Long Time, No Write!

It's been nearly a year since my last post. I think I have redefined "slacker"! But hopefully it can be considered I am making amends.

Once again, I am GOING to (please note that I did not say "try" or "attempt") put myself back on the righteous path to better overall health. This must begin with me being completely honest with myself and anyone else who reads this. I am officially 100lbs over weight. I can't believe I let myself get this way or this far. There are no excuses, no blame, no what ifs. I simply must hold myself accountable for the choices I have made over the last 5 years. And I feel it is necessary for me to point out the obvious...to myself...that the only one that can change it, IS ME!

I found a little inspiration in my dear friend, Dwayne who recently bought his first bicycle as an adult and has found a desire to want to get out and ride it. I have been finding a little of that desire, coupled with a side of need, to get out with him. Let me be the first to admit that the one and only activity that I truly dislike the most is bike riding. And there is NO activity I like to do in the Memphis heat! Butt....(yes, I meant to use 2 ts), I have never enjoyed myself more because I am riding with friends just as a social thing to do. So now, I have the plus side of it being something that got my fat butt of the couch, outside and moving.

So what exactly am I to do with this lost but now I have found desire...why something crazy of course! I just signed myself up for the St. Jude Half Marathon in December. Yep! Paid for! In full! No refund! No turning back! Butt since I like the idea of my physical activities to be social, I am trying to brainwash...I mean recruit...I mean ask/beg/bribe friends to do this with me. (Side note: I am a teacher, I am never above bribing to get what I want, just ask my co-worker, Bethany) While I say I am accountable for my choices, I need to be held accountable for my actions. This is where I always fail. So if anyone is interested in joining me, I start a simple "Couch 2 5k" program Monday that leads me to half marathon Training mid-Septembter.

So...why am I rambling? Because I need all the help I can get to stay focused on the big picture, getting healthy. I have big goals and I have baby steps and a whole lotta obstacles in between. I want this extra 100lbs off but instead of setting myself up for failure by saying "I'm gonna lose 10lbs a month or I'm gonna exercise 7 days a week", I'm taking baby steps to get there and rewarding myself for the littlest to the biggest of accomplishment. I have financially committed myself to a few local active events and I'm enlisting any and all of my peeps to go all "Drill Sargent" on me. There is no set time frame, just a constant forward movement and momentum.

With that, I hope to be blogging/pestering everyone with my ambitious life plan a lot more often.

Till then!

Dear Juneau

Dear Juneau,

This week marks the first year of your passing (actual day was August 24th). We knew it would be a year of bittersweet memories and for some crazy reason, we thought the sense of loss would be more manageable as time continued on. But how is that possible when we often refer to you in the present tense.

We chose not to have children but the day that you and your siblings danced and sang into our lives was the day our "family" was complete. You showed us an unconditional love that only a "child" can have. There were days we thought we would never get passed the anger (like chewing door frames of our apartment), days we wondered about your iron stomach (remember when you ate the ant trap and we actually tracked down the manufacturer to see if we needed to rush you to the hospital), and then there were the days we thought you would be with us forever. We yelled and punished (which never lasted longer than 15 minutes before we gave in), we worried, we comforted, we laughed, we hugged and most of all, every day we loved you! Now who can argue that we don't have children.

Nakita misses you most of all I think. You were her soul mate. She had nothing to do with other dogs before you came along and the very second she met you, she accepted and loved you. You showed her tolerance and how to be social with your laid back style. You were the one that literally found her voice. You know, since you left us, we haven't heard her say much. I think she's saving it all for when she gets to see you again. You better be ready, because she's got a lot to say!

Gretchen misses you a lot, too. She loved playing and talking to you and getting you all riled up just for fun and then laying next to you when you showed her it was to time to rest. You know, she went from last to middle child...you would be very proud of the way she is handling herself. She took on your job and she's serious about it. She keeps Nakita feeling young and she keeps Cash in line and reminds him (often) of his place.

Cash...you would have really liked Cash. He shares a lot of your qualities. He loves the sound of his own voice and he talks a lot and loud. He plays with a bit of a mischievous manner in his own sly way, and even though he is all boy, he plays nice with the girls. So many times we look at him and we see a spark of you...you put him in our lives, didn't you?

While we could go on about all the things we miss about you, all we really want to say is:

We miss and love you everyday, Sweet Boy!

With absolute and total love,
Forever Your family
Gayle, Michael, Nakita, Gretchen, and Cash

A New Place To Spread My Wings

No...don't panic! I haven't left Hope House or moved anywhere. Well, actually, I did make a major move but not with a change of address. After 13 very interesting years with preschoolers (3-5 year olds), I was offered a different age group. While I am still, and will always be, The Queen Bee, I will be buzzing with the Honey Bees instead of the Busy Bees.

