Flashback Friday

Happy Friday!! :)

 

Today starts a series of posts called Flashback Friday.  As I try to get caught up on my scrapbooking, I uncovered several pictures I thought would be fun to share. 

 

Man, oh man did these kids grow up fast!!

This photo was taken at the Rebecca house in Grand Prairie, TX in 2005.  The three of us were attending a Wednesday night Bible study group called "Team Kid" at First Baptist Church. 

Enough

 

 

 

 

Ouch!

Our sweet Bailey has to have surgery on Thursday.  Spring in Minnesota brings a ton of allergies for the poor pup.  Because she was itching so much last week, she has an infected ouchie.  :(

To keep her away from the wound (and to keep her blood off the furniture), she has been wearing a muscle shirt tied at the waist.  Every time I see her, I start singing "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard....."!  Anyone recognize that classic tune???  I think she likes it!! :)

Anyway, she has surgery scheduled for Thursday to get everything taken care of.  She's kind of an old lady......she turns 13 this summer.  Send some happy thoughts her way!! :)

Color me happy



Am I the only one on the planet that didn't know you could tint your eyelashes & eyebrows?!  As I get older, both are getting so blond that they hardly show up on my face.  So.....I thought I would give it a try. 

 

Fair warning:  The photos below of me without make-up may scare small children!! :)

 

Photo on left:  Before

Photo on right:  After

What do you think......better or worse?  Can you tell a difference? 

Letting go

Back story:  I wrote this post about two weeks ago and I have been sitting on it since then.  I hesitated on hitting the "publish" button because I thought I would feel pressured (by myself, not others) to perform a certain way.  You know that feeling when you tell someone you're on a diet then you feel like they are watching and judging everything you eat?  Please tell me I'm not the only one who feels like this.  :) 

 

 

I have always wanted to be a runner.  The super cute outfits, the rocking muscle tone, the graceful fluidity of movement and what I perceived as a feeling of pure freedom they must feel by just taking off.  :)

Since there's no time like the present, I joined Maple Grove's chapter of Moms On The Run.  That "freedom" I dreamed of has turned out to be a kick-my-ass-every-day-kind-of-training!!  But......I can do this!  Famous last words.

One thing that has been on by bucket list forever is to run a 5k.  Sounds simple enough, right?  The goal is to participate in the Color Run on July 13th.  I'm going to need a few prayers!! :)

 
Update:  A lot has changed in the last two weeks. I'm faithful about attending the Moms On The Run class every Sunday and Wednesday.  Since the first workout, I have been fighting through Plantar Fascitis and shin splints. My body is definitely feeling it's age!  
 
All this time, I kept telling myself to push through the pain and suck it up.  Nothing was going to keep me from my goal.
 
I had a few serious conversations with Jesus about what to do.  I really enjoyed working out with this group of ladies and I had already signed up for the Color Run.  The bottom line was that I didn't want to quit.  I wanted to be a runner, dammit!  :)
 
After worrying, thinking, praying and beating myself up about this situation, I woke up yesterday morning with a clear picture of what I needed to do.  The running club is split into several sections:  beginners, distance runners, power walkers, etc.  Because it was obvious that my body was asking me what the hell I was doing, I decided to switch from the beginner running group to the power walker group.  There is no room in life for negative thinking.  Just because I wasn't actually running, I was still making a life-style change.  The end goal is to be healthy enough to stick around for my family, make some new friends and exercise.  I realized I didn't need to put my body though the ringer to do that.  Simply put:  I let it go. 
Last night was my first workout with the power walkers.  Seriously......they are no joke!  Afterward, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  No more being my own worst critic!!  I'm doing this! Maybe it's not the way I planned but I'm getting it done!! :)

Boys + Girls

Delanie had her first ever co-ed party this weekend! When did my baby girl get old enough to invite BOYS to the house???

Initially the party was intended to be an "anti-formal" for the kids that didn't go to the Spring Formal at school.  Needless to say, Delanie had been planning this party for months.  She finally got the nerve to ask Jim and we were both shocked when he said yes. (He will tell you that he likes people......just not in his house.)   

 

Pizza, soda, snacks and video games were carefully set up downstairs.  Even with 15 teenagers downstairs, it was a pretty quiet night.  Jim and I were so impressed!!  Of course, we went downstairs to check on them every now and then.  Each time, they were chatting and laughing.  All in all, it was definitely a success!!

There is no music sweeter than the sounds of a house full of kids.  I loved every minute of it!!  I have to give kudos to Jim too.  He handled the whole thing like a pro!! :)

Wildlife

With the onslaught of Spring, we have seen tons of wildlife around the house. On our way to school/work last week, Delanie and I saw a fox running across the street. There is a pheasant that makes daily trips to the deer feeder (along with a three deer families). Just yesterday, Jim and I saw a groundhog tanning on the rocks behind our house. Every Saturday morning, we see a gaggle of turkeys eating their breakfast on our way to Starbucks. 

