tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81413903997912837392024-03-05T22:27:01.455-08:00Living the Life...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-62656635318354628982015-01-20T15:00:00.000-08:002015-01-19T19:05:39.563-08:00Working Out!<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">This
is what 13 burpees, 110 crunches, 48 leg raises, a 70 second plank, 7
burpees, 20 booty presses, 20 bridges, 10 squats, 6 burpees, 20 bicep
curls (5lb barbell in each hand), 30 overhead tricep presses (5lb
barbell), and 15 standing chestflys (5lb barbell in each hand) makes me
look like...</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLudSqqV24Gp9zNg7-qhh8xA_qLbSTmuZeKN-p_1GbjMDD0XRqrkNnAVRmYNF8-aUWbIyH9IQ-eToxBcRBDb3tr4oYRbFbDYm38TuLcObvZhS4WYz30zORUl4vphqJMVsfCUqDpisErc/s1600/011915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLudSqqV24Gp9zNg7-qhh8xA_qLbSTmuZeKN-p_1GbjMDD0XRqrkNnAVRmYNF8-aUWbIyH9IQ-eToxBcRBDb3tr4oYRbFbDYm38TuLcObvZhS4WYz30zORUl4vphqJMVsfCUqDpisErc/s1600/011915.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
I sweated my butt off, but man am I proud of myself! These 30 day challenges are keeping me on track, for sure! It also helps to have my lovely girls from <a href="http://wifebehindthefire.com/" target="_blank">Wife Behind the Fire</a> reinforcing my good habits.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-5795449905905197522015-01-19T18:58:00.000-08:002015-01-19T18:58:07.224-08:00Normal Day - What's That?!<i>Here's the post that jump started this post:</i> <a href="http://wifebehindthefire.com/do-people-have-regular-days/">http://wifebehindthefire.com/do-people-have-regular-days/</a><br />
<br />
<br />I decided a while ago that I'll never be normal, and that's really okay by me. There is no "typical" day. The days vary wildly, thanks to the custody schedule, L's full-time schedule, L's part-time schedule, my job, school (mine and A's), and football (for A).<br />
<br />
It seems like the times my days go according to plan are when I've got 50 things I need to do, and I decide I'll do "some" of them. If I leave myself a ton of flexibility, and if I'm the only one working on these "things", I've got a decent shot at stuff going at least somewhat as planned.<br />
<br />
My job is 70 minutes away, and in the afternoons that 70 minutes can easily jump to 90-120 minutes. Having things tightly planned after work nearly assures me that traffic will be awful. Over the years (I've been there 10, and living here 5), I've learned to check the traffic before I leave, and I've learned that the Friday before a holiday I need to leave right after lunch, or just give up on getting home before bedtime. Luckily, I have flexible scheduling that mostly allows for those mornings where the interstate is shut down because a guy jumped in front of a semi-truck (yep, this has happened) and other variations of oh-crap-I'm-going-to-be-WAY-later-than-planned.<br />
<br />
A's school is right at 80-85 minutes from work, without traffic. His daycare is right at 90 minutes. I've not only learned all sorts of alternate routes to get there when traffic is terrible, I've also made it so that I usually can have someone on back up to scoop him up if need be.<br />
<br />
L has a crazy schedule, and i tend not to factor him into the equation with school/daycare couriering. Timing for shift change between the two jobs, and locations, etc, just makes it difficult to let him be a factor. It never fails, if I am waiting for him to come home so I can go to work, he'll run a late call, the BC will stop by to chat, he'll get sent to another station for the last part of the shift (which is ALWAYS on the other side of the county it seems!) or some other minor-to him major-to-me holdup will occur. When that happens, I'm crazy stressed and pacing, and nobody likes a stressed out pacing Missy! <br />
<br />
Football owns our world for 4 or so months a year. We practice four nights a week, with games on Saturdays. Even when A is with his father, I still show up to pretty much every single practice. I'll never miss a game, either. Fridays and Sundays become my only "free" evenings, and then I'm really doing catchup around the house it seems. It never fails though, that something will go all to crap in the middle of the week, and I'll need to race from work to practice to something else.<br />
<br />
I'm a full time student, but thank goodness it's an online (accredited) school! I swear every time I'm planning to do homework there's a sick pet or kid needing attention. Or the router and modem aren't working. Or I suddenly need new tires (this happens more than I care to admit).<br />
<br />
My ex and I share custody of A, and that just adds another layer of not-normal to our 7 layer dip. <br />
<br />
One thing is for sure, on the days where I have the most planned and the least amount of wiggle room, Murphy is sure to show up, laugh at me, and flip things upside down. Why? Well, Murphy's a jerk...this post addresses him a bit more: <a href="http://missy-of-all-trades.blogspot.com/2014/12/murphys-law.html">http://missy-of-all-trades.blogspot.com/2014/12/murphys-law.html</a><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-66269071823754132792015-01-09T05:29:00.000-08:002015-01-09T05:29:05.027-08:00So Far, So Good!<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
Food:<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
I’ve been eating low/lower carb, overall. I’m not going all Atkins crazy, I really feel it is unhealthy for me. I’m just seriously limiting my carbs that aren’t from fruits or veggies. I’m also increasing my protein, which helps me not want as many carbs, and makes me feel better overall. I am working on dealing with how my food allergies affect my food choices. I’m allergic to soy (beans, oil, protein, flour, sauce, exceptions are refined soybean oil and soy lecithin), peanuts, and tree nuts (think almonds, hazel nuts, coconuts, cashews, etc). I’m also sensitive to chick peas we think, but I am going to try those again, possibly. I miss hummus! I’m doing fairly decent with my choices, and only had one real moment of upset over my diet changes, regarding ice cream. I was also a touch hungry, and pretty exhausted, so we’ll blame that ;-) I’m on a huge apple kick, and have figured out the key to not getting bored with them is to essentially pick up one of each type that I like, as opposed to a bag of all one kind. Variety is the spice of life ;-)<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
Activity:<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
I’ve taken 1.25-1.75 mile walks every day but yesterday. I jogged some on Friday, and gave myself a mild case of shin splints. This led to some shoe shopping at a running shoe store. They had to order my actual size, but by Saturday night, I should have GOOD shoes. That’s very exciting to me! I also got some actual exercise clothes yesterday, and cushy running socks to help prevent more foot blisters (the combination of extreme cold, the blister popping on the bottom of my foot, and lingering effects of my migraine added up to me skipping yesterday’s walk). I want to start Couch 2 5K soon, my only concern is that a lot of my walking needs to be done at work. Otherwise through the week, I wind up walking really late, and then that doesn’t help my sleep issues, at all. I’m also doing exercises, daily still. I’ve added in a burpees 30 day challenge, today was day 2. So counting January 1<sup>st</sup>, (I started walking the day before all my other work out stuff), I’ve walked over 11 miles (not counting what I will walk today!). Since January 2<sup>nd</sup>, I’ve done 70 crunches, 70 leg raises, a total of 112 seconds in planks (these all gradually increase, and there is a rest day every 4<sup>th</sup> day – so today was my second rest day), 63 booty presses (each side), 63 bridges, 16 side leg lifts (each side), and 10 squats. I decided to add some weight exercises on Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays, using my 5 pound hand weights. I’ve done a total of 60 bicep curls, 90 overhead tricep presses, and 45 standing chest flys. I had decided to add in burpees on Tuesdays/Thursdays/Saturday, too. So, I did 5 burpees on both Tuesday and Thursday. Then last night we decided to do a burpees challenge for 30 days, and I did the 2 for it last night, and 4 for it this morning, bringing me to 16 burpees so far.<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
Organization:<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
