road, and suddenly you're hit with this sense of road rage. What 3 factors probably contributed to it?

1. Someone drifting into my lane and not realizing it 'cause they're on the phone or applying makeup or reading the paper
2. someone turns right in front of me, making me jam my brakes
3. someone flies up on my tail and sits there, even though they COULD easily go around me

Sweet! You just scored a whole afternoon to yourself. We're talking a 3 hour block with nobody around. What 5 activities might we find you doing?

1. checking email/surfing the net
2. having lunch with a friend
3. getting a pedicure
4. sleeping
5. reading

We're going to the zoo. But, it looks like it could start storming, so it will have to be a quick visit. What 3 exhibits do we have to get to?

1. lions
2. coyotes (the boys LOVE the coyotes in the Texas Wild section)
3. penguins (for Dani)

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on TV. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?

1. The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2. Saturday Night Live
3. The Late Show with David Letterman
4. Oprah

You're hungry for ice cream. I'll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?

1. Tin Roof Sundae
2. Chunky Mocha something
3. Vanilla Bean

Somebody stole your purse/wallet…in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what's in there?

1. scrapbooking receipts
2. business cards
3. driver's license
4. zoo membership card
5. Costco card

You are at a job fair, and asked in what areas you are interested in pursuing a career. Lets pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what 4 careers would be fun for you?

1. creative director for a magazine
2. writer
3. event planner
4. creative escape retreat center owner/operator

Weigh-in: Month 4

Ladies and gentlemen, this is 7 gallons of milk.

It's fortified. With vitamins. It's pasteurized. I love it! It's ho...mo....gonized. Oh I love my milk!

(Sorry. It's just that random songs from my past pop into my head ALL the time. If I always bothered to tell you about the songs in my head, you'd be scared of me - so I don't.)

Yesiree. Seven gallons of milk, at roughly 8 pounds per gallon... well, you do the math. 56 pounds of milk, equal to the 55 pounds I've lost, plus the one pound I shed trying to finagle 7 gallon jugs into my hands.

Speaking of finagling....

I was standing there, minding my own business, smiling pretty for the camera, when that rogue jug in my left hand - the one on top - started trying to escape. The problem was, I had that one hooked on my thumb, and if you've ever seen my hands, you know that I have stubby thumbs. It's one of the reasons I could never master anything other than the G chord on guitar. When it started slipping, I hollared, "Help! Slipping, slipping!". Dani, in a flash of brilliance, ran the other way.

She was getting the grocery cart, which was a few feet behind her, but I didn't know that. So I yelled louder, "HEY!! HELP ME!" All of a sudden, BOOM! The jug hit the concrete floor with a splat, splitting wide open and gurgling vitamin D all over the place. In that same nanosecond, a man came running from behind and took the jug tucked under my right arm. Turns out, Dani snapped a picture of him moments before. Look closely, and you'll see him. I thanked the guy, but he looked at me like I was a loony tune and continued on his way.

It was then that I really thought about it. What must people have thought, walking past while a crazy woman off her rocker enough to wear orange pants struggled to juggle 7 gallons of milk, when her grocery cart is a mere 5 feet away? And then, what kind of weirdo poses for a PHOTO with those 7 jugs of milk??

A woman who's lost 55 pounds, that's who.
And fifty-five pounds, my friends... WORD TO THE MOMMAS. That's a lot of spilled milk!

He's got a mouth, that one.

I sent Ian to bed, after having let him stay up extra late to finish a movie. Thirty seconds later, I ascended the stairs to retrieve some clothes hangers, and from the shadows of his bedroom, I heard him say, "Mom. I can't fall asleep."

"You just got in bed, you nutcase. Give it some time."
"But I get scared."

At this, I stopped and backed up, standing in his doorway.

"What do you mean you get scared? You've never been scared before."
(Ian, in fact, is the one who has always insisted on his room being completely dark at night.)

"I just keep thinking about bad things. Every night, they just pop in my head, and I can't get 'em out."
"Scary things?"
"No. Not really scary, just bad things."

"Ahh. That used to happen to Dani when she was your age. You know what worked for her?"
"What?"
"Prayer."
"Praying never works for me. I've tried it before, and it doesn't work."