 

 

Here are the latest pictures captured by the trail camera Jim installed in the back yard.  I love the picture at the top.  It was April 16th and look how much snow this guy had to dig through for his supper! :)

 

This last photo cracks me up.  It's the definition of "deer in the headlights".  Taken at 4:02am, it caught this little fella grabbing a midnight snack. 

 

Enjoy!! :)

 

 

 

Out with a bang!

Last week was Delanie's last junior high band concert.  What a wonderful adventure she had with the junior high band.  She loved her band director - Mr. Harmer.  (That's him in the middle below.)  She has truly found her niche as a percussionist.  She has made so many good friends and is really looking forward to moving up to the high school next year. 

 

 

The concert brought the parents in the audience to their feet......and to tears.  Afterward, my little ringleader organized an epic selfie (above). 

Happy Birthday Denise!

 

 

 

Happy birthday Denise (aka Dink, De-Nephew, Bestie)!!! 

 

 

I had to throw this picture into the post!  It was such a fun cruise to Cozumel.  It's way past time that we do this again!! Love you! :)

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Ruth!

Happy birthday Ruth!!  We love you so much.  :)

 

Doggie Social

The plan was to go to the Humane Society's Walk for Animals on Saturday.  Because of the iffy weather conditions, my work family decided to have our own doggie social. 

 

 

Bright and early Saturday morning, Delanie and I loaded Big Booty Judy into the car and set off for a pet playdate.  You heard read that right......just me and Delanie.  Jim could not stop laughing at the idea of a playdate for dogs and opted out.  He had some good excuses:  1)  He picked up his new truck that day and learn to work the gadgets, and 2) It would be ten pounds of wrong to NOT go to the horse track on the day as the Kentucky Derby.  :)

 

 

My work family is just that......family! From left: Joe (my boss), his wife Suzie, his daughter Ana, Ana's husband Adam, Delanie, me, Joe's son Tom, and his wife Karen. 

 

 

That's Ana in the picture above greeting the pups.

 

Ana and Adam have two dogs.  Gabby.....

 

And Sadie.....

 

 

Joe and Suzie have two English Sheepdogs.....Daisy and Lily.  They are shaved for the Summer in these photos.  Any other time of the year, they have super thick super curly hair. 

 

 

 

Here's Lily (above) and Daisy (below)....

 

Tom and Karen have a Basset Hound.......Patsy. 

 

 

Of course, getting the hounds together was the perfect photo op.  Doesn't it look like Bailey (aka Big Booty Judy) is smiling in the pictures below??

 

 

After a fun-filled morning (and an impromptu piano performance by Delanie), Bailey was completely exhausted.  She stayed in this position the remainder of the day.  :)

 

Baylor Bound

We got great news this week.....  Maci got a job at Baylor Hospital as a Patient Care Technician!!!  Nursing is the perfect profession for her.  She's so kind and nurturing.  I'm so proud of this cute little cookie!!  :)

A new haircut for her new job!  Isn't she adorable???

Jim's new ride!

Guess who got a new truck this weekend?! The lease was up on the Ford F150 so Jim has been researching.......and researching......and researching some more to find a new ride. Voila! He officially switched teams and bought a GMC. 

 

 

Now this may surprise you (I'm being totally sarcastic) but Jim actually bought the truck two weeks ago. Since then, he had the dealership get it just the way he wanted it: new tires, new running boards, new bed cover, new floor mats, etc.

 

I have to say....it is pretty fine! :)

 

The coolest thing about it is the remote-controlled GMC app.  Jim downloaded the app to his iPhone and can start the truck, honk the horn and unlock it with the touch of a button from anywhere.  This will come in handy when he's traveling back to MN in the Winter.  He can start heating the truck up when his airplane lands.  Technology at it's finest!  :)

Nothing but blue skies

 

 

Now that Spring has arrived in Minnesota, we have nothing but blue skies! You don't realize how much you miss this until you've been under a foot of snow for six months.  :)

Day (planner) in the life

Surely (don't call me Shirley!......anyone get it??).......I digress.  Surely I am not the only Type A person in the world still using a paper planner.  Right??  Jim laughs at me all the time for not using my iPhone to keep my daily activities organized.  After several iPhone "syncs" and "updates" that resulted in me losing my calendar, I am back to the old-fashioned pen and paper day planner. 

 

 

Everyone has a security blanket. Garrett had his Winnie the Pooh bear.....now he has Maci. :) Delanie has her glasses.  I have my planner. I would be completely lost without it. I even refuse to buy purses unless my planner fits inside. Yep, it's an obsession. The first step is admitting you have a problem.... 

 

So this is what a day in my life looks like.  Weekly to-do list on the left along any coupons/paperwork needed for the week.  On the right is the color-coded (Type A.....remember?) daily activity log. 

 

So.......do you think I need planner rehab for my addiction??? :)