So far, so good! L folded laundry, and picked up on how I fold my shirts (they only fit in the drawers a certain way), so I was able to just put my laundry away, which was awesome. Typically I leave it go, because I need to refold most if not all of it, to make it fit. The kitchen is staying fairly not-cluttered, dishes are staying done, and the dining room table isn’t cluttered either. The bar down stairs has a few things on it, like the reflective safety gear for my walks, my ear buds, etc, but they aren’t a huge mess by any stretch! I’m definitely making and maintaining progress, in my opinion.<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
School:<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
I’m officially done with my term! I feel awesome, I flew through my last class without ever looking at the material!! I got approved to add on one more class, since I have some time. I’ve already taken the pre-assessment, and passed it. I’ve got some studying to do, but it should be no problem to get through this class. My term turns over at the end of February/beginning of March.<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
Weight Check-In:<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5749435424805px;">
I’ve lost 5 pounds! I’m really proud of losing the weight, and I know the first week or two is the easiest, but I feel really good about this. In total, I want to lose 40-60 pounds, but I am going to celebrate each time I make progress! Now to come up with some rewards as I go :-D</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-85198242084046593612015-01-04T17:10:00.002-08:002015-01-04T17:20:46.105-08:00New Year, New MissyI'm not usually a resolution kind of girl. They tend to be cheesy,
and are easily broken. However, I am totally cheesing it up this year,
by making a few.<br />
<br />
1) Get Organized!<br />
I started this
towards the end of 2014, and now I've got things under better control
than I've ever had them! It helps that L got me two kitchen islands,
with storage space. One of our big issues has been that when we do
grocery shop, we (<i>I</i> - I'm the one who puts all the groceries
away) tend to just shove it in the pantry, fridge or freezer, and keep
on moving. So, I took this past Saturday (while he was on shift) and
made some magic happen:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRr-OUvZTLh7uGkAd5xh8Y_T40Uqzz1gibZa49Mk5qlOUhO8ztQdNOf2eKj5p1LM6JKbDFcohCrwk7FzjNDnHZh9sEWXbwCee5EkSmv3A5ahuVrQBazEE3FIdnwfKWDNjuD0n_rKaO0Tcx/s1600/20150103_115659.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRr-OUvZTLh7uGkAd5xh8Y_T40Uqzz1gibZa49Mk5qlOUhO8ztQdNOf2eKj5p1LM6JKbDFcohCrwk7FzjNDnHZh9sEWXbwCee5EkSmv3A5ahuVrQBazEE3FIdnwfKWDNjuD0n_rKaO0Tcx/s1600/20150103_115659.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNCtrkWw8lZ6gr_aJM9W2PqzGtFinYUWAZdZge89bhnoXFQXsG3OgR6el6pKT3pogsi3ATnfey_0hkM3UxxiSdOVPhupUWaV4wRRnJpwPln-FclYolcLwVqX4zK0zpzwGhqsGi5RxPLex/s1600/20150103_115705.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNCtrkWw8lZ6gr_aJM9W2PqzGtFinYUWAZdZge89bhnoXFQXsG3OgR6el6pKT3pogsi3ATnfey_0hkM3UxxiSdOVPhupUWaV4wRRnJpwPln-FclYolcLwVqX4zK0zpzwGhqsGi5RxPLex/s1600/20150103_115705.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwo_qNFNO2ZApNmwdKvFD85CCumCuIUcgrhinxzNICC7CTeQ08WXUoR5NPVCUDYZL-AdDEABjAsO2b4qYvxwATHS0j46x50_ii2_-kPDwqh6uHxjSGokrxG4KAnJrfxXR_IlaZBacetl4t/s1600/20150103_143624.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwo_qNFNO2ZApNmwdKvFD85CCumCuIUcgrhinxzNICC7CTeQ08WXUoR5NPVCUDYZL-AdDEABjAsO2b4qYvxwATHS0j46x50_ii2_-kPDwqh6uHxjSGokrxG4KAnJrfxXR_IlaZBacetl4t/s1600/20150103_143624.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZQq_DoTrsWYpmI2l4zZAvXxxhMPevE-BVSQc3rIKI8nPYJHlmxJRJFIQSNTsKcWQSm_tJcHGPdXxHaUnZ4fhEAm-wBooxYJKsp8B-vfkLnrC-yxByNqV-J1gF0l1vB-h9JOPdBhCsXFO/s1600/20150103_145729.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZQq_DoTrsWYpmI2l4zZAvXxxhMPevE-BVSQc3rIKI8nPYJHlmxJRJFIQSNTsKcWQSm_tJcHGPdXxHaUnZ4fhEAm-wBooxYJKsp8B-vfkLnrC-yxByNqV-J1gF0l1vB-h9JOPdBhCsXFO/s1600/20150103_145729.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4yb6Ed2LCI0xUgyCsIAweKEteqkONL6Bv8uamYrUwzLHnI7t4b0ADv8EmyTL7y8UbZg4quPwrgVa7Sijrhyphenhyphen-nNPKQcsyQkCWT4YWWD1_0L5Z_QtdMPFAkwJ-ZruUZEHLE-94telVDk4P/s1600/20150103_112502.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4yb6Ed2LCI0xUgyCsIAweKEteqkONL6Bv8uamYrUwzLHnI7t4b0ADv8EmyTL7y8UbZg4quPwrgVa7Sijrhyphenhyphen-nNPKQcsyQkCWT4YWWD1_0L5Z_QtdMPFAkwJ-ZruUZEHLE-94telVDk4P/s1600/20150103_112502.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2c0eK19utMqCdSHOxTLPC6p2Kx3FjXydIv4vpN3yfjrlTmAzBO_sn9Jsd-CZQJOAxf9rZ8fmvI-APsTs4V4qv0qowzaO244RkZB_3-5SbbfNjOCfE0hZlxSUGGgEzm8pCER3aRRX2_HK/s1600/20150103_145714.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2c0eK19utMqCdSHOxTLPC6p2Kx3FjXydIv4vpN3yfjrlTmAzBO_sn9Jsd-CZQJOAxf9rZ8fmvI-APsTs4V4qv0qowzaO244RkZB_3-5SbbfNjOCfE0hZlxSUGGgEzm8pCER3aRRX2_HK/s1600/20150103_145714.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkbl8Sj5pIRlScoUpWdWGS4VSvH1EZPQcAn8bAlQtM3S1xhUXDoAbOm5R6xeV1lQFgD4C8ichV6RFipPc6bPYaRLaJS4AVLEq2qJthDYuH-Qmy24bDJFLeiOWEYSRCH_oUo7zfAi96F-y/s1600/20150103_143633.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkbl8Sj5pIRlScoUpWdWGS4VSvH1EZPQcAn8bAlQtM3S1xhUXDoAbOm5R6xeV1lQFgD4C8ichV6RFipPc6bPYaRLaJS4AVLEq2qJthDYuH-Qmy24bDJFLeiOWEYSRCH_oUo7zfAi96F-y/s1600/20150103_143633.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSecdqN9O3duri4KxwSvH1rvzLjXGrSUtGY_e7LT_woYjgN5hvwh7cY5g6HliJ_N4GGRTUPbd63KGVryXP2GwU0xUkNOh-sPssh_ZKB_DOVsAIgQyw9pojO2XwkNBM-D1VWKBj4R4ieMp/s1600/20150103_112405.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSecdqN9O3duri4KxwSvH1rvzLjXGrSUtGY_e7LT_woYjgN5hvwh7cY5g6HliJ_N4GGRTUPbd63KGVryXP2GwU0xUkNOh-sPssh_ZKB_DOVsAIgQyw9pojO2XwkNBM-D1VWKBj4R4ieMp/s1600/20150103_112405.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
I also purged a ton of stuff that we aren't going to eat, I'm allergic to, or was freezer burnt beyond being edible.<br />
<br />
2) Exercise<br />
I've
gotten really lax on physical activity. So, I'm working on that. I even
joined Pinterest to help me! I've found 2 30-day challenges to work on
this month, and I've walked over a mile every single day. I'm even
taking the dog with me some - she could use exercise too! I jogged a
little bit, but have to wait to do more jogging, as my
not-meant-for-exercise shoes caused my shins to hate me. Here are this
month's challenges:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1BRjxpbmp0g_thQNBEEZaa9aE3zuddZezMO2QL4W530hOG92MFuOAKL-uA9kadaTgzf2EYQvzmK9_mD8Ubb8VwfXZNp4RQKw5qZ9glrvdFU7hwTN4YLqYZ15F8ps7z3h6QdcwGk0OioL/s1600/brazen+fit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1BRjxpbmp0g_thQNBEEZaa9aE3zuddZezMO2QL4W530hOG92MFuOAKL-uA9kadaTgzf2EYQvzmK9_mD8Ubb8VwfXZNp4RQKw5qZ9glrvdFU7hwTN4YLqYZ15F8ps7z3h6QdcwGk0OioL/s1600/brazen+fit.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixOfKcOIMp3lGyn0TDRk7e9jqJEj3GiFG3Gnf0loM2OaQHb1cPS3GjhOwzV7dw-UXyV7cv81jMQeEtuz2qnxp-oAn0NrnSKVa9y9ZrF8TyQaPs4z0WVGkScsNrJ7VdQDvZMHNnozmW555/s1600/booty.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixOfKcOIMp3lGyn0TDRk7e9jqJEj3GiFG3Gnf0loM2OaQHb1cPS3GjhOwzV7dw-UXyV7cv81jMQeEtuz2qnxp-oAn0NrnSKVa9y9ZrF8TyQaPs4z0WVGkScsNrJ7VdQDvZMHNnozmW555/s1600/booty.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
3) Loving Myself<br />
I
definitely go through periods where I don't love myself nearly as much
as I should. I don't set aside any time for me, and I basically just
spin in circles, trying to make everyone else happy. I also get sucked
into other people's negativity and drama (although this is becoming less
of an issue, I still get aggravated if people are only negative). I'm going to work on not always expecting or assuming the worst, and I'm going to budget my time better. Hopefully Resolution #1 above will help with that! I try to be positive most of the time, especially to "the world at large" (AKA, social media, and friends I am not very close with), and I think sometimes that is why it bothers me when people can't ever seem to find silver linings. This year I am going to love myself enough to be more open with those I can trust, and let them see that my life isn't always rainbows and sunshine. I'm also going to spend less time in groups or on sites that perpetuate negative posts.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMVzLoBDPHj5VBo11mrAnKcPkUbABJ5pqR44E76EkSvKfKJdtTLWOGiKYiG8o_sbL15XUFUXMqRyOuiTjlfsXVgM_GXOjtp4_zJ48nPmkRwVIhe3ACGdx5_WxQkTT-oqdowJvn1fH3HE/s1600/rainbow-kitty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMVzLoBDPHj5VBo11mrAnKcPkUbABJ5pqR44E76EkSvKfKJdtTLWOGiKYiG8o_sbL15XUFUXMqRyOuiTjlfsXVgM_GXOjtp4_zJ48nPmkRwVIhe3ACGdx5_WxQkTT-oqdowJvn1fH3HE/s1600/rainbow-kitty.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></div>
4) Eating Habits<br />