By this time, I'd made my way to his bedside, and I sat down on the edge of it and rubbed his back.

"Aw, Ian. Yes it does! Why don't you believe in prayer?"

"I dunno."

"Do you believe in God?"

Ian sat up and snarled his lip at me. "That was a dumb question to ask. Of course the answer is yes."

I caught myself before I full out laughed, but not before I let a giggle escape. We prayed, and then I went downstairs to tell Darren how proud I was of our youngest kid for having the guts to tell me I'd asked a dumb question. Truly, I offended him! "He's bold," I bragged. "I love that about him. He's SO not afraid to tell me like it is."

The next morning, after mounting frustration at him for not being able to find his shoes (AGAIN), which he had only taken off 12 hours before, I snapped. I yelled, "If you'd take care of your THINGS, then they wouldn't get LOST all the time! You don't take care of ANYthing!!!!"

He wrinkled his nose, furrowed his brow, tucked his chin, glared at me out the top of his eyes, and yelled right back: "Well if YOU weren't so MEAN, maybe I WOULD take care of my stuff!!"

"Come here for your spanking," I said. "You don't get to talk to me like that."

He came. I swatted his butt once with my hand.

I found his shoes, and as he put them on, I called Darren at work. "You know how last night I was so proud of Ian for telling me what he really thought? Well, I'm over it."

It's a fine line, you know, between knowing when it's okay to tell your Mom what you really think and sensing when to keep your trap shut. I hope he learns sooner than later!

I've come to realize....

1. I've come to realize that my boobs aren't as grotesquely huge as they used to be - but they're still obsene.

2. I've come to realize that my job is important to our family's budget and it's time I started treating it as such.

3. I've come to realize that when I'm driving, I can stick my foot up against the rear view mirror like I used to do in college. :)

4. I've come to realize that I need a daily balance of exercise - both physical and spiritual - to feel alive and free.

5. I've come to realize that I have lost a lot more baggage than this mere ~50 pounds represents.

6. I've come to realize that I hate it when I sleep too long.

7. I've come to realize that if I'm drunk... wait a minute. It's been so many years since I've been drunk, I can't even remember it!

8. I've come to realize that money buys things that make people look happy, but money can't buy happiness.

9. I've come to realize that certain people hide in the bottom of the boat while others dare to walk on water - but none of us are better than the other.

10. I've come to realize that I'll always be cherished by the one who matters most.

12. I've come to realize that my mom has never felt the freedom of true forgiveness.

13. I've come to realize my cell phone needs a ring tone that doesn't annoy Darren so much. (Oh, but I LOVE "Brick House"!)

14. I've come to realize that when I woke up this morning, my body felt more sore and weary than it did last night when I fell into bed. We need a new mattress!

15. I've come to realize that last night before I went to sleep, I loved Darren truly, madly, deeply - forever, for always, and no matter what.

16. I've come to realize that right now I am thinking about how the simplest words from those who love me can be so powerfully healing.

17. I've come to realize that my dad loves deeply, completely and selflessly.

18. I've come to realize that when I get on the computer, I can be self-disciplined about how much time I let it absorb.

19. I've come to realize that today marks 17 years since I gave birth to the baby who would eventually own my heart and teach me everything under the sun about betrayal and forgiveness and truth in love.

20. I've come to realize that tonight and every night, my call is to give myself to my family and their needs and wishes - and in doing so, fulfill my own needs and wishes.

21. I've come to realize that tomorrow I will be wrapping up some projects around here or else I'm gonna ground myself from everything fun that keeps distracting me from seeing them through to completion.

22. I've come to realize that I really want to skydive, and I WILL - as a reward for reaching my weight goal. :)

24. I've come to realize that life isn't what we make it. It's what we allow GOD to make it.

25. I've come to realize that this weekend I will taking photos at the wedding of the neice who was the little flower girl in MY wedding!

26. I've come to realize that the best music to listen to when I am upset is Rich Mullins' music. I haven't recently come to realize this for the first time; I've come to realize it yet again.

27. I've come to realize that friends know when you need space without getting all huffy or paranoid about it; they know when to kidnap you for lunch and a pedicure; they know when to celebrate with you and when to pray with you and when to just be present, and how to communicate without words.

