A Beautiful Day, part 2

And by the way...any pic with me in it was taken by Mr. D... I think he did a great job! Maybe he'll love photography as much as his Mommy does!

A Beautiful Day

We spent the better part of our day at our new home. I took some pictures of the area including some shots of the boys playing in an adjacent lot (that just so happens to have a tire swing). It was a beautiful day with clouds dancing in a wide open blue sky and a strong breeze blowing. It was a lazy, hazy day usually reserved for the depths of summertime... but we sure had a good time.  (now Daddy might argue with the lazy part since he was mowing 2.5 acres while we did this little photo shoot!) 

 Click on any of the images to enlarge...

at the base of our driveway

the tire swing

a favorite picture of D.

Baby J. was oh-so-content

The Evening

White lightbulbs dangled
Criscrossing above our heads
Sound checks...check one two, one two
Practice strums and idle chatter

We sat side by side
At a table for two
A comfortable silence
Taking it all in

A leisurely dinner
Followed by dessert and coffee
I notice our knees brushing
An awareness usually reserved
For first dates

The show begins
And familiar harmonies
Fill the air
My shoulders relax
My worries cease

I am floating on the melodies
I am young
I am free
I am...happy.

Plugging Away...

Lost 6.2 pounds at weigh-in today! Of course, that was for a 2-week period but I was still pretty surprised! Especially considering all the temptation in Baltimore last week. Ay yay yay.......

Anticipation

If you have read my blog for a while, you know the adoration I have for all things autumn. The steamy, sultry days of summer are slowing fading as a teaser of cool air occasionally caresses my cheek...if only to say "I will be there soon."

The pots of mums are on full display at all the curbside stands and my dreams of warm apple cider and the crackle of a fire have already begun. I yearn for this season and all the comfort that it brings. The changing leaves, the home-baked smells, the crisp air, colors changing from the summery turquoises and peaches to bold rust, plum and earthy brown hues...all of it.

I am ready.

In the Land Where a Dropped Pacifier Means Life or Death

Oh how we learn. But, we are gluttons for punishment aren't we? According to the Daddy person (not assigning blame...he's just more [ahem] OPTIMISTIC than I am) Baby J. would be FINE, JUST FINE at his first Alabama football game. Because, and I quote, "I will HOLD HIM. He'll be FINE, JUST FINE."

Famous last words, my friend.

OK, so I exaggerate but only a little. We did want our football friends to meet the little guy and he did sleep through the first half of the game stretched out across my lap like a limp, wet dish towel. But then, as soon as the gloriousness of sleep ensued...it ended. Just about the time the Million Dollar band piped up with what I think may have been a tribute to Queen or Bohemian Rhapsody or something.

I then spent the entire third and fourth quarter with my youngest down on the sidewalk that separates the stands from the field. It wasn't all bad. In fact, I gained an entirely different new appreciation for people watching at my post in front of section HH and plenty of folks stopped to coo at my handsome lil' guy.

Bama did win their game and we were back on the road headed to Nashville--firm in the knowledge (at least I am!) that Baby J. has seen his last football game for oh, I'd say the next 5 years. :) But, of course, I did catch some pretty cute pictures of the boyz at the ballgame.

Enjoy!

A Bloggy Meeting...in Real Life!

Oh what fun. Meeting one of my favorite bloggy peoples in the world...live. In person. Face to face. How cool was it to hug the neck of Anna of the wonderful blog Sincerely Anna...and the utterly adorable Max and Minnie! I warned her that I was going to eat. them. up. And people, let me assure you that is exactly what I did.

Seeing Anna for the first time was surreal. I read her blog every day and feel as if I know their family inside out. If I could only read 5 blogs a day while stranded on a deserted island...hers would be one of them. She is just as sweet and beautiful in person as she comes across on her site and is such a good Mommy to those sweet kiddos.

We took the water taxi across the Inner Harbor (quite a treat for Max) and ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. I had to rush back to get a presenter set-up for the meeting but then Max got quite a thrill from seeing the boats from "Miss Katie's" room.

