It's new!

  Phew!  Sorry about the absentee from blogging, but life has been a bit crazy.  Have some good news!  I have accepted a permanent position from DataPath.  I worked for them previously, quit last June to finish the last semester of school and an internship, they called me in November asking if I would come back as contract help, I said sure and as of today, I am in a new permanent position.  Yea for more money and benefits!  On Friday, we moved offices so I have a new office area as well.  I actually really like it.  It's well lit and much bigger than the old one.  I can hardly wait to decorate.

  I was a bit of a slug this weekend.  The kids left at 5 am to go to the beach with their dad, and I thought about getting up and starting the day, but hubby and bed are way to snuggly, so I fell back asleep and woke up around 9.  The only activities I did on Saturday was shopping.  Hubby and I went to Barbara Graves(local boutique in Little Rock) one last time before they shut their doors.  I am pretty sad about their closing as I love their stuff, especially the swimwear.   I ended up purchasing a fluffy cheetah print robe and a fabulous roaring 20's dress.  I then dropped hubby off at home so he could play some basketball with youngest stepson and I ventured out to Bryant to visit my good friend Gina at a new consignment store called Evolutions.   It is AWESOME!  Gina is my new personal shopper and is great at helping me spend my money.  The shop is located on Reynolds Rd next to a Family Dollar store.  Do not ask me much more than that because I do not know Bryant at all, but it is worth a trip out there for sure.  I ended up with some great dresses, skirts, and tops for a steal.  I can hardly wait to go back and visit.  Sunday, I had planned to go to the lake, but thunderstorms interrupted my plans.  Which, actually, was just as well as I enjoyed spending down time with the hubby.  He watched old movies and I watched and read.  It has been forever since I have just spent the day reading.  I have missed it.  We did get out of the house for a bit to go to an Estate Sale and then I introduced hubby to Fresh Market.  He loved it.  We had some yummy Pecan Crusted Trout for dinner that night and some heirloom tomatoes from a local gardener located in Scott.

  So last night we took Pete for a walk.  Ginger, one of our 3 cats, was in our carport.  She started meowing and I gave her some pets and off we went.  Well, I looked back after we passed a couple of houses, and there was Ginger.  I guess she wanted to walk with us because she followed us the whole time.

That is Ginger in the back following.  It cracked us up.  Mark said she has never done this before.  I guess she did not want to be left out.  Too funny!

  So beach plans have changed a bit.  We are still going, but youngest stepson has decided to stay home and work.  He now has a permanent job, has received his first paycheck and is quite excited.  I do not blame him.  If he goes, he will miss out on making money and he has decided he does not want to do this.  I love that he finally has something permanent and is taking ownership of it.  Teenagers need to work.  It gives them responsibility which will help them in the future, plus it gives them a great sense of accomplishment.  Knowing they have earned their own money and they do not have ask for had outs all the time. Way to go RF!

  It is getting hot out there.  Make sure you are keeping yourself properly hydrated while getting your exercise on!  94 and beautiful is the weather today.  Love it!!!

Hugs!

Apologies

  "Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got".  I am not sure where this quote came from, but it is one that I fall back on when it comes to forgiveness.  I have learned that there are people in your life, along the way, who will wrong you.  You have two choices. To forgive or to harbor resentment.  Your choice to forgive should not be based on an apology you get from that person.  Some people will never apologize for their actions, regardless of how egregious that action was, but you need to choose  to forgive and move on.  That is the key to good mental health. Is it easy?  No.  Necessary, yes.

  Started off a bit heavy today, but that is what was on my heart today.  I am learning how to move past the things in my life that bother me and that I waste too much time and energy on.  It's part of my "Let it Go" theme.  I have such a happy and amazing life, that I hate to muddy it with unnecessary messes.  Rainbows and butterflies, people.  That is what life should be about.

  Princess got her report card today.  All A's and one B.  I am so proud of her.  She is such an amazing person and I am so blessed to have her in my life.  She is like a mini me, but so much more.  She has all my good  qualities times a million.  She speaks her mind and likes to be right, always.  I like the fact that she stands up for herself, but we are still in that learning curve, that sometimes, she is not always in the right and not everything can go her way.  She takes defeat hard and strives for perfection.  She did not get that from me.  I am not a perfectionist, at all.  There can be a few flaws in things I am perfectly okay with that.  This perfectionism will take her to some amazing places and I am so excited to see what her future brings.  Right now, it is all about cheer, boys, make up and why do I have acne.  It's so fun to watch.

  Got any exciting weekend plans???  You know I live for my free time, especially the weekends.  We are going to a birthday party tomorrow night and I have no plans for Saturday.  Youngest step son and hubby coach have soccer tryouts Saturday night, so I am going to find some trouble to get into.  My JP gets back from the beach Saturday, so I may go hang out with her and catch up on the latest going ons on 30A.  We have claimed that as our home away from home and I am very much looking forward to September when we all go back for our girls week.  Sunday, is lake day with the yayas!  Love the lake.  It is one of my happy places and to share it with my yayas is a bonus.

  Plan something new and fun this weekend.  Life is too short to waste away!

Hugs!

Reflections

  Quick post today.  I am actually pretty busy at work today.  I came in late because of a doctor's appointment and I have a meeting at 3:00, so not much time to blog.