28. I've come to realize that this year, I'm reaching the potential that God's seen in my all along.

(Thanks to my friend Brandi. I stole this from her blog!)

It works for me!

People keep saying to me, "You're so strong! How are you doing it? What's your secret? How do you stay motivated? Teach me how to have your willpower!"

Here are my answers:
"I'm not strong. I've never had willpower. I'm no different that I was every other time I tried to lose weight. My secret? It's gonna sound hokey, but it's the only truth: this time, I asked God to take me on this journey.

It all started when I decided to audition for The Biggest Loser. At the time, I was convinced that being pushed physically and mentally in front of a huge audience was the only thing that would work for me. I gave 100% of myself to the making of that audition tape and then, realizing that I could do no more, I gave it to God. Literally, I packaged it up, sealed it, and as I dropped it at the post office, I gave it to Him. "It's in your hands now. I give it to you - the outcome, whatever it may be, I will accept as Your will."

Immediately, I knew that I didn't need the show to lose the weight. By this time, having gone through the emotional journey of finding a willing partner, of filling out the application, and of creating the video, I realized that it wasn't just the weight loss I wanted - it was that I wanted my life back in EVERY aspect. For me, that meant that my journey would be much more than a physical one - it also needed to be emotional, mental and spiritual.

And those are the precise reasons I'd never asked God to help me before. Asking him to help me stick to a diet would've meant that I had to actually give it my all. I've never been ready to do that before, because so much of my weight problem and the bad habits that contributed to it were based in emotional weakness, and my eating habits were my way of covering that up - of dealing with it - of literally stuffing it down. As much as I hated them, my habits and the weight were a comfort to me, and I wasn't willing to let go.

But on a bright spring day last March, I gave it all up. I don't know exactly WHAT brought me to that point, but I knew I was there, and I knew that I couldn't put it off. I was ready to give it all, and to accept the gift of grace and promise in return. I'd never felt more safe in my life as I did the moment I surrendered all control.

So. My strength? My willpower? It's not my own. I'm not one who can turn down a chocolate eclair. I don't have what it takes to pass by Sonic without stopping for a Vanilla Diet Coke. I've never believed in myself enough to make a diet plan and expect to stick to it. I've never had enough self worth to walk into an exercise class without worrying what other people saw and thought. But the fact is, I HAVE passed up donuts, Sonic and potatoes. I've created a menu and new healthy lifestyle that I stick to, and I've joined exercise classes that I've been so blessed and inspired by that OTHERS have joined with me.

But let me tell you, and let me be clear:
I still don't have the strength, willpower, self worth, confidence and dedication that it takes to lose 150 pounds. But I'm well on my way to losing it; in fact, I'm over 1/3 of the way there. The only thing *I* have going for me is God, and my conviction that HE has enough strength, willpower, self worth, confidence and dedication to make up for my lack of each. He's carrying me through this. This I know for sure.

3 months & 39 pounds

As of June 29th, I'd lost 39 pounds.

That's a 37.5 pound bag of dog food, plus 2 1-pound bags of dog treats.

The jeans I'm wearing in this photo darn near fell down around my knees when I lifted the kibble above my head. They're now happily on their way to a new home - I've purged my wardrobe and emptied my closet. I'll never need those sizes again!

I'm one week away from my 4-month weigh-in. I hope I'll be able to lift what I've lost! :)

break

I am taking a break from blogging indefinitely.
Maybe I'll be back, maybe I won't. I don't know yet.
Keep recognizing the little things, and celebrate each day.

39 (and my #1 June memory)

This is what 39 looks like.

People keep asking me if I'm worried about being so close to 40. It's as if I'm supposed to be in denial of some sort. People expect me to be bracing myself for the downhill spiral. But I gotta tell ya:

I feel younger today than I have in many years. And I think I look it, too. So THERE, 39! Forty, BRING IT!