Here are some pics from our wonderful visit. Hopefully they'll be stopping through Nashville around Christmas and staying with us for a night. That would be such a treat!

Thank you Anna for driving up to Baltimore and for spending a delightful few hours with me. You are more wonderful in person than I could have imagined!

A Breath of Fresh Air

Yes, call me a sap but the scene below really tugged at my heartstrings during the Alabama vs. Clemson game Saturday evening. 

You see, the man on the left had two tickets for the seats directly in front of us and two up in the very highest "nose bleed" section of the Georgia Dome. His boys-- ages 12, 8 and 5-- were not old enough to be on their own and so he was in a quandry. He left the older two holding the seats directly in front of us while he went to see if he could offer those seats to someone up top so that he and his boys could all be together.

While he was gone, his two older children were as mature, gracious and well-mannered as two children can be. "Yes, ma'am" flew off their tongue quicker than melted butter as they sat patiently awaiting their father's return. When he came back to fetch the two older boys, the family to the right gave them the two seats they had purchased for their own kids (ages 2 and 4) at a whopping $50 a piece. They said they would just hold their sons in their laps so that the gentleman and his boys could all sit together.

What's so touching about this story besides a random act of courtesy and unselfishness?  I guess it just impressed the heck out of me that the family that owned those seats would do something so nice for someone they didn't know. And the unbelievably good manners of the kids on the left blew me away. Also, the tenderness for which both of these men cared for their children...priceless.

Call me hormonal. Maybe I missed my kids a bunch and the sight of these two families enjoying time together warmed my heart. It's just so rare to witness true selflessness these days ...true hospitality and graciousness and, well, KINDNESS.

It was a welcome breath of fresh air.

Plus, we won the game.  It was a great night.

The Boy...He is Into EVERYthing.

Hey Mama! Whatcha doin??? Are you trying to be productive? 

Why do you even TRY, Mama???

Ooooh, my favorite. Your camera strap! 

Mmmmm... lemme at it...

.

What else you got up there? 

Hey! Snap a (blurry) picture of my first toofy, Mama! 

Here, lemme give you a better look....

Swimmin' with the Fishes

D. made a 100 on his first spelling test of the year, so we made an extra-special bedtime snack...

Needless to say, stickin' the fish on toothpicks and submerging them into the Jello was his favorite part. 

I take that back...EATING it was his favorite part!

Menu Planning Monday

Monday, August 25

Crusted Orange Chicken Breast

Slow-cooked Green Beans

Sauteed Cabbage

Tuesday, August 26

Cuban Pork and Sweet Potato Stew

"Core" Cornbread

Blushing Apples

Wednesday, August 27

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Corn on the Cob

Fresh fruit salad

Thursday, August 28

Grilled Sirloin Steaks

Crash Hot Potatoes

Slow-Cooked Green Beans

Friday, August 29

*on the road*

I Don't Wanna Miss This

I'd heard the song, probably as I was driving, but hadn't really let the lyrics sink in.

Then, last night on the sixth row of the Grand Ole Opry, I heard Trace Adkins sing the song "You're Gonna Miss This," and tears streamed down my cheeks as I listened to the words and applied them to my own sometimes-hectic life.

Just that morning, I had slipped under the covers of my 6-year old's twin bed and wrapped my arms around him for a few precious moments of snuggle time.  In our day-to-day rush, there are very few times when we get to just spend uninterrupted time in silence just being "together." A few minutes later, we were in an all-out tickle war and then it was off to Saturday morning breakfast with Daddy.

We have a lot going on in our world. Two full-time jobs outside of our home life, trying to get this house leased before we move into the one we are in the process of buying, selling excess furniture, getting involved in a new church, school activities and responsibilities, keeping up with family and friends as well as trying to stick to our new habits of eating healthier and getting some exercise. Sometimes, it seems as if every single moment in our day is booked...leaving us no time for the important things...the "I want to remember this for the rest of my life" kind-of things.

Life with two boys ages 6 years and 9 months is never short on excitement. Just this morning, our baby pulled my drink off the table and into his lap at the restaurant (even though I had tried my best to position it out of his lightning-fast grasp) and our 6-year old was running around the house wielding a Mickey Mouse sword and donning his fiercest cowboy hat and Bob the Builder tool belt. It's hectic. It's crazy. But, it's our home.