   Today is the 5 year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death.  It is a shame what came of his life because he was a fabulous musician.  I started thinking about how different things were in my life 5 years ago.  5 years ago I was visiting my sister in Ohio with the kids and still married to the ex.  It was the week I got my first tattoo and we were preparing to move to Bentonville, Arkansas.  It also was around the time I really started analyzing my marriage.  Things were not going well and I am normally not a throw in the towel person, but I was at a loss of what to do.  Counseling was not an option because ex hubby would not go with me or even alone.  We were growing apart and it was starting to negatively effect the kids.  Divorce is not an easy decision to come to.  Unless you have been in that situation, you really cannot understand.  One of the hardest things to come to terms with  was the fear of failure.  I had been married and divorced before(he had a small habit of hitting me) so this would mean number 2 for me.  But, I am concerned for me and the well being of my children, period.  The divorce was hard on the kids as we moved 3 hours away to Little Rock and he stayed in Bentonville to work.  I had resigned the fact that I was also going to be alone for the rest of my life as I could not imagine anyone I would want to be in my life as well as my kids that would be good enough.  I was completely fine with this.  I was basically a single mom, for the most part, and knew I could do it on my own.  I am not an advocate of divorce, but staying in something that makes you miserable and your kids is not healthy for anyone.  So, work it out or get out.  So today, I have been in a reflective kind of mood.  Looking back on the good and the bad and realizing how very lucky I am that the good in my life far outweighs the bad.  My prayer is that you can say the same thing.  If you are struggling with this, make a list of all the good.  Even the little things like, I love my bed.  I have a great cat.  My hair looks fabulous today.  Start small and build  up.  I promise, your bad will outweigh the good.

Have a great day and count blessings!!!

Hugs

 

Surprises!!!

    Happy Tuesday to me.  Look what hubby surprised me with from Chicago:

Squee!!!!  If you are not familiar with this box, it is a Fannie May chocolate box.  And inside this box are Mint Meltaways.  Mint Meltaways are little green and brown squares of minty chocolaty goodness.  I love these things.  Every time I hear of someone going to Chicago, I request these.  Yes, I suppose I could go online and order them, but it is not the same thing.  Hubby had a co worker get these for me as he did not have time and she arrived this morning and he came over to my office to give them to me.  I squealed...sorry my sweet co workers.  Someone thought I had gotten jewelry, but let me tell you, this is just as good.  I have only eaten one so far, but I am trying my best not to inhale the whole box.  Edit, I have had 3.  I have since hidden them from sight.

  

 This brings me to today's " I do not understand" topics of the day.  I brag on my hubby.  A lot.  He is an awesome person and why shouldn't I?  Some people have the notion that the more you brag, post pics, say you love your significant other that it is fake and not real.  Where do they come up with this garbage?  So, if I dislike my hubby that means I need to post/write about how much I love him?  That is messed up.  I am a verbal and outspoken person and love to brag on hubby, kids, family, friends, etc.  It is how I am made.  I guess if you need to make yourself feel better by thinking that it is all fake, go right ahead. 

  My water challenge is going great!  60 ounces is a piece of cake.  I can kinda see a few differences, but not too much yet.  My appetite is better then when I was on 82, so the scale is slowly starting to move in the better direction.  I am still 6 pounds shy of my ideal weight.  I am going to the doctor tomorrow so hopefully I will not get the lecture.  I have Hashimoto's disease, which basically means my thyroid is dying.  The poor thing.  It is just worn out.  I take the ever popular synthroid.  My doctor says I am quite the anomaly because I should be gaining weight and heavier because of Hashimoto's.  Thank goodness that is not the case.  I have had it for about 6 years.  They originally thought I had a tumor on my pituitary gland because I would be in mid conversation and forget the next word.  It was a bit freaky.  Luckily, we were living in Houston, Texas at the time and I found a fabulous Endocrinologist who diagnosed me straight away with Hashimoto's.  So every 6 months, I go see the wonderful Dr. Nimmo and every year I have an ultrasound to check the size of my thyroid.  Luckily, it has not had too much shrinkage over the last few years and my synthroid dose has only been changed once.  One of the side effects of this that I can not seem to shake is fatigue.  I am never 100% and every so often I just crash.  Does not matter what time of day it is, I crash.  I have learned when this is about to happen and prepare for it.  Usually it is toward the end of the day, so I will come home from work and snuggle up on the couch and sleep, get up, have some dinner, and fall back asleep by 9 or 10 and not wake up until the next morning.  This is unusual for me.  I am a night owl and do not need much sleep.  But, when it's time, I am out!  This leads to my tip for the day.  Listen to your body.  Not feeling right, go to the doctor.  Need to sleep?  Give up and sleep.  Need a mental health day?  Take the time.  We are often guilty of pushing ourselves and not listening to the clues our body is giving us.  

  Tonight is cheer practice for Ellie.  She was practicing hand stand push ups last night.  Hubby joined along. I almost gave it a try, but it has been years since I have done a hand stand and I was already in bed with a good book.  Maybe I will try tonight, with a spot.  I can do cartwheels so I should be able to master the handstand.  Maybe that will be my new challenge.  To master the handstand, again.  What is your new challenge?

  Have a wonderful Tuesday!!!

Hugs  

  

Travel, soccer and such

  It's Monday, again!  Didn't we just have a Monday, like last week?  They keep rolling back around no matter how much I ask for a Saturday again.  Thanks a lot week.

  Hubby is home and I am all smiles

and as you can see, he is too.  He ended up taking a later flight, but ended up with a free plane ticket, so Vegas here we come!  Seriously, we are going to Vegas.  It is one of the few places I have not been and we have been trying to go the last few years, so Vegas trip planning began this weekend.  I am very excited.  I know I want to see a show, but beyond that who knows.  

  So, about the World Cup game yesterday.  Really, a goal to tie in the last 15 seconds????  It's great when it happens to you, but when the other team does it?  Crap!  Oh well.  It was a fun game anyway, and I am thinking about taking off early on Thursday to watch the game.  Hubby and I decided last night that we are going to attend the next World Cup.  It just happens to coincide with his 50th birthday year so happy birthday, baby! It will be in Russia that year and I have always wanted to visit there, so it should be interesting.  

  My kids are leaving Saturday to go to the beach with their dad and his side of the family.  It should be fun for them.  Then when they get back, we go to our little beach vacation. 3 more weeks!  I can hardly wait!  I can already smell the beach and feel the sand between my toes.  We are staying with a friend of mine who I have not  seen in forever so that is a bonus!  I have never been to the beach with the youngest step son so it should be fun.  I love taking family vacations.  Wish we could do it more often, but like I have said before, our money goes to Catholic High and State Farm.   

  Speaking of the beach, are you applying your sunscreen?  Sunburns and skin cancer are no joke.  Make sure you are protecting yourself with the correct SPF and applying regularly.  I, myself, am a sun worshiper and a huge advocate of sunscreen.  So, put it on 15 minutes before you go out and reapply every 2 hours, at least.

