Post 200!!!

Time has passed so quickly since I started this blog. So many things have happened in my life. I had some crazy illness that they think is fibromyalgia (I think they are wrong). I've lost 35+ pounds. It's been suggested that I have a hysterectomy. Crazy stuff!

This blog has been greatly neglected lately. I've been to wrapped up in things that are going on in my life and sometimes emotionally I just couldn't bring myself to blog about it. I am going to make a serious effort going forward to blog at least 3 times a week - maybe someday I'll even start blogging daily! I guess part of it is that I don't think my life is all that exciting. Then again sometimes we just want to read about something going on in someone else's daily life that either inspires us or motivates us to do something different in ours.

The last couple weeks I've been doing things with my husband that I wouldn't have imagined doing a couple months ago (no - it's probably not anything near what you're thinking!!). Last weekend I shot a bow at a local outdoor expo. I used to be pretty decent in high school and honestly haven't shot since. I did awesome - just to toot my own horn. : )

Today I went kayaking. Wow was that fun and relaxing and adventurous - all at the same time! I forgot how much I liked doing things like this outdoors. These are things that I really, truly think I will be doing a lot more of!!

On a side note - the last couple weeks I haven't been eating very well. And I can truly tell. I just don't feel as healthy and good. Plus - not to be gross - but when I was eating healthy I was having bm's regularly (nice to know, huh?) and when I don't eat good I may not have one for 3 days - seriously. Not cool. So back to the healthy life for me!!

By the way - I'm now in a size 6!!! How is that for amazing - I started at a 12. Wow. I can't believe I was that big - I will never let that happen again!

Camping Trip!!!

This past weekend we went camping (about time!) at a State Park about 30-45 minutes from our home. Boy was it relaxing!! We have pretty much always gone camping with other people, and while it is nice to do that it is also very nice to have it be just us three. Surprisingly the park wasn’t packed – we figured it would be since it was Labor Day weekend. While there we scouted out other sites that would be perfect to stay if others were with us. April attended a couple classes; one to make charm bracelets and one to learn some “kid-friendly” campfire cooking recipes. I would have liked to gone horseback riding there also but we didn’t have the time and honestly I didn’t want to spend the extra money. But I did splurge on a cookbook. J

The weekend still went fast. April was able to play at one of the playgrounds while I watched and did some homework for my class. Layne rode his bike on the trails and we all hiked a trail that has a really old oak tree that they have dated back to 1644. It was really cool to see.

The time was great for Layne and I to reconnect as a couple; away from the everyday things it’s easier to put things in perspective. April would be tired from all the fresh air and would go to bed fairly early so Layne and I could stay up by the fire talking and making plans for future trips.

We came home Sunday morning and I did tons of laundry. We went through our camping totes and made lists of what we had and what we needed. (Every time we go camping we’ll think of something we should have and then forget once we get home.) We’re hoping to go again in a couple weeks if it isn’t too cold.

Happy Birthday to me!

Last Friday was my birthday. Woo hoo! My husband & I took the day off from our jobs. We were having a BBQ at his parent’s house Friday night to celebrate his brother’s 40th birthday - & kind of my birthday, along with his brother’s girlfriend. The day was pretty nice; it was quite humid – but not unbearable. We actually played badminton for a while which was pretty fun – let me add that I kind of suck at it. : )

I need to mention that I am not a fan of BBQ. Smoked & BBQ’d food doesn’t really agree with me (just ask Ryan, Angie, Layne, or my mom). BBQ for me guarantees a gut bomb later! So needless to say BBQ would not have been my choice for a birthday supper – but then again no one asked me. Just to add fuel to the fire my husband decided he should probably try experimenting & making his own BBQ sauces. So on my b-day I also had a sink full of disgusting ketchup smelling bowls. (Have I ever mentioned how much I hate ketchup?? If you ever want to make me gag give me a bowl of ketchup – or could make me clean dog crap or dog yak. Trust me, I get the heaves every time!!)

It was nice to spend time with everyone though. And lucky for me, one of sisters-in-law made a great salad with corn, avocado, tomato, & cilantro. It was awesome – and it was the only thing that I really ate.

April was really cute. She was so excited about my birthday. And when my mom took her shopping she picked out this really beautiful statuette for me of a man, woman, & child.
Maybe next year will be better……: )

Weekend Notes

This weekend was actually very productive. We painted our spare room, which is going to be April’s room shortly. We do still need to do a few things to it such as replace the ceiling fan, etc. I did ALL the laundry that we had – which is tons since Layne & I go through about 2 outfits each every day (work clothes & exercise clothes). All the dishes are done & put away.

Now is the hard part though. The room we are moving April to was our catch-all room. If something didn’t really have a place that’s where it went. We also had our computers in there, along with our digital camera & movie camera. It was also home to about 100 books that I have. We will go through these things & organize them & put them in April’s current room, which will be our office area.

