Cake, Camo, Goals, Memorials, H1N1,,.and so on and so on

Isaiah 30:20
Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.

What an insane past two weeks. So much has happened that I don't really know where to start. Let's see...the beginning is as good a place as any, I suppose.

Wednesday, September 17, 2009. Andre came home from school sick. We went to the doctor and they said it was probably the flu but no bad symptoms; just let it run its course.

Thursday, September 18, 2009...Andre was sicker so I took him back to the doctor, where they discovered he had pneumonia. No school until at least Monday.

Sunday, September 20, 2009, I got a call during Sunday school that my mother was unresponsive and being taken to the hospital from her nursing home in Grand Saline. I met my sister there and Mama was actually semi-alert; enough to where she asked me about me cutting my hair off and dying it blond. She told my sister and I that she loved us very much, then was unresponsive again. They did a CT scan and saw a massive brain bleed. They care-flighted her to Tyler, where the trauma surgeon explained to us that there was no hope and that they were transferring her to hospice. Mama passed away that night close to 9:00, peacefully and without pain. It was horrible and awful for us, and I am still so very sad about her loss..but know that she is rejoicing today, well and able to dance and sing and see her relatives that she's missed for so long.

Monday, September 21, 2009...Clay came down with the flu. He missed three days of school because of it. It was strain A, but not positive for H1N1. He and J.P. weren't going anyway, due to the loss of my Mama. Andre had to go to school since he had missed several days the week before.

Thursday, September 24, 2009...we all went back to school and work.

Saturday, September 26, 2009...I started feeling quite unwell.

Sunday, September 27, 2009...thought a bus had hit me in my sleep...not good.

Monday, September 28, 2009...went to doctor. Positive for strain A flu. No tamiflu for me, though...only for children and elderly patients. Rest and fluids advised.

Wednesday, October 1, 2009...back to doctor...thought death was near. Much MUCH worse, and had a strange new symptom with a SWOLLEN face (right side). CT scan, new antibiotic, new diagnosis of secondary strep infection and a sinus infection...hurray. Doc said that if I did not improve in 24 hours, I was going to the hospital. She also said I better have a backup plan in line for taking care of the kids if I go to the hospital. Yikes.

Thursday, October 2, 2009...back to doctor AGAIN. Was already better, thankfully. No hospital for me.

Friday, October 3, 2009...got a call from the doc; she confirmed I did, in fact, have H1N1 flu. Good to know now that I was either going to get well or die.

Saturday, October 3, 2009...spent the afternoon at the Outdoorsman's Expo at FBC since I was feeling up to it. Had a lot of fun!!! Also had my early birthday party (combined with my friend Lisa, since our bdays are the same) at Julie's house...lots of fun, fellowship, and an awesome cake. It's good I had the cake that night, because that morning, I weighed in at WW and met my 10% goal!! I've lost 26.6 pounds. WOW!!!

Which brings me to today....Sunday, October 4, 2009. Looking forward to a new week with NO new events, and NO doctor visits. If I go any more, they'll have to rename it after me. I've funded at least one new wing. ;)



Have a blessed week!!

Weight Watchers Wednesday

OK, now it's serious. I am down 22.8 pounds already! My clothes look like a "family of gypsies has moved out of them" according to close family. ;) I am so motivated to lose more weight that I even WALKED IN THE RAIN. What is wrong with me??? ;)

I'm proud of myself, but mostly I'm proud that I got two of my besties and one of my co-workers to join WW. I think we can be great support for one another and I know that we will all be healthier for it. We can walk together, celebrate together, and enjoy our newer, healthier lifestyle together! We can also go shopping together as necessary. ;) I think that might have to be soon, since my pants keep falling down.

I'm loving finding new recipes to try, even though I still don't consider myself to be much of a cook at all. I grilled salmon the other night, and had roasted broccoli and a huge salad with it. The boys loved it. Of course they love anything they can slather in honey mustard. I won't tell them it was LIGHT honey mustard. ;)

The rain is putting a damper (no pun intended) on my walking at times. When it's more than drizzling, I don't walk but I am keeping active. I have my Gazelle and I also do more housework to keep up with the activity points. I should get a treadmill, I suppose. Anyone have one for sale, cheap?