  I want to say Happy Birthday to this awesome and beautiful girl also known as my BFF.

We met a little over a year ago and just clicked.  So, AM,  have a fabulous day and celebrate big!!!

Happy Monday!!!

Hugs

  

  

  

Night out on the town

  Happy Friday!  One more sleep!  28 more hours(as hubby said in a very sweet text message) til hubby is home!  I am so ready.  It's the little things I miss.  A good night kiss, a good morning kiss, a passing compliment, an arm to hold while I sleep, coffee being made in the morning, pets being fed, doors being open, I could go on and on.  I am truly spoiled and very lucky.  Now, the thing I have enjoyed while hubby was gone was time with just me and the kids.  When I was married before and divorced, the kids and I had a lot of time together.  Ex traveled and was always busy at work, studying, whatever and of course when I was single it was just the kids and I.  Now, of course, they were younger then and now they are teens and driving and doing their own things, so they have much better things to do then hang out with mom.  The youngest step son has been at his mom's all week, remember I am the step monster, so I have taken full advantage of just having the 3 of us.  Wednesday after work we went to visit my mom, who is progressing very nicely and should be home soon, and then we went out to dinner.  We had lots of laughs, lots of truth telling, and lots of reminiscing.  Our time together has given me lots of things to reflect on  and realizing I need to make a few changes.  When hubby and I first married we were all about blending the family and making sure everyone was included.  Now, I don't really care.  After talking with my kids it is now going to be, here is this activity, you want to participate, come on.  If not, stay home.  Also, if you choose not to be around, you may not be privy to the plans being made and miss out.  In other words, I am done trying and chasing.  I am worn the heck out.  It makes me a bit sad, but my e for effort has gone away.

  I attended a fabulous GNO last night with these lovely ladies.

Everyone is not pictured, but you get the idea.  It was a wine and cheese shopping event at a fabulous boutique in Pleasant Ridge, Jeante's.  So, most of all my happy elements were there last night; beautiful friends, wine, food, and shopping!  What more does this girly girl need?  The night was hosted by the lovely Jill and she did a fabulous job.  I have shopped at Jeante's before and love their stuff.  Best of all, we got to shop at discount prices, so I got a super cute jumpsuit(a little out of my comfort zone, but everyone insisted it looked great on me, so I gave in), a beautiful white top and some cutey crochet shorts for Ellie.  Tonya, the store owner, has met Ellie before and has had her model for her , so Tonya helped me pick out the shorts, which Ellie loved .  Tonya is wonderful as was her assistant who's name I cannot remember.  Darn it!  I hate when that happens.  Anyway, after shopping we headed over to Bar Louie's for some real food.  I had a delicious Ahi Tuna Nicoise salad and shared some of JP's calamari.  It was a perfect evening.  Seriously.  

  I have not posted an official tip of the day lately, I have more been on the advising giving game, so here it goes.  Stick to something.  Start something and see it through.  Trying the latest diet fad(yuck, stop that!) see it all the way through.  Starting a new exercise regimen, stick to it.  I know I have said this before, but here it goes again.  You did not gain weight or get out of shape overnight, do not expect to lose weight or get back in shape overnight.  There is no quick fix.  Perseverance is the key.  

  Do you have fabulous weekend plans?  Me, I know it will be fabulous, but I flying by the seat of my pants this weekend.  I do know I will be putting in some pool time, seeing my mom and catching up with my hubby.  I need to wear my new jumpsuit, so hubby is going to take me out somewhere.  It is also my last weekend with princess for a few weeks, sniff sniff, so we are going to spend some QT together as well.   

  Have a lovely Friday and I am so thankful this week is almost over.  

Hugs!!!!

  

I'm busy!

Two more sleeps to go!  I am so ready for hubby to be home.  But not to linger.  Today has been a crazy day!  I am ready for a bit of normalcy.

  Okay, so on the water front.  I decided 80 ounces is way too much water for me to drink.  I found myself full and, therefore, not eating.  I have lost 4 pounds since Monday.  Craziness.  I know, haters come hate.  It is way too easy for me to lose weight.  Maintaining is where my struggle is.  I guess I was gifted a great metabolism, so trying to maintain my goal weight is sometimes a struggle.  The funny thing is, I love food.  I am usually always eating and not just healthy stuff.  When I looked back to Monday and recorded what I ate, it was almost next to nothing.  Yikes!  So I am back to my weight divided by 2 and that makes 60 ounces.  Right now I am 116 which is not good.  I like to maintain at least 125 so, I am going the way wrong direction.  No worries.  I'll just do the Tropical Smoothie thing again and put it back on.  Those smoothies are so yummy.  You can choose a healthier option by adding sweetener, but I need the fully fat, fully sugar loaded ones.  I know, it's hard being me.

  I am so ready for tonight.  We have a lovely girls night out planned and it should be a blast.  I will post some pics and details tomorrow.  There are around 21 of us going so I am sure there will be lots of laughter and fun.   Work has been crazy busy today and I am ready for some fun.  We are also celebrating my sweet JP who received news this week that she is employed again!!!  She was laid off a couple of months ago and has been really down as of late.  She has serious perseverance and never gives up.  I love and admire her greatly.

  Short blog post today.  I am filling in for about 2 people today and there is some serious demand for my time.  Have a great Thursday!

  Hugs!

 

Girly Girls

  Happy Hump Day!  3 more sleeps til hubby gets home!  I slept okay last night without him being there, but I had a million things to do after work and did not sit down until about 8:45 last night.  I try to keep busy when he is gone so I won't miss him too much.  I know, sounds pathetic, but hey, I love my hubby and am not going to apologize for it.