I'm working on having better habits and attitudes when it comes to food. Tracking is really difficult for me, so I'm not doing that yet. I have food issues, and when I track it often causes me to way under eat. It also causes me to meltdown if I can't figure out the exact calorie/carb/whatever content of something. So, for now, I'm just making better choices. I'm also not drinking for a while, which will help. I like girlie, sweet drinks - they aren't exactly low calorie, haha! I'm hoping to get to a point where I can track without the downward spiral that has always come with it in the past. I'm not rushing it, though. It is much more important to me that I work on the habits, than track everything to death.<br />
<br />
5) Blogging<br />
I need to get back into the habit of writing more. It's really a great outlet for me.<br />
<br />
6) Baby Steps<br />
I'm going remember that every step in the right direction counts! Every walk, every "better" choice (even if it isn't the BEST choice, BETTER still counts!) they count, and I should be proud of them. I'm going to work on not letting anyone rain on my parade with my baby steps. I'm also going to keep in mind that once those baby steps start really adding up, it'll be HUGE. Progress and new habits take time! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-460134339652691982014-12-30T11:01:00.002-08:002014-12-30T11:01:57.116-08:00Murphy's Law...<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is in response to this blog post:<a href="http://wifebehindthefire.com/murphy-bastard/">http://wifebehindthefire.com/murphy-bastard/</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>Murphy enjoys breaking cars and me while L
is on shift! Two summers ago, my brakes locked up, and I hit stopped
traffic. I totaled my car, in the county he works in (the county we live
in is bordered by it).</span><br /><br /><span>He
was coming off shift, but I couldn't reach him. He'd already left, and
was on his motorcycle. I called the station, just in case he was still
there. His Lt answered, and promptly sent half the county county it
seemed like! I refused to let anyone look at me (no serious injuries,
lots of airbag and upholstery burns) until L got there.</span><br /><br /><span>Fast
forward about 18 months, and I'm sitting on the interstate, in stopped
traffic, and some fool is gawking off too the side of the road, and hits
a car, which hits me, and I tap into the person in front of me who was
also stopped. That was the beginning of November, and he was coming off
shift, over an hour away. It took until the end if February to get my
car in to be fixed, and then 2 (!) months to get it back.</span><br /><br /><span>During
those two months, I got hit in the rental car! My sedan got hit by a
giant Yukon driven by a little old lady, who said she couldn't see me. L
was headed on shift at the PT job, but I was in the county bordering
that county, so he got the guy coming off shift to cover so he could
check on me.</span><br /><br /><span>All of my ER visits since meeting him over 5 years ago have been while he's on shift - 'nuff said!</span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-45834123821207349592014-12-09T16:33:00.003-08:002014-12-09T16:33:32.478-08:00Small (?) Catch-Up<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I didn't realize just how long it had been since I'd posted. Tonight, I'm home sick with a virus, and feeling pretty rotten. I've been resting so much that I can't sleep, so why not blog?!</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We made it through tackle football, go us! Minion says he wants to play again next season, but we'll see. He is SO MUCH smaller than the other kids! This pic is from Homecoming, and probably one of my favorite pics of us!</span></b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIJkmSUwIpTxD72d4fBgZww1N2eCq6cnv6n-9qCsb-5ARqMA-IK9XklJYuCpXCE4Ay-iruv5RwBr6uXgVboGEAmWVGJb5tNTx6pDKLO81QZdpAURhJSAyt3Wa50eJoQ9GX8_ER_0mTNI/s1600/20141025_164000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIJkmSUwIpTxD72d4fBgZww1N2eCq6cnv6n-9qCsb-5ARqMA-IK9XklJYuCpXCE4Ay-iruv5RwBr6uXgVboGEAmWVGJb5tNTx6pDKLO81QZdpAURhJSAyt3Wa50eJoQ9GX8_ER_0mTNI/s1600/20141025_164000.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">He's in the center based gifted program this year, and that's been a HUGE adjustment! Oy! New school, first time having a male teacher, etc. It will be interesting to see how it all comes out in the wash. I really miss his old school, and him not having hours of homework every single night, including weekends and holidays. </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Things are pretty much the usual, otherwise. I can't seem to get into the Christmas spirit, but I have at least gotten nearly all my shopping done!</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The only real negative lately was a supposed friend that turned into a snake in the garden. That really sucked. However, I'm thankful I didn't waste more time on this "friend", and I'm thankful that it hasn't messed with any of my "inner circle" friends. Just like in high school, those who don't come to me about rumors, really weren't my friend in the first place!</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">School is coming along fairly well, thankfully! It still seems like that light at the end of the tunnel is light years away, but I know each day I'm stepping closer to it. Or at least that's the mumbo jumbo I'm telling myself ;-)</span></span></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-85362183218789006162014-04-25T10:00:00.000-07:002014-04-25T10:00:07.126-07:00Easter - Part 4 - Family!What's a holiday without family, right?! With my brother's wife and kids in town, and my mom living more or less locally, I geared up to have a nice family lunch. I invited a couple friends, too. We wound up with 5 kids (2, 6, almost 8, 11, and 12), 5 adults, a dog, and two kitties! We put on an egg hunt, with each kid having a certain color bucket. They could only get their color eggs, and everyone had the same number eggs. I was trying to make it fair, and it worked out, since one of the eggs was really well hidden and definitely would not have been accounted for had we not counted! My dad moved several states away about 4 years ago. It stinks, honestly. We weren't close growing up, but once I had my Minion, we got a lot closer. I lived with him for a while after my divorce, even. He's never met my 2 year old nephew, because not long after he moved, my brother and his family moved several states the other direction. We went from all living within an hour or so of each other, to living 9 or more hours apart. So, I made a phone call after the egg hunt. He had no idea that my sister-in-law and the kids were here, nor my mom (they are still close friends after all these years). It made my heart swell when he said that getting to talk to all of them was the best Easter gift he could have ever gotten. We don't get many chances to get all the kids together, so we try to take advantage of it when we can, and get some pictures.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LXXoxDrHEDradIMbk1KUkoNEArZAXPz6jIc4kLtjjSIJRTDc-w6fGNLPQ6LGgSorkZqrhJ10Hh68DMFZiABpZFcQmVt5y0KBftuEF6sDI94kS2qzLkK7-PhwUVSbjIfOT-fFH-40INg/s1600/20140420_151651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LXXoxDrHEDradIMbk1KUkoNEArZAXPz6jIc4kLtjjSIJRTDc-w6fGNLPQ6LGgSorkZqrhJ10Hh68DMFZiABpZFcQmVt5y0KBftuEF6sDI94kS2qzLkK7-PhwUVSbjIfOT-fFH-40INg/s1600/20140420_151651.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP5dDVJRKMKYG554KbDhJH6pTCRXE50v0-Xwgwbao2TSRwo8eiSKr43tECWFeELTDgLt-5yMdMWzzz06IFDZKeVHrWzCKgZOVERDopesj4yMhGvfv6RmOODObfz6Tx_Sb447RSBWUmNuk/s1600/20140420_151657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP5dDVJRKMKYG554KbDhJH6pTCRXE50v0-Xwgwbao2TSRwo8eiSKr43tECWFeELTDgLt-5yMdMWzzz06IFDZKeVHrWzCKgZOVERDopesj4yMhGvfv6RmOODObfz6Tx_Sb447RSBWUmNuk/s1600/20140420_151657.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnA0KbjP85FKV0LX797cCn53lERY9AuzC8Vg49Ymc0ZECssIaE-QLm2ScU6MnwUnQqrJ3hfgfnrAFNZlG-Azxi1H_rfh62PkhWjRIdasCImWWGpq-RjUY72VcglarYFNi1zL7DnschBWg/s1600/20140420_151725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnA0KbjP85FKV0LX797cCn53lERY9AuzC8Vg49Ymc0ZECssIaE-QLm2ScU6MnwUnQqrJ3hfgfnrAFNZlG-Azxi1H_rfh62PkhWjRIdasCImWWGpq-RjUY72VcglarYFNi1zL7DnschBWg/s1600/20140420_151725.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D569vbqiuoTfAVP2dNjvYA3X1fqD27GotA0ROKYAg2lm2C5RnuM2uxb_FGPbqu1Tnhk5LyGqSKLqiJM7JtMIy3EgRjoj6yjHM0aLscMXgWJ0UQAoRORUVHHXlGOsiE4FIwPOuel4XCs/s1600/20140420_151832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D569vbqiuoTfAVP2dNjvYA3X1fqD27GotA0ROKYAg2lm2C5RnuM2uxb_FGPbqu1Tnhk5LyGqSKLqiJM7JtMIy3EgRjoj6yjHM0aLscMXgWJ0UQAoRORUVHHXlGOsiE4FIwPOuel4XCs/s1600/20140420_151832.