Have a glorious week and I'll see you soon. :)

Weight Watchers Wednesday

So I'm almost 7 weeks into the program...and I am 20 pounds lighter, 2 dress sizes smaller, and a mite more healthy I do believe. I can't believe I never did this before. What was I thinking? Rather, what was I NOT thinking? I've actually had fun doing two things that were the very bane of my existence before: exercise and cooking. Seriously.

Cooking has been fun because I have learned many new and interesting things that can be thrown into a crock pot. I love it when a plan comes together. ;) I have tried a lot of recipes that have been good enough that the kids haven't questioned my abilities or my sense of taste (shout out to Melisa for the recipes!). I've also created and substituted things that fit our tastes better, which has worked out well so far. I've not been sad at the grocery store, staring longingly into the bakery section or anything. I've found lots of things that taste as good and are more filling and less fattening. I'm also finding that by using the recipes, I have made out grocery lists and planned menus...which means fewer trips to the store and actually a better grocery bill. Yay!

Exercise is something I actually...seriously...look forward to! I walk in the mornings, about a mile and a half, and then I'm walking in the evenings, about a mile and a half to two and a half miles. I do this 5 or 6 days a week. I truly believe this is what is making the difference for me weight-wise. I've been able to step up my pace and now go a mile and a half in about 20 minutes. I'm walking farther to get more time in, since WW activity points go by time and not distance. In the mornings I walk about 25 minutes, and in the evenings I am up to 45 minutes. Each step makes me stronger, healthier, and more determined to lose weight.

I can't wait for Monday. I think I'm in new numbers this week, which will mean at least one more star. I am at a point now where I'm at a weight I have not seen since Byron died, and possibly even before then. I had a strange experience shopping over the weekend...I went to the racks and headed straight for the same old size I've worn for the past two years, and then realized it wouldn't fit. I went to the next size down, but when I tried it on, it was still too big. Even though I knew that would be the case, psychologically, I haven't gotten myself past that old self-image. Is it just me or is that a phenomenon with most people who are big and start losing weight? I wound up not buying anything, but I came home and looked in my closet...which holds a variety of sizes throughout...and found a new pair of pants I had bought 2 years ago but never could button. I wore them to work today! Guess what...I had to pull them up more than a few times. ;)

A Little of This, A Little of That, and a lot of Music!

Judges 5:3
"Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel.

I have been a non-blogger the past two weeks. I had to let school start and immerse myself back into the routine of it all. Hopefully things are back down to a fair sense of normal, whatever the heck that is. ;)

Football is in full swing now, and the Terrell Tigers are 2-0. Wow! I am so proud of our team. I'm also proud of the band, the colorguard, the Tigerettes...they make us shine and I am thrilled to be a part of it all every week.

I have not posted my last two Weight Watchers Wednesdays...I feel awful! But I have been losing weight still; 19.4 pounds as of last week. I'm on a roll and don't intend to stop for at least 70 or so more pounds.

Anyway, on to the topic of local music. I was able to get in a promo shoot with the guys from "Hey Jersey" this weekend, and caught their show at The Adelaide (along with three other local bands). The talent all our kids seem to possess is incredible. If you ever have an opportunity to see a show at this particular venue, I highly recommend it. Mark Nichols runs a very tight ship at The Adelaide and the kids who come to the shows are well behaved and are there to have a great time with some awesome local music and hang out with their friends. My son filled in as a bass player for "Horseshoes and Hand Grenades" and did a great job with that, I think. I took a lot of pictures of the bands...some samples follow below. To see the whole shebang, you have to check out my facebook page. ;)

Horeshoes and Hand Grenades:






Hey Jersey:







Hey Jersey Promo Shoot:

Ride 'em, Cowgirl!