  So, I am a girly girl.  I love being a girl and all the wonderful things that go with it.  Love wearing make up, it is a rare thing to see me without it.  I did my hair, put make up on and jewelry before I did the half marathon.  I always have 5 points of jewelry on.  What??? You do not know what this is?  Ears, neck, finger, both wrists.  So today, I have on silver hoops earrings, necklace I received for mother's day, bracelet on right wrist, watch on left wrist, and wedding rings on left hand and 1st engagement ring from hubby on right.  Yeah, hubby asked me to marry him twice, so of course, I  have 2 rings.  Told you I loved him.  I love shoes.  At last count, I had 86.  I know this number has gone up because, remember that trip to Dallas I took?  It included shopping, which usually includes shoes.  I pretty much live in a dress or skirt all summer long.  I have 2 closets full of clothes for one season.  Winter stuff is nicely stored out of the way.  Love my house and all the room in it!  I always match, even down to my panties and bra.  Can't stand not having matching panties and bra.  It's tacky to not match. Love having my toes done, usually a pink, orangey, red, or black.  Cannot get into the blues, greens and yellow. They are  just not me.  I rarely get my fingernails done unless it is a special occasion because they chip to easily and it's a waste of money.   I think I am a bit high maintenance because of all the things stated above, but hubby swears I am not.  I do not wear a lot of make up, I am a bargain/sale shopper when it comes to clothes and shoes(love Savers and consignment stores, but also can go mad in a boutique, love Francesca's in Midtowne!), and hubby buys the jewelry, so I have no idea what he spends.   Hubby loves the girly girl side of me.  He said he finds it fascinating.  He loves watching me get ready.  It's pretty funny, I think.  He will sit there on the side of the bed while I am at my dressing table, duh, of course I have one, and watches me put on make up and do my hair.  He even asks questions while I am doing it.  I love it!  Anyway, why am I telling you all this?  I have discovered something fantastic.  Birchbox.  What is Birchbox?  Every month, I pay $10.00 and get a cute little brown box filled with make up, lotion, face cream and perfume samples.  It is awesome!  There is usually about 5 things in the box and I have loved most of the products I have received. You can go to their website birchbox.com and write reviews of the products you have tried, receive points which can go toward your purchase of any beauty product.  So far, I have discovered my new favorite eyeliner, Sumita.  It is fantastic.  It is basically a crayon, but it stays on!  No reapplying.  This is like a miracle for me.  My old eyeliners have smudged and smeared and I was reapplying 4 to 5 times a day..ugh!  I also love the Beauty Protector detangler and protection spray for my hair.  It smells wonderful and works!  Just a couple of sprays and the brush slides right through my hair.  Go check out Birchbox.  If you sign up and mention me, I think I get points, but if you don't, no worries.  I just love sharing my new discoveries.

  Water challenge is going great, but dang, now I am thirsty all the time.  What is up with that?  I used to never be thirsty and now I am all the time.  I need to research this.  I have noticed my tummy bloating has gone down.  Yippee!!!!

  Tonight I am taking the kids to see my mom.  They have not seen her since she moved to the rehabilitation hospital for some intense physical and occupational therapy.  I wanted her to get settled before we bombarded her with visitors.  She is making remarkable progress and I hope she gets to go home in the next week.

  Have a beautiful Wednesday and embrace your inner girly girl.  Hugs!

Grasp what today has to offer

  Sniff, sniff, boo hoo....why the tears?  Hubby left this morning for Chicago on a business trip. He will be gone  four sleeps.  FOUR!!!!  How will I survive?  One of the many things I have been super spoiled in my marriage is sleeping with my hubby.  Now, get your mind out of the gutter, people.  I am talking about sleep as in the snoozing kind.  My hubby is a huge source of comfort for me.  He is my safe, warm, and happy place.  I snuggle up to his arm every night and fall fast asleep.  If I ever wake up in the middle of the night, he is never far from reach.  We have a queen size bed and do not even think about upgrading to a king.  When we travel and sleep in one, we both have restless sleeps because we are both too far away.  TMI, I know, but if you see extra bags under my eyes this week you will understand why.  The plan was for me to join him on this trip, but an opportunity arose to take all the kids to the beach in July, 22 more days!, but who is counting, and our kids are not going to be around much longer(they will be off to college soon, sniff) so we are all about making memories.  So, I forego the Chicago trip for some sand, sun and family time.  I can hardly wait!!!

  So yesterday I was on facebook and someone posted this article:  http://www.buzzfeed.com/erinlarosa/things-you-wont-regret-when-youre-older?bffb

#14 Really struck a chord with me.  It states "Take advantage of all your vacation days and time off".  I get told constantly, you are so busy and do you ever stay home?   I am busy and occasionally stay home, but I definitely make the most of my vacation days and time off.  I love spending time with  family and friends doing things.  I am an active person and always have been.  Now, I do enjoy some downtime every once in a while, but I love to go out and experience life.  I have had the opportunity to live in 5 different states and a foreign country and have loved the experiences.  I know what it means to be a Texan, watch the Macy's parade live in person, experience a northern winter, rub shoulders with the country elite of Nashville, call the Hogs,  navigate the Tube system in England, and I can honestly say the most beautiful beaches are the ones in Spain.  Sorry, Florida.  I grab life by the horns and run.  Is there anything wrong with being a home body?  Not at all.  I just don't get it.  I have traveled to most of the 50 states and still feel like I am not well traveled. So, go live life to the fullest and take advantage of your time off.  Life is too dang short.

  Water intake update:  managed to drink 80 oz of water and the only change I could note was I peed an awful lot!  I hope that regulates.  I have way too much stuff to do to be in the bathroom every hour and a half!  It was not difficult to drink that much, but I did not drink my daily dose of 1/2 and 1/2 tea, so that is probably a good thing.  Are you water challenging with me?  Keep me updated on your process.

  Enjoy your Tuesday.  Hugs!

Step Parents

  Happy sleepy Monday.  That damn Game of Thrones show.  Hubby and I keep getting sucked in!  I swear we are going to have an early night tonight.  All those late nights and early mornings catch up with you quickly.  Hubby hooked up one of our tv's on our downstairs patio so we spent Saturday night watching GOT's outside.  It was beautiful and amazing.  I am now on the lookout for a comfy outdoor couch we can put on the patio downstairs.  It is hard to snuggle on Adirondack chairs.

