Slow down???

Just a quick post. Last night was weigh in @ WW. Only lost -1.4 this week. Thinking I may be at a bit of a slow down, so I'm going to change up my exercise and eating a bit. I haven't been cheating on my points, but I think I need to eat more fresh foods like fruit, veggies. Got away from them a bit. I ate more of them for my points than I have been lately. So wish me luck. I'm VERY thankful I still haven't had a gain, but I gotta kick up my metabolism this week!

Have a great week!! Hoping it will be a productive scrapping one for me.

Mommy and Ross day...

We had such a great day yesterday, just Ross and I. We got up early and got ready to go to the big event. The Webkinz Extravaganza at the mall. He was SSOOO excited. He waited all week to go and worked hard at school to be able to go. We were early before the store opened and he was first in line which pleased him tremendously! He participated in all the fun activities. My friend Jen, happens to be the manager at the store and she and her girls there were the BEST! They made the day special for Ross.

He had the best time. We then went to Toys-R-Us to pick out the prize he worked hard for by passing the next level of his timed math drill. He is loving all things Scooby Doo right now ( I have no idea why) and has been wanting the Mystery Machine from the show in a bad way. So he finally earned it and we went and picked it out after we left the mall. He has to earn the characters still by passing the next level. But no worries. He has subtituted with other little toys he has to be Shaggy and Scooby. Peter Pan is taking the place of Shaggy and he found a little dog that is the right color to play Scooby. Hope they don't have an identity crisis.

It was a nice day. Love when it's just him and I. Those memories seem to be a little sweeter somehow. Just doing weekend chores today. I want to work in some scrapping, too. Need to catch up from our day of play yesterday. Hope you have a great weekend. Spend some time with those you love.

Feeling yucky but blessed

Been feeling yucky the last couple of days. Bad stomach pains that resulted in NO sleep Wednesday night. I mean none. I got to catch up on rest while Ross was at school yesterday. I needed it bad.

Feeling much better today. Beau is such a good dog. He stayed right beside me all night while I was sitting on the couch hunched over. He had to lay next to the bed while I was sleeping during the day. He knew I felt bad and he showed he was worried.

He is most definitly Ross' buddy. Always has to be where ever Ross is. If he's playing on the floor, Beau has to go get his own toy and lay next to him. Of course this also results in being dressed up and made to play in games of make believe that dogs only have nightmares of. He has been a pirate, a horse, a rodeo bull, a shark , to name a few. But he never wants to be away from any of us. Such a good dog.

Just being thankful today for the things in my life. Thankful my husband has a good job. That my son is healthy, smart, happy, and so loving. Thankful that I can be home with him for now. Thankful that the economy isn't hurting our family life. Thankful for my God and the many blessings that he makes apparent to me daily. Thankful for my family and the time I get to spend with them. Thankful that WW is working for me. Thankful for LSS"s and retail therapy. Thankful for "real" friends that want to listen and I can be myself around. Thankful for life in general.

Hope you and yours are thankful for what you may take for granted. That you have a car maybe that you can put gas into even if it horribly expensive. That you're healthy enough to sit in front of this and read it and not laying in a hospital. That you can see your loved ones while others may be lonely. Think about what you are blessed with instead of how miserable you feel.

Finished project

Finally got the album done for my aunt and was able to give it to her before she left this morning. This is the third bird album I have done for family members. They are tribute albums to my grandpa who went to heaven last October. I love doing these. They are all different. Each one has pictures that realte to him and the person receiving it. I am refining the process each time and finding different elements for each one is cool.
Hope you enjoy viewing it as much as I did creating it.

I am so relieved

So, tonight was weigh in. My scale said I had gained and I was panicking a tad bit. Okay, I was freaked out! I haven't had a gain since I started WW in January and refused to accept the fact that a gain may be feasable at some point. I was quite angry actually, beacuse I didn't go off my points -AT ALL- and I actually increased my exercise this week. So the possibility of a gain was quite frustrating.