But until we get the rooms done we have stuff everywhere – in our dining room, hallway by the bathroom, etc. It’s a big cluttered mess & it’s driving me nuts! I have been a pack rat for as long as I can remember. It’s very hard for me to part with “stuff” cause I think I’m going to need it someday or because someone special gave it to me. I need to work on that & just get rid of things that I haven’t needed in the last 6-12 months. Some things I acquire because I think someday I’ll do this or April would like to do this someday. I need to get over that mentality & just pitch things. I think getting rid of the stuff would probably actually be somewhat therapeutic.

Weekend

These last few days have been crazy busy. On Friday I had to travel for a work meeting. I spent 10 hours in a car just to be able to sit in a 4-hour meeting. A little crazy if you ask me. And not a particularly great way to start a weekend. Then we had a couple graduations on Saturday. Saturday night my great-aunt (my grandma’s sister) was in town so we all gathered at my mom’s house to visit. It was a great time, but a little bittersweet because she resembles my grandma so much. (My grandma died of cancer in the mid-90’s.) Sunday we actually skipped church (which I feel incredibly guilty about). April needed some one-on-one time with me. So we watched movies & I did some laundry.

Oh – almost forgot! I got my hair cut on Saturday. Check it out!!! I love it. It’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to wash and go hair! I took the picture myself - so my face looks kind of warped - but you get the general idea!

Weekend Happenings

Friday I left my cell phone at work. Boy did I feel strange without it at first, but honestly it was kind of nice not having it. Not that I get lots of calls anyways! April also stayed overnight at my mom's house that night. Which meant my husband and I could spend a whole night full of passion together. As if that really happened!! In all truthfulness I spent a good part of the night cleaning April's room and dusting it. Yes I know April is old enough to do it herself, and on rare occasions she will. But I want it thoroughly cleaned because I could tell her allergies had been bothering her and thought a thorough cleaning would help out.

Saturday we did a whole lot of nothing, other than sitting and looking at each other. Which was actually kind of nice. We spend so much time on the go and with both Layne and I working full-time outside the home that it's nice to just sit here and spend time as a family. We decided that on Sunday we would go see Coraline in 3-D at the theatre so we would go to the early service at church.

Sunday April came up to our bed around 5:30. At 6 she woke me up saying "It's 6:00 mom. It's time to get up." Okay, that would be a great gesture if I didn't have my alarm set for 6:30. So twice more I had to go through her waking me up to tell me the current time. On the way to church I told her that since I have an alarm clock for what time we need to get up I don't need her to wake me up every 10-15 minutes to give me an update on the time. : )

Church was great - although I do like the contemporary late service better. After church we went to my mom's house so I could use her printer. Back in December I had bought some make-up through E.L.F. online (Eyes, Lips, Face) and they had sent me a code to get a free movie pass which would actually work for our local theatre. Since we were wanting to go to the movie I thought I'd use that pass towards this movie. So I got online to use get the movie pass, except that when I went to check out and entered the code they had sent me an error popped up that it had already been used. So I couldn't get my free movie pass. Which was very disappointing.

When we got to the theatre to buy our movie passes it was $9.50 per ticket because of the additional charge for 3-D glasses. I told the gal there that we didn't need glasses because we had some (from when my mom took April to Nightmare Before Christmas). She said that it didn't matter because they can't discount even if we don't need them. Which is a crock. It would have saved us $2.50 per ticket for the glasses. First no free movie pass, then an extra charge for glasses when we didn't need any. It certainly was not working out to be an affordable outing! But the movie was really cute and 3-D was kind of neat, but not worth the extra $.

Wonderful Weekend

This weekend has been awesome! Yesterday I picked up our Angel Food. The opportunity that we have to get this food saves us so much money, especially now that we are actually trying to stick to a budget. I did buy a 12 pack of beer today (which will probably last us several months), a jar of sliced pickles, and a bag of buns. My total was $13.16, which leaves us with $18.98 for the month. I'm confident that we will make our budget this month, but I'm not sure we would if we didn't have a stocked freezer.

Here is a picture of one of the boxes of food we recieved. We actually ordered a box of produce too, but I put the items away before I took the picture.

After picking up Angel Food my husband and I went shopping for curtain rods for the living room. Luckily my mom watched April for us so we didn't have to worry about her getting impatient and grouchy. We found curtain rods at Lowes for $25 each. AND we splurged and went out for supper!! Which I did feel a little guilty about - but it was well deserved since we hadn't gone out for so long.

Today we had church, which was awesome because my childhood friend, Lana & her kids, came up and went to church with us. After church we did go to Burger King so the kids could play and we could catch-up. Lana & I have been friends since I don't know when. We grew up together and I can't imagine my life without her having a place in it. We don't talk frequently, but it's one of those friendships that we can not talk for months and then pick up exactly where we left off when we do - as though no time has passed at all.

When I got home from church I found that my husband had gone to Younkers and picked up a new knife set (which we desperately needed) for $48 - regularly $170!!! How awesome is that?!?!

My appointment at UNMC is only about 10 days away!!! I can't wait - I really hope they find what is wrong with me. Please say a prayer for me!!