My new hive has Bees that range in age from 6 weeks to 15 months. That's right friends, I get to mold little minds from the earliest age possible. Did you know that from 0-6 years the brain acquires 4x more information and fires 10x more synapses then 6-14 years? And after 14, the activity decreases by half! So to say I am molding little minds is an understatement. A few of the greatest things about this age: I get to witness their first steps and hear their first words and so many more firsts!

Now, this was not an easy adjustment or task to take on!! Creating and maintaining a routine/schedule that will benefit a more inviting learning environment was bit daunting and getting the Honey Bees on board was exhausting...at first. Having never worked with this age, I had a lot of homework to do. Once I learned what milestones are developmentally appropriate at each month, I was able to put together a meaningful and interactive schedule where EVERY activity contributes to the constant learning and growth. And after 3 weeks, the Honey Bees and I are all on the same page! Now, if we can all nap together...

A Dog's Life 7/31/10

A test montage of a few favorite pictures of our four legged family.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A BEE-utiful Day!

Adasia and I spent the day together and I took her to the Memphis Farmers Market and to "My Big Backyard" at the Memphis Botanic Garden. It was a hot June day but we had tons of fun. I found an awesome blog to follow called Peace Bee Farmers and picked up a couple of their home-made honey products and talked to the son of the owner about taking the Busy Bees out to their bee farm to see why they are so appropriately named. Feeling bee-ish, I was able to take a few pictures of the flowers at the Garden with a few of my winged obsession. Oh, I did see a few flowers without bees, too.

Where Did The Time Go?

Dear Lord!! Has it really been a month? Well, at least I know I've been a busy bee. However, I never did make up to the attic to clean it out..., or the spare room..., or the closet. BUT I did start a new endeavor that took me a bit outside of my box.

A very good friend introduced me to some fabulous skincare products from Arbonne two years ago and I LOVE them. So what to do with this love and knowledge? Why, share it of course!! So last month, I launched my own Arbonne business. And I have to say that as a second income to help supplement what we lost when Michael lost his job 6 months ago, it's been awesome.

This venture has shown me several things: 1) How to put all this extroverted energy to good use, 2) That "NO" is merely a stepping stone not a wall and that applies to EVERYTHING, 3) I have an outstanding support system in my friends and family, and 4) I am a great communicator about ALL my passions. I'll be honest, this most certainly started as a way to make money but I have gained something more important than anything that has a monetary value...I found a certain strength in me that has given me a boost of self confidence. I have big plans for myself and I am looking forward to continuing.

So, off I go to grow and learn with Arbonne. Wish me luck...better yet, call me and lemme hook you up with "the Stuff"!!

Spring Break...What Really Happened!

Yeah...about that "To Do List". I didn't do diddley squat as far as projects or spring cleaning. I had far too much fun buzzing about Memphis and spending time outdoors and with friends.

I went to the Dixon Gardens (which I only do about once a year) and got to see most of the 20,000 tulips. It made me really miss the tulip farm in Mt. Vernon, WA which was about a 20 minute drive from my childhood home. But I did enjoy myself all the same.

I also got a chance to hang out with a friend and we went to the Memphis Zoo. I hadn't yet seen Akili (the newest addition to the growing giraffe family) and I was lucky enough to say goodbye to Cranberry (one of the polar bears) before she left for the Denver Zoo.

I made sure to fit in some time to walk with friends at Shelby Farms as well. All in all, a great Spring Break...all of the fun and none of the work!!

Spring Break!

Spring break has begun and while I have long list of spring cleaning projects, I'm not wasting anytime getting out to enjoy it. Over the weekend, I went to the Memphis Botanic Garden and tip-toed thru the tulips and gazed up into the magnolia trees. This week, a trip to the Dixon Gallery and Gardens for more tulips is in the plan.
And then eventually... the attic and spare room will be cleaned and organized.

I'll post some pictures of my before/after shots of my "To Do List". In the meantime, Happy Spring, Peeps.

Change Is Good

Well...the time was bound to come. Gotta say goodbye to you, Old Man Winter. We loved visiting with you; catching up in front of a cozy fire and sharing cups of hot chocolate. But like a great friend, you know when its time to go. You will never be forgotten and we will remember our coolest memories. We will miss you, dear friend...til next time.

Hello Lady Spring, how excited we are to see you again. Thank you for the flowers you sent to let us know of your arrival (a tad early but we are NOT complaining). Please feel free to stick around for awhile and make yourself at home. We will be out and about enjoying your company as often as the schedules allow.

Let's raise a glass of our favorite spirits and toast to a change in seasons!

Mr. Man

After throwing Mr. Man under the bus earlier this week, I felt is was only fair that I point out how much I appreciate the things he does to help me out.

Since he's been out of work, I've had it pretty easy around the house. The MOST I do is cook dinner and go grocery shopping. He always has the kitchen cleaned up and most times has the house vacuumed before I come home from work. He's completed a few home projects in between computer failings and even shampooed the carpets. All in all, a great stay-at-home husband.