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OwWdy_L3dU6ZsXdy2j0HoZOOjOmrGOYYAGScQnY8xRiLK1awlsKrLxZoi8htf2QTtBsmbnpk6CKDboNgx35GmJuBiqjmnOhv3zcwcCGCHB9fG8hL-ujr0kY5f9hxBdbe4tkDwFzzem0/s1600/20140420_151841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OwWdy_L3dU6ZsXdy2j0HoZOOjOmrGOYYAGScQnY8xRiLK1awlsKrLxZoi8htf2QTtBsmbnpk6CKDboNgx35GmJuBiqjmnOhv3zcwcCGCHB9fG8hL-ujr0kY5f9hxBdbe4tkDwFzzem0/s1600/20140420_151841.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGehRBXkt6ZjhIuy_BdzWQLHhx0RXQIVXKPM1sTlLm9g4Di4EXedTgBY7nJ19Zij7gOqe7UuhCDwAhYsAjQ7E6S4aNd2IyuW1pB_U5DGY5VGBMiCHbiP1qVOeNoCJ4q8AeaFJEdbigtJA/s1600/20140420_160721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGehRBXkt6ZjhIuy_BdzWQLHhx0RXQIVXKPM1sTlLm9g4Di4EXedTgBY7nJ19Zij7gOqe7UuhCDwAhYsAjQ7E6S4aNd2IyuW1pB_U5DGY5VGBMiCHbiP1qVOeNoCJ4q8AeaFJEdbigtJA/s1600/20140420_160721.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCaYNCI8yU5X_pEUTRKfjBEVunXIxkTMx6heI_eJpAbinZVHqgMWUWLfRxAfV9OeYzkWi7E7h0FCRnxojAiB48SkQCPqDtNWC5BfK878aun8dR-fDFypf8Y4e4UfuvXmzboC3n-Ep0_E/s1600/20140420_160822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCaYNCI8yU5X_pEUTRKfjBEVunXIxkTMx6heI_eJpAbinZVHqgMWUWLfRxAfV9OeYzkWi7E7h0FCRnxojAiB48SkQCPqDtNWC5BfK878aun8dR-fDFypf8Y4e4UfuvXmzboC3n-Ep0_E/s1600/20140420_160822.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUft6nOtmKwAMsyfuod7KMU_pm9BbIJwFy8b07139CIONbHklAfYe19bXUkAhmmMm_l4OE8qg7bJ7qYlyv6lKlo8FSw9c6PC_POYERu29evPKZ36ZYTV0L8PnDoRxOj52v2n7k7Fp1_lM/s1600/20140420_160910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUft6nOtmKwAMsyfuod7KMU_pm9BbIJwFy8b07139CIONbHklAfYe19bXUkAhmmMm_l4OE8qg7bJ7qYlyv6lKlo8FSw9c6PC_POYERu29evPKZ36ZYTV0L8PnDoRxOj52v2n7k7Fp1_lM/s1600/20140420_160910.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTdvSoLnIPwXpYxheP66HzNx1X1VO2kugyQn3VDHiJ9hPjrjLB76GqmFfMNfgoftN_lAHaAFCB_7QPc11fn99cDc-EEwE_hpwS0n0wCd4PDpeYBai9uWzZgISYl-UkSghHmzQdlHHic8/s1600/20140420_160836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTdvSoLnIPwXpYxheP66HzNx1X1VO2kugyQn3VDHiJ9hPjrjLB76GqmFfMNfgoftN_lAHaAFCB_7QPc11fn99cDc-EEwE_hpwS0n0wCd4PDpeYBai9uWzZgISYl-UkSghHmzQdlHHic8/s1600/20140420_160836.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Nhl2nDO3ofPhxVNitCugQvUfeS6vOAQemPL2zVfU993Cf8KUw0ivrtvI9WusD9rzLTmqLK3w6cxmrpwBLmuLYYBWl7OxsBRx3geyaLmgm3lfBW8KqbvM_y770JRDpT9ljWWOxHlV-NY/s1600/20140420_160919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Nhl2nDO3ofPhxVNitCugQvUfeS6vOAQemPL2zVfU993Cf8KUw0ivrtvI9WusD9rzLTmqLK3w6cxmrpwBLmuLYYBWl7OxsBRx3geyaLmgm3lfBW8KqbvM_y770JRDpT9ljWWOxHlV-NY/s1600/20140420_160919.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-79569216874343399112014-04-24T11:00:00.000-07:002014-04-24T11:00:02.608-07:00Easter - Part 3 - The Bunny Cometh!Part of the fun of Easter is waking up to see what the Bunny brought. Poor Minion woke up, went to the couch where his basket always is, and found...nothing. He thought the Easter Bunny forgot to leave his basket. On the contrary, the basket was in the guest room, with our planted jelly beans, safe from our kitties. The boy is into science, math, legos, and books. He's really not a big candy eater, so I tend to fill his basket with stuff he'll use, instead. This year I decided he needed a personalized basket (he loves having stuff with his name or initials on it, and green is his favorite color). So, I got him a durable and lovely thirty-one basket (bin).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2Vg1i-Q45cIc9tcBr3OBmqDu5TkfSRw22W4sjumR1xVUfO8TvFVL1i2RvT7IytK-Xc6jc6IVrF2de0BH2fHxMhgSZUdmBGbH5UbWYocSBKqSX91kZv6CmK-_XIDB5WCC3j2yJAjbR3s/s1600/20140419_233750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2Vg1i-Q45cIc9tcBr3OBmqDu5TkfSRw22W4sjumR1xVUfO8TvFVL1i2RvT7IytK-Xc6jc6IVrF2de0BH2fHxMhgSZUdmBGbH5UbWYocSBKqSX91kZv6CmK-_XIDB5WCC3j2yJAjbR3s/s1600/20140419_233750.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQtldfIeZowqpw_OcABPckCj65E45y5Fl0SqkdGzovVFYSjPtNlp2yVIEDoMfI3WBBY6CI2leoYO-eyxEPsErCE6LcJEHI9NPQrjR2UG66eFmu7ij_ELxGxpgmEPo8v_Bn4hO3Z_-kiU/s1600/20140420_083618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQtldfIeZowqpw_OcABPckCj65E45y5Fl0SqkdGzovVFYSjPtNlp2yVIEDoMfI3WBBY6CI2leoYO-eyxEPsErCE6LcJEHI9NPQrjR2UG66eFmu7ij_ELxGxpgmEPo8v_Bn4hO3Z_-kiU/s1600/20140420_083618.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pNHFuyXSlJ0CiO-PBHzE8uhP8Kp_8rcjVoY7-7rie7sL2-JHeJmsWAdwAIKH889OBKO1AufYxPF-WPKpvIhIMwqJqGkRgkXkGl9aSQP3u246zAZx3Z0tl2EfXO5nSoyuGObnCqEbTEM/s1600/20140420_083625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pNHFuyXSlJ0CiO-PBHzE8uhP8Kp_8rcjVoY7-7rie7sL2-JHeJmsWAdwAIKH889OBKO1AufYxPF-WPKpvIhIMwqJqGkRgkXkGl9aSQP3u246zAZx3Z0tl2EfXO5nSoyuGObnCqEbTEM/s1600/20140420_083625.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgVbbqUa7k2yigpE4Ilp5osmnSHoy5SgnWCb0VqFXdjB0aPwyCO197z-iV0SejV1vOS6u6Gp4yhBVsJbUNkPSgtTx4JijA51xr57RGCIApb9ljLIDhmAKqN42dp0WVE1vyMycwHLVwrE/s1600/20140420_083804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgVbbqUa7k2yigpE4Ilp5osmnSHoy5SgnWCb0VqFXdjB0aPwyCO197z-iV0SejV1vOS6u6Gp4yhBVsJbUNkPSgtTx4JijA51xr57RGCIApb9ljLIDhmAKqN42dp0WVE1vyMycwHLVwrE/s1600/20140420_083804.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcoIs3P_vLvKDpXcXJrmozPaCwDKg69Dc7Qp7hnTVwR6O6o1l0YjJ9PZGnb9TbYkLX86RV6PW7X8OtfLyhZe2tOD9U7Sbz8N0xh-Y4lUzY637HXssXH1paXFGmC1BeZmBV6Teem0IKwYQ/s1600/20140420_083815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcoIs3P_vLvKDpXcXJrmozPaCwDKg69Dc7Qp7hnTVwR6O6o1l0YjJ9PZGnb9TbYkLX86RV6PW7X8OtfLyhZe2tOD9U7Sbz8N0xh-Y4lUzY637HXssXH1paXFGmC1BeZmBV6Teem0IKwYQ/s1600/20140420_083815.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvlBpuoNCnlP0-lDd6ipViqie7YsfrNBgC6Rgu2A-lThUcd5KMeK82SYrpm3vMyi2mnxO9VTLBh9ncr0O3_oGj4Ua_w-5MTtyzlGEgwvRJU6INQxX8_z4GLGhS9KPtgiG-_pm_ijnLsU/s1600/20140420_084540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvlBpuoNCnlP0-lDd6ipViqie7YsfrNBgC6Rgu2A-lThUcd5KMeK82SYrpm3vMyi2mnxO9VTLBh9ncr0O3_oGj4Ua_w-5MTtyzlGEgwvRJU6INQxX8_z4GLGhS9KPtgiG-_pm_ijnLsU/s1600/20140420_084540.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-77165717277285709852014-04-23T09:00:00.000-07:002014-04-23T09:00:03.471-07:00Easter - Part 2 - Planting Jelly Beans to Grow LollipopsI saw an idea on Facebook about "planting" jelly beans the night before Easter, so they can sprout into lollipops for Easter morning. We live in a semi-rural area, and there is no shortage of critters who would snarf down any stray anything resembling something edible. Planting outdoors was definitely out of the question.<br />
<br />
We planted indoors, and I decided that we should have edible "dirt". I was thinking of crushing Oreos. While out running errands, I mentioned to Minion that I had read a story about planting jelly beans and when the Easter Bunny comes, they sprout into lollipops. At almost 8 I'm never sure what I can and can't get away with as far as plausibility. He seemed pretty into it though, so we discussed soil. He suggested chocolate chips - smart boy! As we were hunting for "regular" jelly beans (soft, and not tiny) he said we should get some worms to make them grow better, like the worms in the ground. Then he suggested gummy worms. I was good with that, so we picked up a couple packs. It took several stops, but we finally found soft, regular jelly beans. When we finally found the jelly beans, I got lucky and he had to potty, so I snagged lollipops too. Along the way, I had the idea to use the cups we had dyed eggs in, to plant our jelly beans. He was definitely on board, and really excited about planting, at this point. I made a big point of telling him not to put more than about 5 in a cup, so they wouldn't run out of room to grow. We added a couple worms to each cup, to speed the growing process, too. This was honestly a ton of fun!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFIt9cc0Kil29Cdh7lyzGABF_LFDv5KxdPrTq1Z_Nv7lGasSVZJN2iZD13YPUx6MkzSBbpjxi6sxmtTEcK5JE1DRZIdhU9Wd_yEJXhT9Z11Iu0cAjCcEFLSSyEBhvB_cdoUKK07Bi_PA/s1600/20140419_183611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFIt9cc0Kil29Cdh7lyzGABF_LFDv5KxdPrTq1Z_Nv7lGasSVZJN2iZD13YPUx6MkzSBbpjxi6sxmtTEcK5JE1DRZIdhU9Wd_yEJXhT9Z11Iu0cAjCcEFLSSyEBhvB_cdoUKK07Bi_PA/s1600/20140419_183611.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOYCFJeIFJj0a7h9ytoi31bV6neIo4LYaXkNUNpSDSge7p9kIR88K_5LOMXzJ_13277NrDE6lNgaViB7WUwNiI98QQLgx6tf-hO_8A0bsvKrqm1lrLhsudByalnrcEoKVicyQIE6-s2w/s1600/20140419_183941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOYCFJeIFJj0a7h9ytoi31bV6neIo4LYaXkNUNpSDSge7p9kIR88K_5LOMXzJ_13277NrDE6lNgaViB7WUwNiI98QQLgx6tf-hO_8A0bsvKrqm1lrLhsudByalnrcEoKVicyQIE6-s2w/s1600/20140419_183941.