But, thankfully, when I stepped on the scale, she wrote down -1.5. WOOHOO! Yes, ma'am, I will take that. Maybe the exercise built a little more muscle mass. That sounds like a good explanation. I'll go with that. Whatever the reason, I still have not had a gain and the smallest loss makes me happy.

It's getting hot. Perfect ice cream weather. It's such a good thing I don't crave ice cream. Chocolate on the other hand, calls to me. Sigh. WW has some pretty good chocolate snacks that do the trick. Can't wait to set up the sprinkler. I still like to get out there and play with Ross in the water. As long as I'm not actually submerged in any. Not really crazy about being in water. But sprinklers, squirt guns, slip-n-slide; they're all good.

I'm going to look into how much it costs to go the Y. Mainly to keep up my routine over the summer. Walking the trail now is fine, but the heat is definitly already becoming a factor. Hopefully it won't be to much. I can quit after summer and rejoin next year. That's the plan anyway. I've really started to LIKE exercising.

Well, gotta go make sure Ross is getting his math homework done. This week will be a bigger loss on the scales. I just feel it!!

Yumminess....

Have you SEEN the new stamps for Creative Cafe? UUMMM... YUM! Of course the specific ones in this picture are not in my possesion, but they have several others that spoke my name today! Love them! They match the previously released rub-ons that are oh so adorable. More inspiration has been shot in my vains!

Have to finish a project I've been working on for my aunt (hopefully by Sunday). I'll post pics when it's done.

Ross is a happy camper today. He is captivated by all things speed racer. I'm sure because of the movie previews. But guess what Wal-Mart had stocked on the shelves. Yep. He is the proud owner of his own Mach 5. So all is happy in the world of this 6 year old.

Well, I'll post some new pics of my project hopefully if the next couple of days. Hope you have a scrappy day!

Inspired today

I'm feeling inspired today and my creative juices are flowing. So just a quick post and then back to my desk. In the middle of a project, but a quick post is never hard to fit in, right?

If you have ever used a craft knife on a project, then you MUST try the Fiskars fingertip craft knife. It will make your cutting jobs a breeze. You get no soar fingers and it is so easy to control. It is simply fantastic. It looks a bit strange, but once you try it you will wonder how you ever lived without it. I don't have any affiliation with Fiskars, I just love this little knife. Perfect if you have lots of detailed cutting or as in my case, cutting out the shape of a mini chipboard page. Go to a LSS that may have them to demo and try it. You will love it.

Ross is taking SAT's this week. I tried to explain the importance of the testing to him without stressing him out about it. He was worried that it would be hard, but after I told him that it was all things he had already learned he felt better. My main concern is that he focuses and pays attention to what he reads. If he does those two things, he'll ace them!

Well, just wanted to do a quick post and not get behind. Just gotta remember that it just takes a few minute and some actual thinking to do a post that is meaningful. Love blogging. So glad I decided to do it.

Have a happy hump day!

T*H*I*R*T*Y~!~!~!~!

Spring means new beginnings and renewal as well as many other things. But new beginnings is where my heart is at right now.

I have lost to date 30 lbs. !!!!!!!!!!!! I am ssssssssssoooooooooo HAPPY! But even more I feel like I am actually getting somewhere and my goals are able to be seen at the end of a very long tunnel ahead of me! Next will be 40 then 50! F*I*F*T*Y! I can hardly wrap my head around that. 50. That's almost what my son weighs. I have a long way to go, but after tonight's weigh in, I feel like a new person is emerging. Actually it's not a new person. It's a person that I remember. A person that I liked to be and felt good about myself. I felt pretty. I am seing that person come back to life and it is AMAZING.

I feel for the first time since I had my son-almost 7 years-that I,me, myself is coming back to life. I LOVE being a mommy and a wife, but I put ME on the back burner for to long and my fire has been rekindled!! I lost myself for a while and it was okay to be where I was, but I wasn't happy with how I felt. I need to be that happy person FOR my son and husband. I'm getting back there, and it feels WONDERFUL!