  So since Father's Day was yesterday, I decided to talk about being a step parent.  This, as is everything I write on here, is my own opinion.  I believe being a step parent is an important role in a kid's life.  As a step parent you have more influence than most give themselves credit for.  Now, where I think the water gets muddied is when the step parent feels they are as important as the actual parent.  My hubby is a fabulous step dad.  He is very involved in my kid's lives.  They talk to him about life, he attends their activities, coaches their team, etc.  But, he is by no means their dad and they will be the first to tell you this.  And that is how it should be.  Just because parents divorce does not mean the kids divorce their parents.  I clearly understand my role as a step parent and it is not my step kid's mom.  I am just another adult in their lives.  Now, I do treat my step kids as my own.  I love them like my own because they are a part of my hubby and they are pretty cool kids.  Now, to them, I think I am the step monster and believe it or not, I am perfectly okay with that.  I know I do my very best for them and if they do not return that love or respect there is nothing I can do about it.  Do I think they hate me?  No, not at all.  I think they just tolerate my presence in their dad's life. This does not mean I will not keep doing what I am doing because sometimes outside influences create an impression of someone that is not there because they only get one side and have already made up their mind regardless.  I do not believe anyone can truly understand how hard it is to be a step parent unless they have assumed that role themselves.  So, to all the step parents out there.  It is a thankless job, but just do the best you can and be happy with that.

  Let's talk about water.  I am a horrible water drinker.  I drink a glass in the morning and a glass at night and maybe a glass during the day and that is it.  I have been reading about the health advantages of drinking water and I decided this is my next challenge.  I am going to try and drink the recommended daily water for a month and see if I notice any changes.  Who is with me?  I am following the recommended water intake by the slender kitchen.  Most nutritionist recommend 8 glasses per day, but I think you need different intake depending upon your height, weight, activity level, etc.  The formula I am using is take your weight and multiply by 67%.  So, I weigh 120 pounds and am fairly active so I need 80 ounces of water.  So far I have had 16 ounces, so I need to get to drinking!  Good thing I have a bathroom nearby at work because I can imagine this is going to effect this as well!  So, on July 16th, I will report in and let you know the results.

 I hope everyone had a great father's day weekend.  I got to celebrate my dad on Saturday night with dinner with my sis and hubby at Outback.  Food was good, but the mashed potatoes came out late and the food was semi warm. They compensated with some money off the ticket, but I would rather have had hot food.  Sunday hubby spent some QT with his youngest son, oldest son was busy working, but he did call!  We then took him out for pizza and to watch the world cup game.(I live with a bunch of soccer nuts.  Good thing I like the game too)  I got hubby a new soccer outfit for father's day. I know he is not my father, but I love him and appreciate all the things he does for his kids and mine so I treated him.  Plus, he looks great in red and it's his new soccer team's colors, so why not?  He looks very yummy in his new outfit so it was kinda a gift for me as well.

  Have a happy Monday.  It is time for me to fill my water glass!

Hugs!

Friday the 13th

  Happy Friday the 13th?  Are you superstitious?  Is this a bad luck day for you?  If you are afraid of Friday the 13th you have friggatriskaidekaphobia.  It is a real thing.  I did a bit of research regarding the fear of Friday the 13th. Friday was considered unlucky in medieval times because that was the day of execution.  In Christianity it was the day Jesus was crucified.  One theory of the 13th superstition is that it is bad luck to have 13 people seated at a dinner table because Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest.  And of course, the famous slasher movies with Jason, Friday the 13th.  I personally do not give much credit to Friday the 13th.  It is just another day where something could go wrong and something could go right.  At the moment it is somewhere in the middle.  

  My kids are headed up to Bella Vista to hang out with their dad for Father's Day weekend.  He normally picks them up and brings them home, but I decided to let Jake drive as my gift for him for Father's Day.  They just left, so I am a bit nervous and probably will be until they arrive safely.  Their dad has just bought a new home and they are still moving in so it sounds like a fun weekend.  I do not buy a father's day gift for the kids to give to their dad.  They are 17 and 13 and are old enough to handle this job themselves.  I am not opposed to buying him something, but he is not my dad so it really should not come from me.  They have already bought wrapped and purchased said gift all on their own.  It can be done.  I promise.  And honestly, I think it has more meaning when they actually take the time to do it themselves without prodding from me.

  Jake and Rader are taking the ACT tomorrow morning.  Wish them luck, say a prayer, send good light, etc.  This is Jake's first time and he needs 4 more points to reach the next scholarship level.  Rader is taking it for the first time and it would be nice to be one and done.  After we get back Jake's results we will be spending the rest of the summer deciding where to send him to school.  It is quite the tedious process as you want to make sure it is a good school, has what they want to study, and what is the cheaper option.  I told Jake he could go to school anywhere within a 6 hour radius of Little Rock.  I chose this so if there is an emergency or he just needed to come home he could easily get to us.   Plus, we have some pretty amazing schools around us that will suit his needs just fine.

  Well, hope you have some wonderful weekend plans.  Mine include celebrating my dad, enjoying time with friends and working on my tan.


Hugs!

 

5 Love Languages

  Good Morning!  Happy 21st Anniversary to my sister and brother in law and my brother and sister in law.  Yes, you read that right.  They had a double wedding.  It was awesome.  I was the matron of honor for my sister.  It was the first and only double wedding I have attended.  They are both in great and happy marriages and it is nice to see such wedded bliss.