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoASMb0dmTg9B5vD-WBQG1HXSCV2UvypICLP0I92TsrYhIRm-SmBMNpGM_zYpXd6canIppHNe_7BTMVdhPofCt2R_vvN6bG8afy_PBeRHDQqifctE15OF_etE58KdxbARbPL3ebopoSM/s1600/20140419_183943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoASMb0dmTg9B5vD-WBQG1HXSCV2UvypICLP0I92TsrYhIRm-SmBMNpGM_zYpXd6canIppHNe_7BTMVdhPofCt2R_vvN6bG8afy_PBeRHDQqifctE15OF_etE58KdxbARbPL3ebopoSM/s1600/20140419_183943.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJRUYj-q2LRqoSdAhaPTJPuWsoLarF3pDC9euoQYFiqkI9Z09ygOzdcPSiEoCje3x0BNwLSjqFXSGIU9MN96M7r6f5WIzdQcIHxUc6HdliPF8888PFRHdWU973AxH96WWBoVYVwl4sck/s1600/20140419_184113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJRUYj-q2LRqoSdAhaPTJPuWsoLarF3pDC9euoQYFiqkI9Z09ygOzdcPSiEoCje3x0BNwLSjqFXSGIU9MN96M7r6f5WIzdQcIHxUc6HdliPF8888PFRHdWU973AxH96WWBoVYVwl4sck/s1600/20140419_184113.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPIwz-82dc9oc7wgyjKg5AtlEzIL7eTcSUvMW4AcjOqt1E7yNzx61UjfNRGvtEqcpTy9-Rl9zXPO7ECcbsmbTz3Phk_iYid7algwMarQAJQtTcy3Y26_tYzrJ7X-z9HYiCDR-4hsc6Ms/s1600/20140419_184307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPIwz-82dc9oc7wgyjKg5AtlEzIL7eTcSUvMW4AcjOqt1E7yNzx61UjfNRGvtEqcpTy9-Rl9zXPO7ECcbsmbTz3Phk_iYid7algwMarQAJQtTcy3Y26_tYzrJ7X-z9HYiCDR-4hsc6Ms/s1600/20140419_184307.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurVXp_RO_0oYeYnJVvo9p84yJltz3BoxE8FL0Tt3bpxugFFYYK_9gAjg0RJXft6qTofkwVVxAGUucwLJdZiSKmcn6bUrtidQTtuAd4X3Tfge0NbWEtf-reMdCsWn6Aj4aJ5XszG3Otpg/s1600/20140419_184518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurVXp_RO_0oYeYnJVvo9p84yJltz3BoxE8FL0Tt3bpxugFFYYK_9gAjg0RJXft6qTofkwVVxAGUucwLJdZiSKmcn6bUrtidQTtuAd4X3Tfge0NbWEtf-reMdCsWn6Aj4aJ5XszG3Otpg/s1600/20140419_184518.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9EZRpuoaFA9Zj6Bm5AqEQU9r-dXG9FUh0vAzPFOXXAAPmIH8z-_fNIjazl6J5GnovmpNNQ7CViPgrikkhhWR5XpITUKSYSqWLF0KtNRYI8QnFMJQWak5pmICciwnigo9eBjmY2PlY9U/s1600/20140419_185041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9EZRpuoaFA9Zj6Bm5AqEQU9r-dXG9FUh0vAzPFOXXAAPmIH8z-_fNIjazl6J5GnovmpNNQ7CViPgrikkhhWR5XpITUKSYSqWLF0KtNRYI8QnFMJQWak5pmICciwnigo9eBjmY2PlY9U/s1600/20140419_185041.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnv7pvABV6DjnS0c9Iq8qpyelOOJG7a8HmcURVPc3G92acbOsPlW41DC-qnowRVM8cvyb8D7Y8VcG-xygWbuh57SCQk7J9Muh9C3AECyw-RqUBwHRJjExyN1JnY9DU7VeaU8qT2QY9VEs/s1600/20140419_185046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnv7pvABV6DjnS0c9Iq8qpyelOOJG7a8HmcURVPc3G92acbOsPlW41DC-qnowRVM8cvyb8D7Y8VcG-xygWbuh57SCQk7J9Muh9C3AECyw-RqUBwHRJjExyN1JnY9DU7VeaU8qT2QY9VEs/s1600/20140419_185046.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
He was very proud of his planting:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1aSZe1PX1N8JjL6QJVOgk8g_sqo3pXh9wDm8rd2f1vIlt3nhB5deuq1RvhnFvP7GwVr7YfVGBlsAjuxwdXKRxbyRYLDLv04YumrYaTWNs0-tlVKMpmVSoh2pD_YMtiswf6uzlkYNOc8/s1600/20140419_190135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1aSZe1PX1N8JjL6QJVOgk8g_sqo3pXh9wDm8rd2f1vIlt3nhB5deuq1RvhnFvP7GwVr7YfVGBlsAjuxwdXKRxbyRYLDLv04YumrYaTWNs0-tlVKMpmVSoh2pD_YMtiswf6uzlkYNOc8/s1600/20140419_190135.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
I didn't think the little monkey was ever going to crash out (or even get close to it), but once he did, we <i>grew</i> lollipops!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU86nSsiD6swaY_GhR76ydfsKTlx0EVa5AJ9g1UvMb9lEDv6K9AcSzQJ9Y0g7LPUcJdR0xOtBwHnqnLOFDUpao9BC3ABgRhMJMvqv-2b_zAOXBrhOrrJIGRcgdwacj_ItNVz21lDX9e4/s1600/20140419_231500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU86nSsiD6swaY_GhR76ydfsKTlx0EVa5AJ9g1UvMb9lEDv6K9AcSzQJ9Y0g7LPUcJdR0xOtBwHnqnLOFDUpao9BC3ABgRhMJMvqv-2b_zAOXBrhOrrJIGRcgdwacj_ItNVz21lDX9e4/s1600/20140419_231500.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQQu2HF3xJ6fJcmfakiMjFrS4mk3Dvcl1jt-MTmbRTMOSxrJ7OhujTe2xPq2ePmvYQV21aM2W9i032ic7xYe1qFWnN_mLzdutcnCVzWU2GJ5XbUi46ZLf0OhyPWoZ_KQ25y4Urxt3IEU/s1600/20140419_231610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQQu2HF3xJ6fJcmfakiMjFrS4mk3Dvcl1jt-MTmbRTMOSxrJ7OhujTe2xPq2ePmvYQV21aM2W9i032ic7xYe1qFWnN_mLzdutcnCVzWU2GJ5XbUi46ZLf0OhyPWoZ_KQ25y4Urxt3IEU/s1600/20140419_231610.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgLgeM-S6PvQad2O2tzxHGSRgXpmVXIJh4DH1YPWtLKX5alnvkV8h_qAThPvRGeTs7KTbovrMOAv6VKrLnuyYC66gKEpiQAiE_pKJEr8FaFWlQZgATFi4sU1fV2NGm-8D5qT051iCTQk/s1600/20140419_233654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgLgeM-S6PvQad2O2tzxHGSRgXpmVXIJh4DH1YPWtLKX5alnvkV8h_qAThPvRGeTs7KTbovrMOAv6VKrLnuyYC66gKEpiQAiE_pKJEr8FaFWlQZgATFi4sU1fV2NGm-8D5qT051iCTQk/s1600/20140419_233654.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I was really looking forward to his reaction the next morning, and he did not disappoint! We even wound up discussing DNA and genetics and how genes determine your eye and hair color, and that was how the different colored jelly beans made different colored lollipops. Minion is a huge fan of science, so he totally ate it up!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DX9O2JOtPrCWlt0j4kNCo64XCumecvrgvgJCZV6cclakG4XVyVB7Ha32qDJwk5V1zMfApVfUReaIGogGttE6UoGm2Xsed7Zwg85mDaom1lIk1OlU7tLWsnwKn58YYmrGquoZyOYZolo/s1600/20140420_084446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DX9O2JOtPrCWlt0j4kNCo64XCumecvrgvgJCZV6cclakG4XVyVB7Ha32qDJwk5V1zMfApVfUReaIGogGttE6UoGm2Xsed7Zwg85mDaom1lIk1OlU7tLWsnwKn58YYmrGquoZyOYZolo/s1600/20140420_084446.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANzZfR3Ls5eO279q5pvaBRxMeOfJO1yLybUv36k2019tSgOw_lbOdgC1d7E5UwYLM8bLkTuKdNCI9JXBGV47gzGTQQIkQcn1SFAs7Jzue8G84tt6dFrmOpz_SUqqoziUw936jdoADJEs/s1600/20140420_084503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANzZfR3Ls5eO279q5pvaBRxMeOfJO1yLybUv36k2019tSgOw_lbOdgC1d7E5UwYLM8bLkTuKdNCI9JXBGV47gzGTQQIkQcn1SFAs7Jzue8G84tt6dFrmOpz_SUqqoziUw936jdoADJEs/s1600/20140420_084503.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21yvljjRjPqvCD37lwzW711m4KxczZs9dcwDnFtG6cMU5UbJ3oc_495aQQR2tgi77oGYcSBuYknswAW_FyvVE4B8P4Pmhp7uqlMDrkHmeA5pDcQqeycEgXwA629MM_kEAq6sgSGpfugE/s1600/20140420_084505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21yvljjRjPqvCD37lwzW711m4KxczZs9dcwDnFtG6cMU5UbJ3oc_495aQQR2tgi77oGYcSBuYknswAW_FyvVE4B8P4Pmhp7uqlMDrkHmeA5pDcQqeycEgXwA629MM_kEAq6sgSGpfugE/s1600/20140420_084505.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRvB07m1C9jSWBx2yzdP7D7xaQZqJ5vN-Ppl6ehKdZKK1nmn2EjYNMR5KaSbKdWYzz5axxcu_3yqcm63HQjjvrKNT085h4aI9RIp0MTxEEfWtOrbcuuJQVKnr8RYiVBRG1ms_Jyj73Pk/s1600/20140420_084911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRvB07m1C9jSWBx2yzdP7D7xaQZqJ5vN-Ppl6ehKdZKK1nmn2EjYNMR5KaSbKdWYzz5axxcu_3yqcm63HQjjvrKNT085h4aI9RIp0MTxEEfWtOrbcuuJQVKnr8RYiVBRG1ms_Jyj73Pk/s1600/20140420_084911.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEbbeOjpjKuuj66hMhZyGAYYL6xkeTDiXtiteMUgXdUPxnqGqXVK2qR29TZT65sR0DCj0m0wLQ-VMykg040tUfOI8ENMEtkFjngf0H1eGM0Jl2ShumPaXdxvfQ36KSqk0-HL4nNfCU9w/s1600/20140420_085545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEbbeOjpjKuuj66hMhZyGAYYL6xkeTDiXtiteMUgXdUPxnqGqXVK2qR29TZT65sR0DCj0m0wLQ-VMykg040tUfOI8ENMEtkFjngf0H1eGM0Jl2ShumPaXdxvfQ36KSqk0-HL4nNfCU9w/s1600/20140420_085545.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuqaha8qRaKTYlinSdWfmyLg-2xgREwaHcW9PCLnJFFZcHU2uLEe6f74eZqiWgm2ULTKN-L48iHmWK2xn9fDWwt2y_WuuHqdB3zrRrEnhYearEgXIypryn0nZYxkLcqFfvhjP6LrZVFg/s1600/20140420_085555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuqaha8qRaKTYlinSdWfmyLg-2xgREwaHcW9PCLnJFFZcHU2uLEe6f74eZqiWgm2ULTKN-L48iHmWK2xn9fDWwt2y_WuuHqdB3zrRrEnhYearEgXIypryn0nZYxkLcqFfvhjP6LrZVFg/s1600/20140420_085555.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-28730897077023840352014-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:002014-04-22T09:00:07.586-07:00Anniversary Weekend!<br />
FF and I went away for our anniversary, to the same cabin as last year. It was really a fabulous weekend. We're talking log cabin, no cell phone reception or internet, secluded, outdoor hot tub, and within driving distance of lots of vineyards. Last year we also did Luray Caverns. I had never been, and really enjoyed visiting them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuh93Yf5_cdWTQaKquEcl6M1X8O9kkZnlmN944HI4oKAKfOMMGq6JuPoYnsW_xMEaefQrs9P2KBNH1-51-tWmM4e-jzNK5Wo52kiMbc5a3KVm3pdmmr4lCle7zWnoHnwD14-HquxCDVs/s1600/20130413_130633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuh93Yf5_cdWTQaKquEcl6M1X8O9kkZnlmN944HI4oKAKfOMMGq6JuPoYnsW_xMEaefQrs9P2KBNH1-51-tWmM4e-jzNK5Wo52kiMbc5a3KVm3pdmmr4lCle7zWnoHnwD14-HquxCDVs/s1600/20130413_130633.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