And those lyrics come floating back to me......

"You're gonna miss this. You're gonna want this back...."

I know this to be true. The moment D. figured out that "dello" was really pronounced "yellow"...oh how I missed his sweet little mispronunciation. 

"You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast..."

And as soon as Baby J. didn't need me in the middle of the night, I missed that hushed-whisper dialogue intermingled with the creaks and squeaks of the glider rocking back and forth as I sang him to sleep. That was our time. And I missed it. Even though it was 3am and I was past the point of exhaustion during many of those middle-of-the-night sessions...I missed it.

"These are some good times, so take a good look around...

You may not know it now... but you're gonna miss this."

I don't want to take this time of my life for granted. I feel as if I have wasted too many days wishing for the next best thing to come. Remembering the sweet times as newlyweds in our little apartment in Birmingham with few responsibilities. We didn't have much but we were so busy trying to get to the next stage of our life... that whole time seems like a blur. 

I want to begin to look at each day--each hour-- of my life as a morsel of a wonderful feast. Bite by bite, I will taste the sweetness and not take it for granted. We only get one life and I want to savor this one as long as I can.

I don't wanna miss this.

The Invisible Woman

Weigh-In Day

Slow and steady wins the race!

Since I had been a bit under the weather this week and unable to exercise, I dreaded tonight's weigh-in. But, much to my continual surprise, I dropped 2.4 pounds!

One change I'm going to make in my "total weight loss button" is the 8 pounds I lost in the 2 weeks before I started Weight Watchers. I worked hard to lose those... but, each week when I post my total loss, I only include my loss since joining Weight Watchers (May 13).

So, from now on, my total will be all the weight lost since April 30-- the day I made the decision to get off my bum and do something.

So... here goes:

Favorite Movie Scenes: The Lump

absolutely one of my favorites.

Return of the PUMAS

You'll probably remember my sorta recent post about D's shocking revelation: whatever this "PUMAS" thing is that Mom keeps talking about...well, it makes her grumpy.

**Door opens. All male readers make a mad dash out of my bloggy room as they realize that a "girly, "time-of-the-month" talk is happening.)**

I haven't had to deal with this PMS stuff on a regular basis since, well, never. I have always lamented the fact that I don't experience the full measure of womanhood like others and have even been ashamed not to have the requisite "supplies" in my purse ready to whip out if a friend was in need. But, I think I secretly relished the fact that there were no days of bloating, crankiness (well, not for menstrual reasons anyway) and PAIN. Boy, has that changed.

And not for the better, mind you.

Ever since I committed to my weight loss plan and the pounds started coming off I have had a pretty regular period. At first I was kind of excited. Well you can HAVE IT BACK because this whole period thing? yeah, well, it's FOR THE BIRDS. For the past week, I hve been struggling to get over a nasty case of bronchitis only to have Aunt Susy or Cousin Val or the "monthly visitor"-- whatever in the heck you might have decided to call it--pay me an ill-timed visit.

I tried to explain to my hubby how I'm feeling right now and I don't think he had a single solitary clue in the big blue yonder what I was talking about.

"You see honey, (sniffle, sniffle) I just feel all emotional and mixed up in my head. Even the littlest thing grates on my nerves like a proverbial fingernail on the chalkboard."

::blank stare::

I guess we'll all have to adjust to the new addition of mommy hormones around here. Yes, I'm a wee bit glad that this whole weight loss thing is working; but...if there were one benefit of our new life change that I would gladly give up?

Three guesses as to what that'd be.

(click image to enlarge)

(click image to enlarge)

One Last Day of Normal

The warm blanket of a late summer morning greeted me as I peeked out the front door to see the big yellow bus pull up to the curb. That's when I saw her standing there, her brunette hair a little mussed and her expression slightly forced. Her two kids--boy, then girl--hopped on the bus as she bravely waved goodbye...smiling a smile that she hoped they wouldn't be able to discern as unauthentic. The bus slowly pulled off, she turned and found me waiting at the foot of my driveway with arms offering safety and comfort.