  Speaking of Love......Do you know your love language?  Your spouse's?  Significant other?  Kids?  Do you know what the love languages are?  Gary Chapman, an author, wrote a book forever ago describing the 5 different love languages.   It really is an eye opener on how different people accept/show their love.  The 5 languages are:

1. Words of Affirmation
2.  Acts of Service
3.  Receiving Gifts
4.  Quality Time
5.  Physical Touch
 
  Once you have discovered some one's love language and yours  the rest is pretty easy.  For example, my primary love language is Receiving Gifts and my secondary is Physical Touch.  You want to show me you love me, buy me a present and give me a hug.  I show someone I love them by giving them a hug(I hug everyone...warning; well mostly everyone) and/or a gift.  Now, princess, her love language is Quality Time.  She could care less about cuddling, but loves to spend time with me or anyone else, regardless of what it is.  So, if she wants to hang, make sure you make the time for her, because she takes rejection hard.  Now, if you want to really show her love, take her to the mall and spend money on her.  That is when she is the most happy.   Hubby's love language is easy.  He is physical touch first (I know, what guy doesn't like physical touch), but hubby is constantly holding my hand, rubbing my back, giving me a kiss, cuddling, etc  It's awesome because one of my love language is physical touch and so we full fill each other's needs that way.  His second is quality time.  He could care less about gifts.  Spend time with him and he is a happy camper.  Holidays are very easy with him because he is happy with whatever gift or nothing at all, but if you ask him what he wants for his birthday, father's day, etc...he always responds, to spend time with you, kids, family, etc.  I also tend to hang out with people who have the same love language as me.  Most of my friends hug.  My ex's family were not big huggers so I always felt a bit on the outside.  Hubby's family are big huggers.  It is awesome.  There is nothing like a big comfy hug.   So find out what your love language is and if you feel something is missing from your life, it could be you need someone who speaks your love language.  Whether it's a friend, significant other, etc.  Here is the website to take the quiz and for more info:  http://www.5lovelanguages.com

  Enjoy the rest of your Thursday!

Hugs

 

Just the Way you Are

  "When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change, 'cause you're amazing, just the way you are".  One of my favorite song lines ever.  I feel this way about so many people in my life and this song just makes me smile big smiles.  It also happens to be performed by the wonderful Bruno Mars whom I had the pleasure of seeing in concert last night.

  Above are the lovely ladies I saw the show with last night(missing are three of the guys that came along.  We have their photo too, but not on my camera, but they look just as good).  Seeing a good show with good friends makes the concert experience even better.  I love going to live shows and go any time I can.  The show itself was pretty awesome.  The opening act, Aloe Blacc, was fabulous.  He has some great music and was a great entertainer.  He also had some awesome dance moves.  Bruno Mars came on with a bang and definitely delivered.  His band is ridiculous.  They play and dance and was my favorite part of the show.  They genuinely looked like they are having fun up there, which I would imagine would be hard to do night after night, but they never wavered.  The choreography was ridiculous and the light show was spectacular.  I give it 4 1/2 stars out of 5.  My only critique was that it was LOUD!  Now, this has nothing to do with my age.  I have seen lots of live shows of every genre and this one was overly loud.  Other than that, fun! I am tired this morning because of all the dancing we did last night, but thank goodness for coffee.  

 Mom is doing better.  She is going to inpatient rehabilitation, hopefully today,  to work on some physical therapy and occupational therapy.  Not sure how long she is going to be there, but hopefully not long.  My sweet dad fell on the way to the hospital and busted up his nose.  After a quick trip to the ER and a huge bandage on his face, he is pretty sore.  He joked that he was trying to one up my mom.  Sigh...I personally can only handle one parental crisis at a time, so dad!  use your cane.  

  Have a lovely hump day.  I can see specks of the weekend!

Hugs!

  

My sister, the author

  Well, I was getting excited thinking today was going to be a dry one, but alas, it is not to be.  Oh well, I will not let it upset my happiness.  Tonight I am going with a group of fabulous people to see Bruno Mars.  I originally was not able to attend, but circumstances changed and I slipped in at the last minute.  We are meeting for drinks and dinner before hand and then headed out for a night of dancing in our seats.  I can hardly wait!

  Last night my sister and nieces came over for dinner.  They are in town from Ohio and I have not seen them since Christmas.  We had yummy food and lots of good laughs.  Now, for those of you who do not know my sister, she is pretty awesome.  She is a writer.  Now I don't mean I have written a couple of books and self published writer, but a full on, author.  She has written around 25 books and is a best selling author.  Her genre you ask?  Amish Fiction.  Yes, I said it.  She writes Amish Romance Novels.  She started off in 2003 submitting an ezine story, which was a Christian Romance story, and got picked up by an agent and published several Christian Romance novels.  Her agent then approached her about writing Amish Fiction.  Now, as I said, she lives in Ohio and fairly close to the Amish community(about an hour away).  My sister gave it some thought and said if she could write it and have someone in the Amish community approve of it then sure.  So she set about interviewing Amish people in the community and after many failed attempts, she found a family who would be willing to read her manuscripts for accuracy.  Amish are very private individuals, so this was quite unusual to let someone from the "outside" world in.  Her first Amish Romance came out in 2009 entitled A Man of his Words and went on to win the CBA and ECPA awards.  As of now, she has a very large following and her books are available on Amazon, all major book stores, SAMS club, and Wal Mart.  I think she is a complete super star.  I can barely write this blog and she writes these awesome novels and has fans and stuff.  It is so cool to walk into Barnes and Noble and see your sister's books on the shelves.  And then you go buy it and the person at the counter says you will love this book.  And I always reply, I know, she is my sister.  And then I get the "I love her"!  "That is so cool".  I am very proud of her and all that she has accomplished.  So, my free media plug for my sister today:  go check out some good reads by Kathleen Fuller.  

  Let's talk about soreness from a workout.  I think it is an accomplishment to be sore after a workout.  It means you are waking up muscles that should never have been sleeping in the first place.  The question I get asked though is what do you do about the soreness.  You do not want to continue training that sore muscle, but you want to keep moving it.  After my 1/2 marathon, my legs were very sore.  Instead of walking distances or running, I stretched and did some light walking.  You want to keep moving that muscle or it will become stiff and take extra long to work out the soreness. Listen to your body and when the soreness is mostly gone, start working it out again.  Make sure you are also drinking plenty of water.  Water is your friend.

 Enjoy your Tuesday my friends and if you are attending the Bruno Mars concert tonight, look for me.  I will be the one singing off key and displaying my awesome dance moves.

Hugs!!!