This year we did the Virginia Safari Park. There are two portions. The first part is a drive through portion, where you can feed animals from your car. It was incredibly amusing and a really good, relaxing time. Technically you aren't supposed to pet the animals - but it's obvious some of them are used to it and expect it! Plus, how often can you say you got to pet a zebra?! We had this odd bird who kept sneaking up on us and you'd look to one side and boom, there he was. It was hilarious.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrDu3WhJmCPItmJbMnYiTRsKajYV3dfQ8nv2RFabFA57kdiNjARmoiyUakfbCL7IERJoteL2RJIJjldbLDv1boLrMP0W3b7xgGhL0DwqMQUIbo-U2CR58XFtGkNQ5i0fxXyAjIirT-I0/s1600/20140329_122141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrDu3WhJmCPItmJbMnYiTRsKajYV3dfQ8nv2RFabFA57kdiNjARmoiyUakfbCL7IERJoteL2RJIJjldbLDv1boLrMP0W3b7xgGhL0DwqMQUIbo-U2CR58XFtGkNQ5i0fxXyAjIirT-I0/s1600/20140329_122141.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeXDARA2aBqNzobv0CbLbbvZJ-66HVvDqnGo_FuTPS4cHOREWSU6pi87UdFcRTiMmooJOxRBaM8QRuF6vSYDy4xZEyLpVNL-z9xtBixngma9e4XkEWC270fvtEVFYp0UjxPB5WtztDVw/s1600/20140329_125204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeXDARA2aBqNzobv0CbLbbvZJ-66HVvDqnGo_FuTPS4cHOREWSU6pi87UdFcRTiMmooJOxRBaM8QRuF6vSYDy4xZEyLpVNL-z9xtBixngma9e4XkEWC270fvtEVFYp0UjxPB5WtztDVw/s1600/20140329_125204.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrFGoY5-qrfknJskg3S0jZKYjvvhH9kRtibzwsa1j30M78DkmE515FeV_P8oSgAXtcoQkTGSJKSScVy7cERyeDiLpElNCTqoUiG_1cjYpWZ9JjoHc2en470VUhgJe8UCHLLVyLeoi4-Q/s1600/20140329_120512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrFGoY5-qrfknJskg3S0jZKYjvvhH9kRtibzwsa1j30M78DkmE515FeV_P8oSgAXtcoQkTGSJKSScVy7cERyeDiLpElNCTqoUiG_1cjYpWZ9JjoHc2en470VUhgJe8UCHLLVyLeoi4-Q/s1600/20140329_120512.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTi9KpQ0DfP0id5yozVDnULYqbns5uHZm8Yo1J7jYohNIqCE1HpKaOa-tZoVV6b_ly59w7Dqn58PAVST0HG2TgaKhhQ-lz0Y6jk0pFCbGMtfFiT5HWwSpZWIxJVjmQfFtT1xL_FWDMPGY/s1600/20140329_120732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTi9KpQ0DfP0id5yozVDnULYqbns5uHZm8Yo1J7jYohNIqCE1HpKaOa-tZoVV6b_ly59w7Dqn58PAVST0HG2TgaKhhQ-lz0Y6jk0pFCbGMtfFiT5HWwSpZWIxJVjmQfFtT1xL_FWDMPGY/s1600/20140329_120732.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_iNLcJeov5wtNuoPQCvkj-eG1FRjvLvCbLlSvjPm7BltpGTUjHAp0Lotpj2dA9c7LidBcjj61XBm_sKEGrkGpNCPVKNJFqgFyIwFWp1C_yEGBTKeJ-LB8oanNs9BugJ5_Ll00IEPZGt8/s1600/20140329_122424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_iNLcJeov5wtNuoPQCvkj-eG1FRjvLvCbLlSvjPm7BltpGTUjHAp0Lotpj2dA9c7LidBcjj61XBm_sKEGrkGpNCPVKNJFqgFyIwFWp1C_yEGBTKeJ-LB8oanNs9BugJ5_Ll00IEPZGt8/s1600/20140329_122424.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtySFM3K8qRmhx0XHRZOwLLGGBCgi22dBuE_3C7ZeMtuxacf9q53y5hMcpfE5yyOO68ht4ZIR6TJtqaddlolUyH5zwUpC5zK5meA4tjOx6KHT_rdhOaDdwaYUPLjdANyuasM4xOxCHp2k/s1600/20140329_122350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtySFM3K8qRmhx0XHRZOwLLGGBCgi22dBuE_3C7ZeMtuxacf9q53y5hMcpfE5yyOO68ht4ZIR6TJtqaddlolUyH5zwUpC5zK5meA4tjOx6KHT_rdhOaDdwaYUPLjdANyuasM4xOxCHp2k/s1600/20140329_122350.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
After the drive-through portion, there is a walk through portion. It's not real big, but it was still neat. We even got to walk through the kangaroo exhibit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGUi4xaA_baKruPui2zX2IpfClYsh_jLonWHnTPIpxXJlys0__2BUY5U85E8uns1G12GjgxBY4k656yVS_HzBT9phFjTtiil2S71fTNBdvy2WyrfgA2KEHA2ecRhQLvp9d-HnM2Kw_Dc/s1600/20140329_133922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGUi4xaA_baKruPui2zX2IpfClYsh_jLonWHnTPIpxXJlys0__2BUY5U85E8uns1G12GjgxBY4k656yVS_HzBT9phFjTtiil2S71fTNBdvy2WyrfgA2KEHA2ecRhQLvp9d-HnM2Kw_Dc/s1600/20140329_133922.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Obviously, it started raining pretty good by the time we left. That didn't stop us from hitting a few vineyards on our way back, however. The FF and I neither one like dry wine - if we are going to drink, it's going to be sweet! Here's what we came away with:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS_uW7a1vQHGBApUUgRL83P6h_GDzofOf0XeMGmj1hOvynpa3VsNpx5PWiBpR1OP5TytgURIFvpsucWODa7fv8GLm7ZjJFdL-41_AobIAxogxqS138wWM3O0MlB7URs3WfNkOOfbMBxw/s1600/20140330_125110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS_uW7a1vQHGBApUUgRL83P6h_GDzofOf0XeMGmj1hOvynpa3VsNpx5PWiBpR1OP5TytgURIFvpsucWODa7fv8GLm7ZjJFdL-41_AobIAxogxqS138wWM3O0MlB7URs3WfNkOOfbMBxw/s1600/20140330_125110.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So, what do you do when it tries to rain out your hot tub time? You put up a canopy, of course!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWVnzQfAaLqbeQ-UHdDfm-dT3yRtflXC8N7bajF1KSIzCplwed8E7gmrUo8stkaMOu0DwgL-Hm1g0phw8_qieIKAA1gjLk-s5jQzECQmBy3vpaQadnBmJgEF1pBvfvtZCiXG2qb1DjSg/s1600/20140329_191427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWVnzQfAaLqbeQ-UHdDfm-dT3yRtflXC8N7bajF1KSIzCplwed8E7gmrUo8stkaMOu0DwgL-Hm1g0phw8_qieIKAA1gjLk-s5jQzECQmBy3vpaQadnBmJgEF1pBvfvtZCiXG2qb1DjSg/s1600/20140329_191427.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm glad we did, and enjoyed the hot tub some more that night. When we went to leave Sunday morning, it was SNOWING! The trip was definitely much-needed, however. Happy 3rd anniversary to us!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-54743238659548856012014-04-22T01:00:00.000-07:002014-04-22T01:00:08.829-07:00Easter - Part 1 - Dying EggsGiven the sheer number of pictures I've got for this Easter, I think I need to split up the postings. The day before Easter, Minion didn't even say good morning, he just said let's dye eggs! He has always liked dying eggs, and admittedly, I enjoy it too. It was one of my favorite things to do as a kid, aside from the vinegar smell. Minion is crafty and very creative, so rarely do we do things the "typical" way. We add colors, we double dip, we usually do something out of the norm. This year was no different! We even ended up with one Spider-Egg (think Spider-Man).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZEVF7_AosTRtjNhdS_RLz-hPGPJpe23r0YdCeyXf1H4kV7V15g-66j_er8EU1qCh5b_1gQtfgzGHFIpcnMczo9hBz98oH_vVrpIkcU_5IMmH3UgP_HgqiEtMPkRLHv3eOIy41qK97ik/s1600/20140419_094649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZEVF7_AosTRtjNhdS_RLz-hPGPJpe23r0YdCeyXf1H4kV7V15g-66j_er8EU1qCh5b_1gQtfgzGHFIpcnMczo9hBz98oH_vVrpIkcU_5IMmH3UgP_HgqiEtMPkRLHv3eOIy41qK97ik/s1600/20140419_094649.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzRpyqJOjUPSwOsr38Jq12wYqkpQW_8Qxt53QcNOPx1oiqBy6wdjY-iAArrwdiS_i385bR13ur2aFk5nPGavpHnkSa1tvRppSVoxRgq6tzI1A9ZpDMg-zFlZaG8LgTZCWakPxdkorbcA/s1600/20140419_094750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzRpyqJOjUPSwOsr38Jq12wYqkpQW_8Qxt53QcNOPx1oiqBy6wdjY-iAArrwdiS_i385bR13ur2aFk5nPGavpHnkSa1tvRppSVoxRgq6tzI1A9ZpDMg-zFlZaG8LgTZCWakPxdkorbcA/s1600/20140419_094750.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGy-6LoK7dJlw0PcBscL2_957mdfa1qqtzZ3zlX6sCtdvpE9j3tQ32x6gNVVx6swRUFbMAIQiTOBZrHT4_4tAxW-3SIG4Qo5BAz5WMamyEHHUgphNXU7tKz1rOGQZJHxT6ZlQByAnKKw/s1600/20140419_094020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGy-6LoK7dJlw0PcBscL2_957mdfa1qqtzZ3zlX6sCtdvpE9j3tQ32x6gNVVx6swRUFbMAIQiTOBZrHT4_4tAxW-3SIG4Qo5BAz5WMamyEHHUgphNXU7tKz1rOGQZJHxT6ZlQByAnKKw/s1600/20140419_094020.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVL6Ojp4JND4vrfLV-TyUgaOvG3mnqVQscqdZ7WWHBVnur-A_l9MiiNBL4_DbI4iHgp5K7-sCJ78NKzmKhpt2_XOc2z9BYHJ4Hy0GodTXEyFB7dLDQiPlT6kuZncqsY4wnhXtqQQEVA4/s1600/20140419_101047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVL6Ojp4JND4vrfLV-TyUgaOvG3mnqVQscqdZ7WWHBVnur-A_l9MiiNBL4_DbI4iHgp5K7-sCJ78NKzmKhpt2_XOc2z9BYHJ4Hy0GodTXEyFB7dLDQiPlT6kuZncqsY4wnhXtqQQEVA4/s1600/20140419_101047.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Everybody knows banana nut cheerios make good egg-dying fuel!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26xUN_IaB-12iz813_eytv47BkDFvdYsYRge2bjdAqS0O14SaQhyphenhyphentnJgUNhOrvit84anU8wHIuaZVmY7Gn3k06cJAZ5c5oRWFRrxdkfTvHd84lKha5J6Eyid6dT-4gyDTUaPVWAVDBRY/s1600/20140419_112931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26xUN_IaB-12iz813_eytv47BkDFvdYsYRge2bjdAqS0O14SaQhyphenhyphentnJgUNhOrvit84anU8wHIuaZVmY7Gn3k06cJAZ5c5oRWFRrxdkfTvHd84lKha5J6Eyid6dT-4gyDTUaPVWAVDBRY/s1600/20140419_112931.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
The finished products!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjTyHD4IhvTg84_D0OLIvtBBPUMuWF5n1qZm7JB7Lf01KkWz6NpTO9TV9iaT4YGY5fmZOQfLI0LNeS0-kmDbqgk6tXfyX7bOQDL3OpyqpCDdrBzWZdaB78B342Fo4nCf-xVlzmY8WJbs/s1600/20140420_105623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjTyHD4IhvTg84_D0OLIvtBBPUMuWF5n1qZm7JB7Lf01KkWz6NpTO9TV9iaT4YGY5fmZOQfLI0LNeS0-kmDbqgk6tXfyX7bOQDL3OpyqpCDdrBzWZdaB78B342Fo4nCf-xVlzmY8WJbs/s1600/20140420_105623.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