Life lessons

We were going to go to the cemetery today, but some things came up and we won't be able to go. I was looking forward to going. We haven't been there since my grandpa died last year in October. Saturday would have been his birthday and my grandparents 66th anniversary. Can you imagine 66 years? I know there are so many things that I could learn from their marriage. They didn't have a perfect one, but my grandpa lived to make my gram happy. He did whatever he could (even though she was an unhappy person most of her life ) to try and make her happy. He loved her SO much. So, I try to practice the same love in my own marriage. A lot of times I may not want to do things, but I do it just the same. Sometimes I can see his thankfulness, but most of the time it goes unseen. But I can try. A lot of wives have their husbands in the war or their work takes them away from their family. I need to stop and look at what I'm blessed with instead of complain.

My husband is a great daddy. He has been teaching Ross to cast his own line. He's been doing pretty good. You can see in this picture that he can hold the line and flip the bail and cast all by his self. He's still working on not reeling the line in to close to the rod tip. They went in the boat yesterday and practiced with a bait and he did really quite good. I am BEYOND thankful he's a great daddy. I never had one.

So, I've been scrapping lately and have some big goals set. Wish me luck. My passion has been set free after being choked for to long. Gonna get some things done this week while visiting with my auntie. She looks fabulous! I hope I got those genes and will look that good in my sixties!

Tomorrow is weigh in at WW. Been walking a lot this week, so hopefully it will be good news. I haven't had a gain yet and I don't want one! Yikes.

Have a great week! Hope you think about life lessons you should be studying a bit more.

And I'm off...

....to the airport. Just a quick post to say I'll post some pics over the weekend. Busy, busy with my Aunt coming in and Ross only had half day of school today. Cleaned my car out (it needed it) and gave Ross a nap (he needed it).
Hope you have a happy weekend. Kiss those you love and say what you need to say =) !!

My Auntie is coming!

Going to go pick up my Aunt tomorrow from the airport. I'm really looking forward to her visit. It will be a surprise for my Gram's birthday. This will be her first trip home since Gramp passed last year. We are planning a trip to his grave and dinner with the family over the weekend. It will be a nice time being together which we do not do enough.

Hopefully I'll be able to spend more time with her this visit now that I won't be working while she's here. Maybe work in some scrappin' time one day. She is a scrapbooker as well.

Ross just adores her-the feeling is mutual I think!

She is the sweetest. And she looks pretty good for her 60's dont ya think? Can't wait to see her. Maybe one day I"ll be able to go to Texas and visit her. They say there are some great scrapbook stores out there-hee hee!

My bookworm...

I am SO proud of Ross. He is such a smart boy. Not that I'm trying to be partial. I'm just really so very proud of how hard he works at his school-work. He is so good at reading, writing and his spelling is just stellar. It comes so easy to him. I am so glad that he is blessed to not have to struggle. He isn't exactly "fond" of school. There are certain aspects that he enjoys ( playground of course), but math is more of a challenge. He really has to "work" at it. But he did get a 100% this week on his math test!!!!! WOO HOO!
I just wanted to get it out how proud my boy makes me. We are so fortunate that he can go to a good school with great teachers. I hope that he finds school and it's challenges something that he will look forward to and want to do good.
Hope I didn't ramble to much. I'm just really a proud momma today.

I 'm a big loser...

...again this week!!! Down another 2.6 lbs!!! Total of 27.6!! WOOHOO!!! I also marked another milestone last night. I knew we had friends coming in town and I was so anxious to see if they could tell how much weight I had lost since seeing me in October, And they did-immediatly!!
This makes me SOOO happy!