Just another rainy Monday

  Forget manic Monday(thank you Bangles), it's rainy Monday.  I am sooooo tired of the rain.  Thankfully I had some quality pool time this weekend

  Yes, that is us on Saturday afternoon before the thunderstorm.  Looks nice and relaxing, huh?  It most certainly was and luckily we had our pool boy to fetch us drinks, snacks, and take photos.  Friday night we kicked off the weekend with a yummy dinner party at JP's house, not included in photo.  It is not the most flattering pic of Patty and I(we still look beautiful, of course), but you get the point.  We dined on rib eyes, roasted vegetables, salad, bread, cookies, sangria, and wine and of course champagne.  There is always champagne.  I only planned on staying  for a bit because I was exhausted from the week, but we were having so much fun that I did not get home until 11:00.  Hubby said so much for just stopping by.  Good thing he knows me so well and knows that never happens.                                                       

  Mom is doing well.  She is being moved to a PT rehab hospital so she can learn how to maneuver around the house better.  My sister and fam came into town on Saturday, so she will be more readily available to help my mom and dad.  I am so thankful for that.  I am only able to take so much time off at work, so tag!  She is it. Everyone is coming over for dinner tonight and I am very excited.  I have not had a chance to catch up with my sister and her kids as much as I would have liked to this weekend.  We were going to do our women run Arkansas group tonight, but mother nature seems to have other plans so we will just dine on hubby's famous crock pot chicken tacos and catch up on life.                                                                      

  Quick question:  When did we become a "I want/need it now society"?  I am just as guilty as this as anyone.  I am trying to learn to be more patient, but it is sooo hard.  I keep repeating "good things come to those who wait".  I have seen this come true time and time again, but I still have to keep reminding myself.  This coincides with my tip for today.  Practice patience when losing weight or trying to get in better shape.  You did not gain weight over night, so please do not expect to lose it over night either.  Think back to how long it took you to gain that extra 20, 50, or 100 pounds?  In a week? a month?  I doubt it, so do not expect to lose it in that short of time.  If you are buying into a lose weight program that professes that, chances are it is not healthy and will only give you short term results.  Remember the choose my plate program from the FDA, it really is the best method.  choosemyplate.gov is the actual website.  Go check it out!      

Ok, time to dig out the flippers so I can go out and have some lunch.  Enjoy your day!

Hugs        

          

Hospital rock stars

  Happy Friday!  Yesterday my mom had surgery and is doing well.  Thank you everyone for your emails, texts, inboxes, etc.  Her surgery was done at St Vincent in Little Rock where she worked for 21 years. My dad retired from UAMS and taught sophomore medical students Parasitology and Immunology,  so my parents are kinda superstars at the hospital.  Pretty much every physician in Little Rock was a student of my dad's and everyone loved my mom(she worked in the Lab as a Med Tech; yeah, my parents and family are crazy smart and between the 5 of us, we have 10 degrees) so it's kinda like a mini reunion and makes the stay not too bad as far as hospital stays go.  She seemed a bit down yesterday afternoon so I scooped up Jake and Ellie and brought them in for a visit.  That seemed to perk her up and then Mark came later and brought Rader so that cheered her up even more.  I went to visit her this morning before I came to work and she had a good night so I will go check on her again at lunch and bring my dad some non hospital food.  St Vincent does not do too bad, but a change is always nice.

  Last night I took princess and her bff to see The Fault In Our Stars.  Wow!  Amazing.  The book was excellent, a tear jerker, and the movie was very true to the book.  I pictured Hazel and Gus exactly how they were casted in the movie.  I am not gonna lie, I openly boo hooed through most of the movie.  Well, me and the rest of the theater.  It was sad, funny, uplifting, and an all around great story.  One of my favorite lines in the movie and book was when Hazel tells Gus she loves him and how she fell in love with him.  She said it was like falling asleep.  It starts off slow and them bam!  You are there.  I can so relate to this because this is how I fell in love(not lust, that was at first get go) with hubby.  We started off having fun and being casual, hubby even said he don't want to get serious, and  I still joke with him and ask him when we are going to get serious, and then bam.  It's like I woke up and it hit me that I was in love with my Mark.  Sigh, getting mushy and sentimental, but that is how I am.  I love romance and love and everything that goes with it.  It is to be welcomed and embraced.  Been hurt before?  Oh well.  It is better to have loved and loss then to never to have loved at all, or something like that.  Go love someone.  And if you don't truly love that someone you are with, fix it or move on.  Life is too short to be miserable. Being in a miserable relationship is robbing you of the happiness you deserve with someone else or just being happy by yourself.

  This weekend is dedicated to my mom and my Yayas.  I am having dinner with my Yayas tonight and then some quality pool time with them tomorrow.  I love my Yayas.  I love that one of our Yayas has a pool!  Thanks, JM!!!!  My Yayas are drama free and it is awesome.  We are all in different stages of life, some married, some divorced, some never married, some have kids, some do not, some have little ones, and some have kids in college.  It is great because we all have something to offer the other in whatever situation arises in our lives.  We have each others backs, we swap furniture, kids, food, wine, bubbles, and have so many laughs together.  I hope you have a Yaya/s in your life.  True friends are amazing things.

  Sunday, I think I am going to snuggle on the couch with hubby all day and watch Games of Thrones till my eyes bug out.  We started the series and are hooked.  Thanks SM for getting us hooked!  Love ya.

  Hope you have some fabulous weekend plans.

Hugs!

Happy Running Day!

  Morning!  Happy National Running Day!  Have you gotten your run in yet?  Hubby and I signed up to participate in one this morning at 5:30, but we started watching Game Of Thrones(yes, I know...late to the game) and the next thing we know it is 1:00 am!  Stupid show.  It is good though.  Way inappropriate for kids, but hey, we all have our own opinions on what is appropriate or not.  Hubby and I just got in a fast walk and he will be playing soccer later and  that is his run, so I will try and do a quick run after work so I can fully participate in the celebration.