She could no longer pretend and she began to weep. And I wept, too.

You see, my friend, my across-the-street neighbor, had just put her 10-year old son on the school bus for what she knows will be his last "normal" day in a very long time. Because at 5 o'clock last night, the phone rang and she received the news she had dreaded for so long.

"It's come back."

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), that is. He had fought the disease around age 4 and they had won the battle. He doesn't remember any of it because he was so young. But now?

"This time it will be different," she uttered through tear-filled eyes. "He doesn't know yet. We are going to tell him after school."

Just then, the bus made one final sweep past our cul-de-sac and she quickly blotted away tears, put on her happy face and waved at her children. My heart broke in two. It was such a momma-thing to do. I hurt for her and wished that I could somehow make her pain disappear.

For this family, life will not be normal for quite some time. This afternoon, they head to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital where they will have their daughter matched for possible bone marrow donation...a procedure that, while painful, could save her brother's life.

"I can't believe I might have to cause one of my childen so much pain to help save the other's life," she said. I thought to myself how hard that situation would be as a parent.

This family could use your prayers on a variety of levels:

• Bone marrow match from sister or another donor
• For Brendan, age 10, and how he will deal with this traumatic change in his life
• For Mikki and Jeff --they have struggled through a recent job transition and now the news of their child's illness returning
• For Haley, age 7, and her understanding of her brother's illness and her potential to help

We sat on the stoop for a while and, after more tears and a long hug, she turned to walk home...lost in a sea of obligations and details, oncologist appointments to make, work schedules to put on hold, school officials to inform and decisions to make on the best way to tell her children.

I turned to head back inside, more aware than ever how life can change on a dime.

Please keep them in your prayers. I'll keep you posted.

Life Lesson Smacked Me and Now We're Under Contract!

Remember when I was talking, just a few days ago, about a life lesson smacking me in the head? Well, would you believe we are now under contract on a fabulous house just 5 minutes from where we are right now? Do you know what that means? It means D. can stay at the same school...we can shop at the same stores and I can keep my precious Mia as a workout partner!

It is also a blend of all the things we loved about the houses we loved and lost...it's a four-sides brick ranch on 2 and a half acres overlooking a lovely pasture across the way. It has a glorious kitchen, a laundry room that's bigger than our first apartment and a fully fenced in yard with plenty of room for the kids and Cassie (our golden) to play!

Good things come to those who wait...to those who have faith that something bigger and better is out there.

I'll post pictures soon! We're scheduled to close October 1 or sooner if we can get this house leased. Know of anyone looking for a lovely home to rent in the Nashville area? :)

Lil Bro

click on images to enlarge

Our First Grader!

D's First day of First Grade!

*update:  he just returned from his first half day and he is very excited! His new teacher is "so nice" and he's planning on having "lots of fun" this year!

Menu Planning Monday

OK, so I've been traveling ALOT lately and am pleased to be able to get back to my Menu Planning Monday posts! There is a certain comfort--at least in the world of trying to lose weight--in knowing what you'll be eating for the week. It certainly helps remove some of the temptation of eating out. And no chips and guacamole this week!

Monday
Lemony Chicken
Crisp Rosemary Potatoes
Roasted Asparagus
Blushing Apples

Tuesday
Pot Roast
Baked Brown Rice
Steamed Broccoli
Fresh cut Fruit Salad

Wednesday
Grilled Pork Chops
Grilled Corn-on-the-cob
Stir-fry Cabbage
Cucumber and Onion Salad

Thursday
Southwestern Chicken Soup
Core Cornbread
"Tastes Like Cheesecake" Dessert

Friday
Honey BBQ Meatloaf
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Slow-cooked Green Beans
Candy Apple Salad

Pardon Us While We Interrupt Your Moo Shoo Pork for an Important Message

I don't usually get into stalker-mode when I spot a celebrity. But folks, I love me some Melinda Doolittle from American Idol. I burned up the phone lines for her. She is one of my favorite all-time contestants. So, you can imagine when she walked into P.F. Changs last night in Franklin I was a bit starstruck.