Yesterday marked 3 months since I began my weight loss journey. As of this morning, I've lost 39 pounds. How cool is that? I was aiming for an even 40, but I'll take 39 and be happy with it. I'm officially past the 25% of goal mark, so I celebrated yesterday by buying a couple of new tops and a new pair of jeans. I'm down from 5x in shirts to 3x and some 2x's. And in jeans, allow me to shout from the rooftops: I bought a size 20 yesterday. TWENTY, people! I remember the agony of having to buy 20s for the first time. I'm fairly certain that I left the dressing room in tears that day so may years ago when Dani was a baby. She's 17 now (well, she will be in 3 weeks), and THIS time, standing in the dressing room trying on a pair of 20s, I whooped and hollared "Yessssss!", and she celebrated with me. Perspective. It's all in perspective.

Darren treated me to the most amazing birthday date last week, which brings me to my #1 favorite memory of June, carried over from my last post. He arranged for his mom to watch the boys overnight, and we went shopping. You know how I hate to shop. I'm a weird girl and always have been; when my high school friends wanted to go to the mall and "try on clothes", I used to roll my eyes and groan. But Tuesday night, it was different because we shopped for Darren! I've been begging him to buy new clothes for several months. His shirts are all ratty and his jeans are all HUGE! Darren himself has lost 25 pounds in the last year, and was still wearing 36's. Now he's in 33s. I had a blast shopping with him and picking out his new wardrobe, and he looks amazing. After shopping, he took me to dinner at one of our favorite old haunts: Italianni's, where we shared an entree and a delectable dessert. Following that, we played a couple of rounds of Putt Putt, then played in the arcade for an hour or so, plunking tokens down for Deal or No Deal and Dance Dance Revolution, and my favorite: Skee Ball.

It was a low-key, relaxing, perfect date. I loved every second of it, and relished just hanging out with my best friend and dreamboat of a husband. He makes me believe that I'm beautiful. He thanks God for me. He paints me in a radiant light when he describes me to others. He's God's gift to me, and I suppose that's one of the reasons I'm so content with my life. I have it all.

And I'm 39. This is just the beginning! :)

a month in the life

It's been 30 days since I sat down and recorded any of the little things. I haven't even written about any of the BIG things!

So, here it is: a countdown of my favorite memories from the past month.

10. To celebrate the end of school and the beginning of summer, the boys and I hosted a water balloon fight for all the kids on our street (plus Faith, Kristopher and Jonathan, who I was babysitting.) After the water balloon fight, Kristi and I took the kids to a nearby snow cone stand. I'm so happy to have one close by this year. It's been too many years since I've indulged regularly in a summer snow cone! I love that I get to share one of my favorite childhood treats with my kids. We've been having fun experimenting with flavors: Tiger's Blood, Batman, Wedding Cake, and the ever-popular rainbow. (The photos are on Kristi's camera.)

9. Last Sunday, Tina and I took our sons and husbands to East Texas for a train ride.This year marks the 75th anniversary of The Lone Ranger, and the Texas State Railroad paid tribute to the western hero by reenacting a familiar scenario from the show. Bandits boarded the train with intent to rob its passengers, but the Lone Ranger and his trusty friend Tonto rode in to save the day. We all had a blast!

8. I was blessed last week with a special visit from my friend Martha and her family, who live near Sacramento. Darren and I stayed at their home 18 months ago when we went to Tahoe for our anniversary, and it was nice to welcome her family this time. Since they were in the general area for a family reunion anyway, they made the trek to Fort Worth where our families got together for lunch on my birthday and chowed down on the BEST cheeseburgers in the world! Of course, maybe I just thought so because it was the first cheeseburger I've had in so long. :)

7. The end of the school year always brings a slew of activity, and this year was the busiest yet. During the last week, I taught a day-long scrapbooking workshop at the boys' school. Marvelous Monday is an annual event where the students get to choose a day's worth of special classes. Each class lasts an hour or so, and the kids can choose subjects ranging from chess (which Darren taught) to soccer to cooking. Ian's favorite was Zooniveristy, featuring animals and zookeepers from the Fort Worth Zoo. Aidan really enjoyed ***. The classes I taught made a paper bag scrapbook from start to finish. It was a jam-packed hour, but loads of fun and a huge success. I was exhausted at the end of the day and swore to never do it again, but I've already forgotten the pain. I'm sure I'll be on board again next year! Then there were the end-of-year parties, Field Day, field trips, awards banquets, choir concerts, and teacher gifts. I love being involved in the kids' school lives, but summer was a welcome break. Whew!