  Yesterday, hubby and I took the afternoon off to watch princess be inducted in the Beta Club and National Junior Honor Society, but when we arrived, the power was out!  So I did what any good mother would do.  Dropped hubby off at work(he is way more busy at this time of year than I am) and princess and I went shopping.  I have already taken the boys, so it was her turn.  We had a very successful shopping trip, but dammit!  Stock some 0's and 2's people!  We only got 3 new pairs of shorts because everything else is too big!  It's the same when I go shopping.  Where are the 4's?  At some stores I am a 2, but mostly a 4 cause I got some hip and booty action going on.  Also, why is everything a booty short?  I want some length for me and the princess.  She has no shorts to wear to school because they are all too damn short.  She has some killer long legs, so that does not help her situation, but still.   Hubby was having slight heart failure when she did a fashion show for him later that night.  He is way more strict on her clothing that I am and it so funny to watch him squirm and give her that look.  She knows what it means and it is so funny to watch them go back and forth about what is appropriate and what is not.  For the most part I side with him because honestly, I am not getting into the crop top and booty short look for the princess.  She has a very fit body, but like I always say, just because you can wear it, does not mean you should.  Save something for the imagination people!  Now, if the oldest step son would ever come around, it would be his turn for some new clothes, but I am not chasing anybody.  You need/want something, come around.  I will be happy to help.

  Let it go, let it go.....sing it people!  I am singing it quite often these days and it really does help.  Do not fight for what you will not win.  It is not worth it.  And why give people or a situation that much time anyway?  That is my tip for the day.  Handle it the best way possible, even if that means completely ignoring it, and then Let it go!  So refreshing.

  My mom is having surgery tomorrow.  Please, keep her in your prayers, thoughts, white light, or whatever it is that you do or believe in.  I am taking off tomorrow to be at the hospital with her and my dad.  My sister is out of town and my brother is at a conference and they can't be here, so it's me.  It seems that throughout our adult years we have all taken turns with this.  Most of our adult lives, we three kids have lived away from our parents.  My sister is in Ohio, my brother went to Texas and I flew the coop the earliest at the ripe old age of 21.  I really moved away and lived overseas for 2 1/2 years, moved back home for a year and then took off again.  I swore to myself I would not ever move back to Little Rock because there is much more out there that is better than Little Rock.  I never in a million years dreamed I would find my happy place back home in the Rock.  I have found my forever guy, my kids love it here, my parents are here(half the time), I have reconnected with old friends, and made fabulous new ones that I would not trade for the world.  I loved all the places I have lived and am so thankful I was able to spread my wings, but there really is no place like home.

Hugs!!!

 

Graduation and Karaoke

  Ahhhh...it is always nice to get away, but it's even better when it is with family and the weekend is close to perfect.  My brother's son graduated from high school on Saturday in Allen, Texas and they know how to do graduation.  My brother and his fabulous wife are truly hostesses with the mostesses(made up word alert, sorry spell check).  We had a group of 21 show up to cheer Carter on.  All but 6 of us were travelling in  from the great state of Arkansas.  Most of us stayed with my brother and the rest at my niece's house.  So 14 of us in one house.  It got a bit crowded at times, but they have a great house for entertaining the masses so it was all good.   We got there Thursday night and had some fabulous hot tub time.  They have a pool with connecting spa, so it was double fabulous.  I have decided that we need a hot tub at the Francis house by end of year.  It was so nice ending the day with a lovely soak.  Friday we took the boys shopping.  They both needed an update in the wardrobe department and the outlet mall in Allen is awesome, so why not spoil them a bit.  It is a completely different experience shopping for boys than girls.  First of all, they only have one section and it's not very big.  Second of all, I got to sit on a chair outside the dressing room and let them pile things on me after they decided what fit and what did not. Third of all, their sizes are not that complicated.  You are a 28 or 32. Not a 0, 2, or 4, so there is not too much  trying on depending on what brand you are wanting.   This was at TJ Maxx.  While in line, the boys were trying to guess how much we were spending.  They almost hit it.  It was pretty funny.  After, we hit the outlet mall and after another deposit of cash at  the polo store, the boys took off and let hubby and I shop by ourselves.  I love shopping with the hubby.  He picks out things I never would and has the best reactions when I show him what I have tried on.  One of the ladies told him she was borrowing him because he sure knew how to make a lady feel good.  It was too funny.  Anyway, the boys were texting us requesting us in such and such a store so we could pay for something for them.  After about the 3rd time of this, I told them we were running out of clothing budget money(always budget people) and it was time to cool it.  Well, they ran out of money before Mark and I were done so they decided to chill out, but made sure to tell us to hurry up.  People need to learn patience.  I promise you won't die.  I treated  them to a snow cone when they were done because they were soooo hot.  That night, everyone had arrived and we had the best ribs I have ever put in my mouth. My brother had smoked them all day and oh em gee were they amazing.  We then had more pool time and hot tub to end the night.  Saturday morning to my amazement, all 14 of us were showered and ready to leave the house by 8:45 in order to make graduation at 10:00.  My brother and his wife reserved us a suite at the arena and had continental breakfast brought in.  Now, that is the way to do graduation.  It was lovely and relaxing.  We were home by 11:45 and I grabbed my book and headed out to work on my tan.  There were already way too many cooks in the kitchen and I was on clean up duty for the weekend so I steered clear.  After a relaxing day of visiting with the fam and other invited guests, we started karaoke.  Now, my family is way beyond musically talented.  We were treated with an impromptu acoustic set by my brother and Carter with my hubby accompanying on the drums.  It was awesome!  Check my facebook for the video.  My dad started doing karaoke about 10 years ago and we all love it, so whenever we get together it is wonderfully awful.  We were all laughing and singing and even took a break to bust out some dance moves.  Jake and Rader treated us to a wonderful rendition of the Backstreet Boys "I want it that way".  It was hilarious. Jake was one and done, but Rader was hooked.  He, hubby and my bro did some amazing Tenacious D that brought down the house, almost literally.  It was definitely an evening for the record books.  Sunday morning we had a leisurely drive home and stopped by my niece's graduation picnic to hug her neck(love that southern saying) and pick up the princess.  She stayed in town due to prior commitments.  All in all it was a fantastic weekend and lovely memories were made.

  Tip of the Day even though we are coming to a close.  Love your family.  The one you are born into, the one you marry into and the one you choose to bring into your lives.  Nothing is as important as family.

Hugs!