She was standing right in front of me as I sat there with my little pager thingy and I couldn't say a word.

To be honest, I know how celebrities must get tired of the "aren't you....." or "oh, I love your music...." comments from strangers. I am sure she just wanted to be there with whoever the guy was that she was with...and just eat dinner. So, I kept my mouth shut. But...I watched her like a hawk. So much for being conspicuous.

So, when the hostess seated them two tables over, I almost couldn't concentrate on my Kung Pao shrimp I was so busy staring at the back of her head. As we were getting ready to pack up to leave, I couldn't stand it anymore. I took a scrap piece of paper and scribbled "My Momma Voted For You a Bazillion Times" with a big smiley face under it.

My eldest child. The things I ask him to do. Poor kid.

I gave him explicit instructions on which lady she was. He was to walk up, hand her the piece of paper and then smile and walk away. That's it. And, for his troubles, I would reinstate the dollar bill that he had lost due to an unfortunate incident of misbehvior earlier in the evening. All is good, right?

Except that as I watched him heading over to the table BESIDE hers and hand the note to a woman decked out in tight jeans and spiky purple heels, I was mortified. He turned away, proud of the role he played in my grand scheme, and we walked out of the restaurant.

I'm sure she'll wonder why that cute kid's Momma voted for her a bazillion times. I guess it'll always be our little secret.

Don't You Love it When a Life Lesson Smacks You in the Head?

I have been pouting.

Yes, pouting.

And, no, I am not in third grade.

I am a grown woman who should know by now how to handle life's little disappointments. But this househunting thing...well, I'm just plain tired y'all. Tired of living on our local real estate web site. Tired of scanning through neighborhoods for signs (not so easy to do in an election year, I might add) and tired of getting my hopes up only to have them dashed a short while later.

You see, we'd found the house of our dreams. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted a little bit of land. Not a blue bazillion acres, just enough to let our children and our Golden Retriever run! We found this place on the top of a hillside a couple minutes from D.'s school. The house had real possibility and it's perch on the hilltop at sunrise and sunset was a sight to behold. It included 15 acres, a horse barn with an apartment inside...the works. It was also a foreclosure so the price was in our range. It was too good to be true but we put in a bid.

And we waited.

And we regaled our friends and family with stories of what we had planned to do when (Keith's line) or IF (my line) we won the house. Then we got the dreaded email. We had matched the highest offer and since ours was in first, we would have won. Except that we have a lease to get out of and the other couple didn't. So, instead, our offer came back with one word: REJECTED.

Not one for subtleties, are they?

And I was sad. But got over it. That was until I had to drive past it to go to a function at the school yesterday afternoon and, as we approached the driveway where we'd spent so much time planning and dreaming, I spotted a BMW and a minivan toodling down the long winding drive. The driver of the first car was laughing as she swung her hair back and forth...obvisouly giddy about her new home.

Blech. Double blech. It was a rotten feeling, I tell ya.

But how many times have I wanted something terribly only to discover God's much-better plan for me down the road? Have I not learned that the desires of my heart are just that? I have been dejected many a time only to discover that what God had in store was immeasurably more glorious?

Take my children, for instance. We tried for eight LONGGGGGGG years to get pregnant but to no avail. Now, as I joke with my almost-seven year old and cuddle my eight-month old as he's drifting off to sleep, I cannot fathom my life without them. Parenthood did not come easy for us and I now look back on the path that brought us here and would not change a thing.

Sure, back in the darker times when I had almost given up hope of becoming a mother, I wish I would have been given a sneek peek at our life today. But if I had, the trials and challenges and, yes, disappointments probably wouldn't have taught me the valuable lessons I learned.

And so with that, I am changing my tune on this house thing. Yep, we need to find a house. And I fully believe that God will provide the perfect one for our needs. He knows my heart better than I do and He also knows the Big Picture. It will happen. Perhaps not on my schedule , but it will happen.

So, instead of worrying and fretting and letting the little disappointments get the best of me, I am vowing to relax and enjoy watching this next chapter of our lives unfold.

