Awakening

As many of you know (like THAT many really read this...HA!), work has been a struggle for quite some time.

My oldest son came in after football practice last night. We commenced with the usual exchange of stuff he did at school and football practice. As I was cooking dinner and a burrito mixture for the faculty breakfast I was hosting, Allen came to me and asked, "Did you have a bad day at work? Were people being mean to you?"

I promptly mumbled, "Well, a little, I guess...Why did you just ask me that?"

Allen then countered with, "It just seems like you are in a bad mood a lot when you come home from work."

WOW! Isn't that telling!

So, from that moment I decided that instead of feeling grumpy and tired, I will try to help the situation by talking to the right people about my frustrations.

Now, I know that it will not wipe out the grumpiness....and I definitely know that it won't wipe out the tiredness...But, it will help me to feel better and then be happier when I come home...

Awakening, indeed!

Fall is in the air...

...It is getting ever-so-slightly cooler here in TX.

I thought that I would update my background because these are the only fall colors that I may see! :-)

School has been absolutely crazy with 3 our of 5 new administrators...

Big learning curve for them....Big adjustment curve for us...

I really need to vent more with the blog.

I get overwhelmed with having to write a major creation every time I sign in.

I need to get over that, don't I?

I am so excited for General Conference this weekend...Perspective is a good thing, don't you think?

I am currently serving the the YW presidency and as choir director....Two of my "favorite" callings. Both of them bring great blessings to my life.

That's all for now!

Wild!

Seth, Kaden, and I have been walking on a trail near the lake.
I think Seth has an eye for photography.
These are his pictures with NO touch-ups!

Wow...Last Published April 26th...That's alarming!

It's been awhile hasn't it?

Yep...Still at the 30 pound mark and it's OK. I am going to revitalize my diet and exercise plan next week and work toward 20 more this summer. Wish me luck!

We are nearing the end of my 5th year teaching in Texas(11th overall....Just in case anyone was wondering). I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed the students this year! I might miss them a little bit.

There have been some things about this year that have been painful. Administration has been in a huge mess that they themselves created. It has pretty much devastated the morale on campus. So, I choose to deal with "my" children in "my" room and enjoy myself. I stay hidden in my corner of the world and do my job(better some days than others).

I'm anxious to get my AP scores back this year. I feel like I might have broken through some conceptual walls and reached some understanding myself that helped me create better lessons for the students. I guess only time will tell, right?

My oldest son has come a long way in his first year of middle school. I have worried A LOT throughout this year. Sometimes I have come to his rescue a little to help him. I did that when I felt like he had shown some serious improvement in responsibility(like a little liaison between he and his teachers).

My middle child(I know! I was a middle child, too...) has really blossomed in his 3rd grade year. I have learned that he needs to know a little about what will happen before it happens...Then he is OK. This relates to everything in his life, too. I'm glad that I figured this out so soon in his life...Makes my life and his much easier.

My youngest child is nearly reading, thanks to his preschool experience. He loves school and is a smart little guy. Nothing gets past him!

I guess when I step back and realize that I have had an EXTREMELY stressful year, I also note that my Heavenly Father has also given me immense blessings in other areas to "off-set" the pain of my work experience this year. Hmmmm, I guess He understands, doesn't He?

Graduation practice happens tomorrow and Graduation on Saturday. It will be the end of a growing year for myself and others. I'm so proud of my "little people"--those that are mine forever and those that are mine for a short time--all of them!

I'll try to do more blogging over the summer break...It really feels good to reflect for a moment.

I Have a Dream...

...well not me actually. It was Kaden...

This morning as I was getting ready for church, he came into the bathroom and talked to me:

K: I wish I could go to a lighthouse!

M: A lighthouse?

K: Yeah, with Rock Obama...

M: Oh, the White House...

K: Yeah, the White House....with Rock Obama.

M: Did you dream about that last night?

K: Yep, you, Daddy, and brothers went to the White House. I wish I could go!


WHAT? Hilarious! :-)

Well, almost there

My goal this week was to finally hit the 30 pound mark...

I almost made it...29.5 pounds to date.

I have made it a mission of sorts to include more protein and very little carbs. If I do have carbs, they are those filled with fiber... :-)

Wanted: Encouragement!

Ok, so last week I had lost 4 pounds, but this week I am back up the four pounds!

What is wrong with my body? There are so many fluctuations in my weight...

I am a little frustrated. I can see why people generally give up on this weight loss thing...

I was hoping to make the 30 pound mark this week, but ended up back to 25... :-(

I burned (according to the machines which I know is not accurate) 1000 calories 6 times last week...

How could I have eaten 14,000 more calories than I need in order to have gained 4 pounds this week?

It doesn't make any sense!

My eating wasn't the best, but if I knew that I was going to gain 4 pounds, I probably would have really enjoyed myself... :-)

Anyway, any thoughts?