6. Dani had the most stressful couple of months of her young life late this spring. Between her job, 5 AP tests, the SAT, creating the annual video for the choir banquet (she's the Historian) and other commitments, she barely had time to eat and sleep. She managed to talk her boss into taking off for the two weeks of APs, and managed to do well on 4 of them. The 5th one - Chemistry - she decided not to take at the last minute. She also pulled her grades up significantly for the last six weeks, hopefully planting herself back in the top 10% of her class. (She'd slipped to 53 out of 510 students.) When all of her school stress was over, she set her sites on landing a summer internship with a law firm, and ended up with a new part-time job! She spends about 20 hours a week entering data, creating databases and organizing files for a lawyer downtown. She's loving it!

5. Speaking of Dani, she'll be getting her driver's license next month, 1 day after her 17th birthday. She drives as often as we'll let her, which when she's with ME, is darn near every time. She's become a pretty good driver, despite some early hair-raising, life-flashing, pee-seeping moments on the road. I'm almost okay with her driving without me in the front seat. Almost.

4. Aidan and Ian experienced summer camp for the first time last week. Camp of the Hills is a non-profit that provides a summer camp experience for inner city kids who otherwise could never afford it. The expenses are covered by churches, organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs, and individuals. I've been familiar with CotH because our Fortress kids attend every year, but until last week, I'd never actually been there during camp. While the boys participated as campers (THEY LOVED IT AND ARE BEGGING TO GO BACK!), I sorted and organized the dozens of boxes of craft supplies that had been donated from here there and everywhere. Then I dreamed up crafts that the campers could make with the materials we had on hand. I ended up making kits to last for the whole summer - everything from "Junky Bracelets" made from saftey pins and random beads; leather journals made from leftovers from a big reupholstering project; personalized picture frames that can be used for a camp photo; fabric-tied flip flops; a wooden cross beaded wallhanging thingy, and several dozen various bead projects. I had so much fun, and loved the challenge of figuring out how to use what I had in front of me.

As for the boys, they bonded with their counselors and fellow campers and had the time of their lives. CotH is located in Texas Hill Country, and the boys' cabins are across a big ravine from the girls' cabins and the mess hall. The northern shores of Lake Travis are down a huge hill, as is the swimming hole. It was almost like being in the mountains, in that you have to hike everywhere you go at camp. They got to canoe on the lake, fish, hike, play sports, and everything else you'd expect at camp. Aidan even performed in the Talent Show; he demonstrated his mad napkin-folding skills by creating a hat with a dinner napkin. I didn't know he knew how to do that! The crowd roared when he was finished, and he took a big bow. LOL! Ian won two awards on Banquet Night: "Best Camper" and "The Gentle Spirit Award". Aidan's awards were "Bible Facts Knowledge King" and "Most Amazing Napkin Folder in the World".

3. At the beginning of the month, I had the most incredible opportunity to spend a long weekend at my friend Lee's beach house on Cape Cod! Kristi and I flew up together and enjoyed days and days of relaxation and picture-perfect seascapes, while enjoying the company of 5 wonderful, witty, warm, welcoming women. It was exactly the right timing, and it couldn't have been more perfect. Lee's vacation home is seriously the most gorgeous home I've ever set foot in - it should be gracing the pages of Beautiful Home magazine! Lee is a generous, gracious host, and I'll never be able to thank her properly for inviting me to share a bit of her "heaven on earth". (Lee has a bunch of photos posted on her blog. Click here.)

2. Before we headed to the Cape, Kristi and I spent a couple of days with friends who live in New Hampshire - Sarah and Melissa. They drove us up the coast from Boston to Kennebunkport, Maine, stopping in little coastal towns along the way. It was COLD and blustery, but I loved it. It's exactly how I had Maine pictured in my mind: cold, gray, windy skies and white-capped, choppy, wild waves slapping against rocks and ledges. It was beautiful. Sarah and Melissa were so sweet to drag their kids out (they each have 3!) to entertain Kristi and me. We loved out time spent with them!

1. I'm out of time. Cara will be here in 15 minutes to whisk me away for a birthday overnight girls' outing, and I still haven't packed up! I'll post #1 when I return tomorrow night. (I promise, Darren! And I saved the best for last. xoxo)