And Then There Was the Acceptance Speech...

I have been working towards a goal. Ever since we started Weight Watchers, the ever-elusive TEN PERCENT goal (a.k.a. 10% of your body weight lost) has been dangling out there in front of me. You know, like one of those rabbits suspended in front of the greyhounds at the track. Chasing it but never quite attaining it, I found myself getting discouraged as I'd come so close but end up being a mere two-tenths away come weigh-in day.

Well, I caught that rabbit and I was one happy camper last night. Since I'd been gone for a few weeks, I actually hit several goals including my total of 25 pounds lost, too. My leader has joked with me that I needed to prepare an acceptance speech so to surprise her I wrote a poem and delivered it to our group:

Ten Percent

Deciding to join Weight Watchers
Has changed me for the better
Even when I'm not following
My eating plan to the letter

The friendships that I've formed here
Make me feel secure
Even when this "life change"
Can seem hard to endure

Our fearless leader Dana
Is really quite a turkey
She keeps us motivated
By always acting PERKY!

I'm excited to finally reach
This goal of ten percent
It will surely keep me going
When all my points are spent

Let's hang in there together
And pretty soon we'll see
The scale will hit that magic mark
And Lifetime Members we will be!

***

I'm also excited that my hubby hit his 10% goal on the same day. I've lost a total of 30 (excited to gain back only 2.4 of the 7+ pounds I'd lost the week before) and Keith has lost somewhere around 34. Woo hooooo.

ONWARD!

Grab a Cup of Somethin' and Have a Seat...

OK, I only wish I had enough time to share all the wonderful details about my trip to Vegas. But I don't. You're safe... for now!

Although my thoughts on Las Vegas would lead me to say and/or think things I shouldn't say (I dislike it that much), the event itself went really well and I could not have been happier getting to see all the folks I used to know when I worked for that association. They had not told the members I was coming to help out so it was quite comical watching the reaction on their faces when they'd realize it was me. And, of course, my appearance has changed some since I worked there, too, so it was also funny to hear comments like "how MUCH weight have you dropped??" It was nice to hear but, after hearing it over and over I began to think "OK, so just how bad was it??? [laugh]

Don't answer that.

One of my favorite times on the trip was when Keith and I went with my friend Debbie to hike in Red Rock Canyon. We were trying to time it for sunrise and boy did we get it right. Check out this spectacular view... if only all of my morning walks were this scenic!

I have posted some pictures on here from our trip:  (Click on any image to enlarge)

Red Rock Canyon at sunrise

The Red Rock Casino and Resort... 

Keith and I at the Welcome Reception

The SLMA Team  [l to r] Wendy, Debbie, Steve, Beverly and Katie

Keith and I playing "dress up" for the Chairman's Gala

Spectacular sunrise over Red Rock

The sun just peeking over the horizon

You Know What? This "Life Change" Stuff Is Actually Working.

OK, so I didn't update you on my weigh-in last week because I was confused. I weighed in at a Tampa branch and she calculated it wrong...so I wanted to get it straightened out this week before posting. Boy, was I shocked tonight! My lil' team and I (including my hubby and my sis-in-law) had quite an evening! My sister-in-law lost 4.8 pounds, my hubby hit his 10% of his body weight goal and I found out that not only did I hit my 10% last week but I lost an additional 7.2 this week. Now, I must admit that I was sick Saturday night and Sunday and didn't eat much but SEVEN POINT TWO?!? It brought me to a total of 32. 4 pounds lost since May 13 (actually, 40 since April 30 but since those were before I started WW, I really can't count them in my "official" total...but, believe me, I'm very happy those pounds are gone, too!)

Anyway, I was pretty proud of our team this week. It wasn't easy but we all hung in there!

Now, for my biggest challenge yet: LAS VEGAS. Hubby and I leave tomorrow for 5 nights while I do an event there. Hopefully I'll walk a lot of calories off because nothing screams diet LESS than a week in Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas when it comes to the eating part. It jumps on your hips and hitches a ride home.

Wish me luck.