For others to notice is big for me. Anyway I'm thrilled!! Had a great walk this morning with my pal Lynn.
Ross went back to school today after his spring break and was not excited about it. He woke up crying at 5:45 saying he was going to miss me way to much at school! AAWWW! My sweet boy! We got past it. I love every stage that he grows into, but some days I really long to hold that "little" boy that seems like I held just yesterday. He has always been a momma's boy, yet he is all about being JUST like daddy.
Hope you had a happy Monday and a good week ahead!

Shy....

...little violets??? I think not! Mine are blooming proof that spring is definitly in the air. Love my violets! They are one of my "happy" things. And they make dishwashing a lot less mundane.LOL! They fill the entire length of my kitchen window. Everyone says that they are one of the hardest things to grow, but I don't have to even really try. I can't grow ANYTHING else. I think they are just in a happy, perfect spot. My mom says my great-grandma would be proud of my violets. She said that she always had them growing in her house. Mine are all different varieties, and colors. Love finding different kinds whenever I'm out. I never knew how many different kinds that there were. The one in this photo was actually one I found on the clearance rack, overwatered, and droopy. But the blooms were so different, so I nursed it back and it's re-bloomed three times since.

Hope that you had a happy weekend. Take time to look around and take in the new spring life around you. It might just be what you need to pick you up!!

Dinner tonight...

....will be wild turkey. Although I won't be eating any. It's best fried, but fried is not best while on WW. So I'll be eating salad and a Smart One most likely.

DH shot a nice bird this morning and this is the spread. Seen lots of turkeys, and got a good one.

His collection of tails is growing. He thought he would hang this one over my scrapbook desk and I said UHH, no. It looks just fine with the other ones. I need to now find something to hang where the that spot is so I don't come home to find some carcass hanging there one day. Sheesh!

Got pictures printed and setting on my desk and paper picked out for one set already. I'll try to post pics of anything I do happen to get done. Have a happy Saturday!

Water Fun

We had a nice day at the marina yesterday. Ross just loves to go out there and spend time with Aunt Ruth and sit behind the counter with her. He likes to draw and then go out to the bait tanks and get bait with her for the customers. I'm so glad that he's able to grow up and play there and make memories. His daddy grew up there as did most of his aunts and uncles, so it's nice to see him follow through in the same place making lots of fun memories. He loves the water. I guess it's just IN him to love it.

We had a picnic lunch and he got to play with his cousins who he just adores. They're on spring break too, so it was a good day to be together. The weather was beautiful. It's getting hot here quick! Makes walking a lot more uncomfortable, too. But I went this morning and feel so good afterwards.

Planning on hopefully working on some scrapping in today. As long as Ross stays busy. I'm sure we'll go outside at some point later when it cools down. Not much of his vacation left!

Hittin' The Trail......

.....the walking trail that is. First day back walking with my buddy Ann. It sure felt good, too. But was I ever pooped out by the time we got to the end of the trail! It's amazing what the two weeks off the trail from having the stitches did! However, even though I was exhausted, we actually beat our average time by 11 minutes!! Go figure!
Looking forward to walking again Friday. Gotta get my metabolism kicked back up where it was! I haven't gained any since I was I on the mend, but I only lost minimally. I've got some ever close approaching weight goals and I am feelin' the need to burn some calories!!
Gonna go have a picnic tomorrow with my sweet boy by the water. Spring break is flying by! Can't wait until Lynn gets back from San Diego. I forsee retail therapy in the very near future!
Hope you had a happy hump day!

Imaginarium Fun

We had SO much fun today! The Imaginarium was awesome and we look forward to going back soon! Ross got do everything, even touch snakes and a baby alligator! He was so brave. And when the man was telling us about the Ball Python, he explained that she was expecting babies soon. After each presentation of an animal, he would ask if any of the kids had any questions, and Ross did about the python.....how did the babies get in her?!!!!!!!! Well the man handled it well and I guess we will be having an in depth talk about animals mating soon. Yay!

It was a great place! Lots of different hands on things for the kids. We picked a good day. It wasn't crowded at all. I think it was a great spring break plan.