The famed Spider-Egg<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-58522056738233255752014-04-21T19:23:00.001-07:002014-04-21T19:23:52.374-07:00Kitchen Table Catch UpI'm a naughty Wife Behind the Fire, and need to catch up on my <a href="http://wifebehindthefire.com/category/kitchen-table/" target="_blank">Kitchen Table</a> responses!<br />
<br />
Packing lunches...<br />
<br />
At FF's station they pay $8 a shift (24 hours) for meals. This gets them lunch and dinner ($3 and $5 respectively). They eat as a family, in general. When the medic is hopping (they all rotate on it), those guys tend to eat at the hospital, but overall, they try to eat together. At his part-time job, he is on his own. Sometimes he'll let me pack him food, but he is usually just as happy to stop at the store or have a reason to go out once he's at the station, and get food. On the rare occasions that I do get to pack him food, I try to slip a note card in with it, just to say I love him. Some stations in FF's career department eat out every meal - I cannot imagine the cost over time! Luckily, all the guys at his station are decent cooks, so they eat some decent meals, and not just crap food.<br />
<br />
Nosy people...<br />
<br />
People have one of a few reactions to finding out I am married to a firefighter. They presume he watches TV and sleeps 24 hours a day on the county dime, they presume he's superman and have hero worship, or they want to know the nitty gritty details of his day to day work calls. Very few just take it with a grain of salt and keep going. I blow off those who fawn over firefighters. I think he's amazing at his job, and I deeply admire his passion for his chosen career. That said, he's still just a guy, and that's part of why I love him. I used to correct people on the whole "sitting around doing nothing" bit, but what's the point, really? There are some slower stations in the county, and I'm sure they do have to bide their time between calls. My FF is miserable when he has to pull a shift at these stations, however. He prefers to stay pretty active at work. I'm pretty vague about details when people ask, as a rule. It helps that I don't work anywhere near where he does, and I didn't grow up around where we live, so nobody expects me to know everyone's dirt. People like to ask about the bad calls, however. If someone is being obnoxious, I tend to be a bit snarky and tell them," oh yeah, it's really an awesome rush to try to avoid getting his on the side of I-95 while scraping someone's brains off the shoulder, and trying to keep their loved ones from seeing what you are doing. It's an awesome feeling, I'm sure, to know you can't do anything for the girl who never even saw the semi-truck before it hit her. Yep, my husband LIVES for that stuff." Then I give them an ugly look, and walk away. Usually, I try not to let it go that far, but sometimes, you just gotta slap a fool down.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-77741794905907964502014-04-21T17:38:00.002-07:002014-04-21T17:38:33.342-07:00Long Time No Blog...So, I fell down on the job with posting for Lent, and blogging in general. Oops! Sometimes things just get too hectic and then BOOM! It's been a month since the blog has been updated (or longer).<br />
<br />
Hubby and I went away for an amazing anniversary weekend (blog post link coming) right before our third anniversary. I was sick a decent portion of it, but better living them chemistry pulled me through!<br />
<br />
Speaking of sick, I'm working on getting over the now-4-month crud. Hopefully this last round of stuff did the trick. Nothing like a big dose of prednisone to make you C-R-A-Z-Y! Aside from getting a bit down about being SO SICK, I did pretty decent about not thinking negatively about myself.<br />
<br />
In between our anniversary and Easter (blog post link coming) I walked a 5K for MS. One of my BFF's sister has Multiple Sclerosis. She's a mom, sister, daughter, friend, co-worker, and sometimes she can't control her body. So, we walked to raise money for finding a cure. The MS color is orange, and nothing says fun like tie-dye, right?! The Minion came along as well, plus our dog (not pictured).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQ6mtX46P-0or6UKSc2HAN9U4Bu_jXP9jhotqEWV_dt7ZdCIWZWxb8xnCIJfJ6PiEueMUmd2ZFYlQ6OBGsaNw9n_ZhWPLGrPbnc7dmkmZ1F_WKMgKWz4iEBAsiCkjnFeKhBow32MEkxg/s1600/20140405_104632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQ6mtX46P-0or6UKSc2HAN9U4Bu_jXP9jhotqEWV_dt7ZdCIWZWxb8xnCIJfJ6PiEueMUmd2ZFYlQ6OBGsaNw9n_ZhWPLGrPbnc7dmkmZ1F_WKMgKWz4iEBAsiCkjnFeKhBow32MEkxg/s1600/20140405_104632.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
School is going fairly well, thankfully. I'm making decent progress, and keeping up for the most part. Hooray! It's just a matter of keeping all my balls in the air, and sometimes, figuring out which ones I can safely drop temporarily.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-73665821156056672432014-03-17T18:19:00.003-07:002014-03-17T18:23:15.793-07:00Another Day, Another Lenten Affirmation<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">First off, is Lenten a word? I'm gonna go with it for now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, my thing I am giving up for Lent is thinking or saying bad things about myself. I'm as guilty as the next person about doing it, and it truly erodes not only myself, but my relationships. So, instead, I'm posting affirmations.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>Today's affirmation: I'm a good student, who is bright enough and has the drive to succeed. I'm doing a better-than-decent job of juggling all the demands on my time. I hereby give myself permission to be proud!</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;">Every Monday I have a phone call with my student mentor. She is my adviser/guide/etc, and helps me stay on track. Due to time zone differences, our call is at 2100 hours, which isn't long before bedtime for this fire wife. So, I'm going to bed on a high note. D, my mentor, told me just how proud she is of my progress, and how amazing I'm doing. Just the boost I needed ;-)</span><b> </b></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-86385551398516779632014-03-16T14:13:00.005-07:002014-03-16T14:13:55.058-07:00I'm Late, I'm Late, I'm Late for a Very Important Date!Bonus points to anyone who knows who said that :-D<br />
<br />
So, I'm a smidgeon behind on my posts - today is catch up day!!<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Friday's Lent Affirmation:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>I try hard to do my best with the lot I'm given. Work has been pretty stressful lately, and instead of losing my temper with an unreasonable external customer, I calmly stated why things were the way I wrote them, and that I would not be changing them since this customer had no technical merit to their requests. I also spent quite the chunk of time explaining to my mom over and over why the doctor was adding meds for her, and what some test results meant. Not once did I lose my patience with her. Go me! I was in a bit of a mood, the morning had started with a seriously bad migraine, and then my firefighter was a grumpalumpagus when he got home. However, I successfully managed to keep most of this to myself, and turn my annoyance and frustration into productivity.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Saturday's Lent Affirmation:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>So, this is all about being nicer to myself, right? Saturday night's outfit was a black and green tutu skirt, and a green fitted tee that said Lucky in Love. I looked pretty darn cute. I had on low heels, that have rhinestones across the toes, my fingernails and toenails were a pretty green, and my BFF did my hair and make up. I looked adorable! I felt amazingly confident and sexy, which of course fed the adorableness, which fed the confidence. This is a circle I could get used to!</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Sunday's Lent-Break:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Since Sundays don't count as part of the 40 days of Lent, I'm using them to post about how I'm making my marriage better. Today I made a delicious breakfast of strawberry chocolate chip fluffy pancakes, and turkey bacon. Granted we at it closer to dinnertime than breakfast, but hey, I still made it! I typically make his plate and serve him. I enjoy doing little stuff for him. I get happiness from it, and I take pride in what I do for him. Yesterday I got the rare treat of him hopping in the shower with me. (When you are rarely home at the same time, showering together is seriously a rare treat!) I washed him, head to toe. Not because he demands or even asks me too, but because I enjoy it. I love the intimacy, and sensual-ness, and the service of washing him. It's a big deal to me. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>I'm all-over a better person when our marriage is on track intimacy-wise. No, not just in the bedroom, but the little stuff, like snuggling, holding hands, sitting in his lap, stuff like that. I'm much happier, and it is much easier to repel negativity, when things are happy and balanced.</b></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-7592500898502031862014-03-13T18:38:00.001-07:002014-03-13T18:38:19.376-07:00Thankful Thursday Meets LentI'm big on Thankful Thursdays. I think it is really important to remember to look for and find the silver linings in life. So my positive-about-me post for today is that I can nearly always find a silver lining. Remembering to balance the negative with positive is seriously important to everyone's mental health.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-44219818798543214432014-03-12T17:52:00.000-07:002014-03-12T17:52:13.821-07:00Lent Post for TodayToday's affirmation pertains to my motherhood capabilities. I'm typically very, very hard on myself. I never feel like I'm doing right enough by my son. I'm definitely mean to myself on the topic. Tonight we ran into friends we haven't seen in a while, at dinner. Afterwards we were standing outside chatting, and it casually came up that Minion has 2 dads and 2 moms. Then we were discussing unique family arrangements,etc. I'm proud that I'm raising a kid who GETS that everyone's family unit is different, and nobody's family unit is right or wrong. Last year there was a little girl in Minion's class with 2 moms, and no dads. He never once even thought to question it as anything besides a family. I'm proud that I'm teaching my son tolerance and to not just accept others being different, but to embrace it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-17685475957815100172014-03-11T17:40:00.002-07:002014-03-11T17:40:25.354-07:00Lent #6<b><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Today's affirmation...I am very compassionate, especially towards those whom I care about. I left work early today, to be with a friend who had a very sick kitty. Kitty was 14, and I am very glad I met them at the vet, because the decision no pet mama wants to make had to be made. Never once did it cross my mind to just ignore the situation. Instead, I asked if she wanted/needed me there, and then asked for the address. We spent time together afterwards, eating and shopping. I'm happy I was able to be there for her. Sometimes I feel like a crummy friend because I have a ton of demands on my time, but today really made me realize that I'm a decent friend. <3</span></span></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-6754849855634118342014-03-10T18:20:00.000-07:002014-03-10T18:20:12.929-07:00Lent #5<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Today's affirmation is that I'm the type of person who understands that you don't have to agree with or love someones actions/choices, to love them as a person. I'm not going to stop loving the people in my life just because they do dumb crap, or refuse to listen to the advice they solicit. At the same time, that doesn't mean that I will keep toxic people in my life. If you refuse to help yourself, I'm strong enough to cut you looose. THAT is part of what makes me such a rockin' friend.</b></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-12063446946314614982014-03-09T19:18:00.001-07:002014-03-09T19:19:40.730-07:00Sunday #1 During Lent<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So apparently, Sunday doesn't count during the weeks of Lent. There is back story there, but simply put, it doesn't count. So today's post will be about the things I do to strengthen my marriage, which by default strengthens me as well.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I love my in-state in-laws. I go to family functions with them, without the FF. They aren't blood, but they are family. I'm comfortable there, they love my son and me, and getting along with the people important to my husband, is important.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I try to do stuff for my FF. This morning I made sure he had breakfast, even though he said he wasn't really hungry. (He ate every bite of it, too!) I do small stuff like making sure he has a uniform ready before his shifts, and I set his alarm. If I see that his shaver isn't plugged in, I plug it in, so it's ready for him.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Communication is a huge thing for us. In the last few years I've grown a lot, and he has too, and keeping open communication has definitely strengthened us. I tell him when I'm mad with him, I tell him when he hurts my feelings, and I try to always tell him when I appreciate something he has done. I strive to balance the negatives with positives as much as possible.</span></span></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-37835825407446814232014-03-08T18:05:00.000-08:002014-03-08T18:05:28.309-08:00Day 4Affirmation #4, for my quest to give up negative thoughts and feelings about myself, for Lent. I'm capable of being a mom who balances over protecting with under protecting. I believe in letting kids be kids, but I'm also involved in what is going on. I've fluctuated wildly between being a helicopter parent and being detached since becoming a mom almost 8 years ago. I've finally managed to achieve a balance I can manage and live with.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-66113177928507862812014-03-07T17:23:00.000-08:002014-03-07T17:23:04.253-08:00Lent Day 3<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>I'm thoughtful towards my husband. I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but I also know that in past relationships, I haven't always been thoughtful towards my partners. This morning I got the wood stove going, because I knew when he came home he would be downstairs working on a project, and he despises the cold. I try to do small things for him, like making sure he has a drink, offering to get him things he needs, etc. Of course it is certainly a two-way street, but these Lent postings are affirmations about myself, not him ;-)</b></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-48679774186838512822014-03-06T18:55:00.002-08:002014-03-06T18:55:51.495-08:00Lent Day 2I'm not Catholic, but I decided to participate in Lent. I'm giving up being negative to and about myself. To help me, I'm going to post an affirmation daily.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Day 2: I've gotten really good at calming my mom down when she is angry or upset. This is important, especially as her liaison for all of her medical stuff. I work to try and calm her down, and to try and get her to see the silver linings, when she feels like her world is crap.</span></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-22628596326608273092014-03-05T17:35:00.000-08:002014-03-05T17:35:19.370-08:00Quality Time (Kitchen Table)Here's the KT post: http://wifebehindthefire.com/quality-time/<br />
<br />
Simply put, I learned a long time ago to value quality over quantity. Give me an hour of intimate, quality, one on one time, over 8 hours of simply coexisting ANY DAY. When all you get is a quick kiss hi or bye sometimes, you gotta make it count! I've discovered that if I don't purposefully make sure to involve him in whatever I'm up to that day, it is really easy to just coexist. We are both use to the other one not being home much. It can be really hard to ignore the world and snuggle for a bit. But, IT IS SO WORTH IT! Without quality, the time isn't real valuable a lot of the time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141390399791283739.post-42146249969111608432014-03-05T16:20:00.001-08:002014-03-05T16:20:19.101-08:00Lent: Day 1In support of Lent/giving something up for 40 days to help my world be a better place, I've decided to give up being negative to/about myself. While isn't always an issue, I definitely still have my moments!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Day 1: I'm a good room mom for Minion's second grade class. The kids all know me, run to hug me, and truly appreciate my being there. They don't mind that I can't come in everyday, they are simply happy with what I can do, as opposed to dwelling on what I can't do. Second graders can be so wise <3</b></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15576143342384420763noreply@blogger.com1