Amazing Amazing Grace

Like so many others, my favorite song always has been, is, and always will be Amazing Grace. When I was younger, it used to be the soothing melody of the song pouring out of our piano on a Sunday morning as I was dressing for church. Later, it was the feeling of security and belonging that I felt as I sang those familiar words with my mother...whether cooking dinner or driving in our car...her soprano notes blending perfectly with my alto harmony.

But, as I've grown older and more appreciative of the grace that God has bestowed upon me (and, believe me, it's overwhelming at times) it is the very words of the song that entrance me. A friend of mine sent me this video and it moved me to tears. I think it will move you, too.

Amazing grace, how very sweet the sound.

Butterflies

I'm sure there are many legends that involve butterflies. But none hold a candle to the significance and sentimentality of the fifteen very special construction paper butterflies that adorn the painted cinder block space above the chalkboard in my sister's middle school classroom.

You see, back in 1998, two very special hands used a pair of scissors and a black sharpie marker to transform simple pieces of school-grade construction paper into a rainbow of butterflies to decorate a young new teacher's room. That teacher is my sister and those now-laminated butterflies have become one of her most treasured possessions.

Gracing classrooms throughout the Southeast, the cut-outs, in brilliant shades of teal, pink, and fuschia, dance alongside their bold counterparts dressed in vivid orange, yellow and kelly green hues.

It is no coincendence that I usually pay my sister a visit just as it is time for her to change classrooms and redecorate for a new school year. This week has been no exception. And, just as in years past, our first mission is to hang the butterflies. Only, we could not find them. We dug through boxes of paper, books and science tools as well as stacks of manila folders-- any one of which could have contained the sought-after creatures.

I could sense the panic in my sister's voice as she searched her new classroom to no avail. Finally, she found them and all was right with the world. I then kicked into gear and performed my beloved annual job duty...taping them to the wall in just the perfect spot. One by one, I placed them in a design that mimicked butterflies flying up and down above her board. And as I taped each one to the wall, I offered up a silent note of thanks for our Mom.

I've been missing her a lot lately. Like when the very sight of my friend Cindy's nachos during my birthday dinner left me in a pool of tears... remembering that Mom used to make nachos and cheese as an after-school snack for us. Not an earth-shattering revelation but a special memory, regardless. That's why, as each butterfly found its respective perch on Jenny's wall today, I was more grateful to Mom than ever before. My sister is not able to pick up the phone and call Mom. And she can't share with her how much her granddaughter resembles her (it's freakish, really). But what she can do is glance up at a once-stark-white wall and revel in the time and love that went into creating those butterflies so many years ago.

And let me assure you, they have been lovingly preserved...as have the memories of a very special Mom whose spirit now dances, freely and without limitation, in the laminated glory of fifteen brightly-colored construction paper butterflies.

Greetings from Tampa

I'm in Tampa this week helping out my sis who had knee surgery today. All went well and now my chief role is keeping the stubborn mule-- oops, I mean, sweet gal, off of her leg. Can you feel the love?

But, all is well and we've enjoyed spending time together, looking through old pictures, etc.

I'll be heading back Thursday.

More later!

Katie

SOOOoooooooo Close, But Yet So Far Away....

The metaphor, analogy, whathave you was not lost on me this morning.

Baby J. is trying to crawl. Trying his DARNDEST, I must say. He wants to. He tries to. But, somehow, he usually comes up just short of his goal. His Daddy and I are usually standing by in the wings cheering him on but it's a no-go so far. But you know what? He keeps trying.

This morning, he was laying on his stomach and his pacifier was JUST out of reach. Instead of handing it to him immediately, I decided to sit back and see if he could get to it. His fingertips brushed against it several times as his feet and legs wiggled to and fro but he could not seem to grasp it. I could see the frustration build up in his eyes until he finally let out a full out wail followed by a lot of mumbling and griping.

That's when it hit me.

I have been working hard on my weight loss plan for two months now. And the goal I've had in sight? The TEN PERCENT goal. It's the first real milestone that Weight Watchers sets for you and that is what my sight has been set on...TEN PERCENT. Especially this week. A tiny, eensy weensy .8 pounds away from it, I worked like a dog this week to meet that goal at weigh-in last night. It was my BIRTHDAY and I skipped my favorite, all-time, sweet-tooth concoction...BIRTHDAY CAKE. First time in 37 years I haven't had a slice of birthday cake--but my goal was within reach. I ate fish instead of burgers, asparagus instead of french fries...I was on my way. I also worked out harder--and longer--and went into the meeting hoping against all hope to lose that POINT EIGHT of a pound.

Donning my lightest clothing and even my worst bra because it had no underwire (I'm just sayin'-- I will stop at nothing) I told Dana, my WW leader, the amount I needed to lose before ever so gingerly stepping up on the scale. She looked at the scale, looked back at me, looked back at the scale and slowly started to write. As I saw the numbers emerge, I quickly did the math only to realize that I had lost POINT TWO of a pound. POINT TWO? Are you kidding me?

My heart sank.

Instead of going to the meeting, I wanted to go to the nearset bakery, purchase the largest chunk of white birthday cake with white birthday cake icing I could find and devour it. I was dejected. Much like Baby J. grasping desperately for the pacifier, I was grasping for my first real goal yet my fingertips just barely touched it instead.

During the meeting, I know I was quite disruptive as I sat on the back row and winced each time she called out a 5-pound goal award or the coveted 10% award. I'm even a tad over a pound away from my 25-pound award and she called that out, too. I wanted to scream out, "BUT I WAS SO CLOSE!" Instead, I took it like a big girl...sorta. I sucked it up and tried to focus on the fact that I did lose...if even two-tenths of a pound. It was somethin.

But as I watched Baby J. crying out in frustration as he tried to reach his pacifier this morning, I felt renewed. We all struggle in some way. For me, this has not been an easy task. But as I watched that sweet little foot push off of the carpet and propel him forward just enough to grasp the elusive green pacifier--his goal--I cheered and clapped and celebrated with him. He had finally pushed enough to reach his goal. He had not given up.

And neither will I.

Menu Planning Monday

These are the recipes planned for Monday, July 14 - Thursday, July 17

Monday
Hot Chick BBQ Chop Salad
Corn Chowder
Sliced watermelon

Tuesday
Brown Sugar Chicken (crockpot)
Garlic roasted green beans
Brown rice
Orange Cream Dessert

Wednesday
Italian Polenta Casserole
Green salad
Fruit Salad ("Waldorf" style)

Thursday
Leftover Night

Friday - Sunday
Out of Town

Day Trip Memories

Our Georgia friends Jimmy and Melissa asked us to meet them "halfway" in Chattanooga, Tennessee to have a "belated" birthday lunch for me today. A short 2-hour drive for each of us, we eagerly made plans to meet them around noon.

It was such a great day.

We met for lunch and then spent the afternoon at the Children's Discovery Museum... a hands-on experience for kids that was fun for us adults as well!

Our family of four in the dinosaur exhibit

Daddy and Baby J. enjoying the water features

Our friends' son Jackson getting a kick out of the water

Katie and Melissa at the restaurant for dinner (our 2nd meal together today!)

Baby J. hangin' out in the high chair


And finally--my favorite pic that sums up today. What I wouldn't give to wear red construction paper ears all day and not care ONE BIT what anyone thinks!

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It was a great day spent relaxing with friends and enjoying some delicious food. What a nice way to end my "birthday week" celebrations!

Birthday Visit

[above] Cindy and I before they left today and [below] our boys--D and E...

My friend Cindy drove up from Georgia Wednesday for a visit to celebrate my birthday. The boys got to spend a lot of quality time together while the Mamas yanked at our hair a little bit having four boys getting "reacquainted" (a.k.a. running hog wild). OK, so Baby J. wasn't exactly "running wild," but he sure wanted to be keeping up with the big boys!

It was a great visit as we hung out, looked at a few houses and drove in the car singing ABBA at the top of our lungs.

Life on the wild side. It's not for the faint of heart.

Does anyone know what today is????

Happy Birthday Mommy!!!!!!!!!!



Love,

Your Boys