Psalm 23:1
[ A psalm of David. ] The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

I had the best time shooting pictures of this little filly...Avery is a sweetie and I would take her home with me in a second (if it weren't for those pesky boys of mine). ;) She's about to turn 3 and is having a "cowgirl" themed party. These shots are for the invitations. I will only post a few, but there are so many good ones I bet her mom has a hard time choosing! :)

Weight Watchers Wendesday

So after three full weeks on the Weight Watchers plan, I've lost 15 pounds. F-I-F-T-E-E-N pounds! Yay me! I have to put that into perspective, into terms I can visualize. Two full-term newborns. Two gallons of milk. That's a lot! I'm so excited to be experiencing success and to still feel so motivated to lose more.

However...

I can't escape the feeling of "waiting for the other shoe to drop," so to speak. I keep thinking this is just too easy. The scales must be wrong. It can't be as simple as this. It can't be just eating better and moving more. Am I the only one who has felt this way? I think it's ingrained, from a lifetime of going up and down the scale so much I ought to have whiplash. I mean, seriously...who in their right mind is excited to get up early in the morning to go walk a mile or two? I really feel better in the mornings when I get my walk in first thing. I look forward to it in the evenings because it's a few minutes of peace. Plus I have to hear the next chapter of my book (currently in the middle of Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer).

I know it won't always be this easy. I know I will have to slow it down a bit because losing enough to accomplish this first goal probably consisted of a lot of fluid and a lot swelling that would naturally come off easier. I'm praying that I stay motivated and excited even when the losses come in numbers like .8 or .25. A loss is a loss, you know. Until then though, I'm relishing earning my little star stickers. :)

30 Compressions...2 Breaths

Genesis 2:7
the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

CPR is something that I feel everyone should know how to perform, at least at a rudimentary level...just in case. As part of my job duties, I have been certified by the Red Cross to be a CPR/AED/First Aid instructor and as such, I am an authorized provider for the training for the school district.

Today I recertified 37 Petermann Transportation employees for CPR and AED. It was a full day. We had two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Working with recerts is actually kind of fun, because since they've already sat through the whole 8 hour class before, doing the "challenge" to recert simply consists of taking the written exam (all three parts) and then performing the actual skills on the manikin so that I can be sure they know how to do the steps properly. That's the most time consuming part, but it's my favorite part as well.

I explain to anyone I teach that I want to be confident enough in their abilities that I would allow my own children to be on their bus and know that they could take care of them if the need were to arise (God forbid).

Fortunately today, everyone passed the exam and all demonstrated appropriate skills. We have a good group of drivers and they were all attentive and asked questions. I am confident that if there were an emergency, they each have the capability to handle it.

Even though the challenge is shorter, with 37 people to go through, I am a tired little girl tonight. It takes it out of you!

If you never remember anything at all from a CPR course, remember this...30 chest compressions, 2 breaths...you can help make a difference and possibly save a life.

Weight Watchers Wednesday

So I made it through another week on program without feeling deprived or denied anything. I lost 1.4 pounds. Not as dramatic, of course, as the previous week, but still a good loss for a week. I'll take it!! It was a little more difficult this week, especially with the wedding (and wedding food, wedding cake, etc.) but I did just fine and didn't go over my weekly allowance at all. In fact, I only used 9 of my 35 weekly points.

I'm exercising twice a day and now am up to a mile and a half each time. I really enjoy using that time to walk to listen to books and to spend some time in thought or prayer.

Here's to another good week and good loss! :)

P.S. If you get a chance, look at the article in the Tribune yesterday about Project HOPE. I made the cover! ;)

http://www.terrelltribune.com/articles/2009/08/12/news/doc4a8307bd5fe08760768953.txt

Wedding Bells Are Ringing...

Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Two very dear friends of mine were united in marriage on Saturday afternoon. I had the privilege of taking their wedding pictures for them, and thought I'd share a few with you.

The bride lost her husband one day before I lost mine, also very suddenly due to a heart attack. The groom lost his wife almost two years ago due to a sudden stroke. The pair have known each other for a very long time, as their families went to church together. After their spouses' passing, they both attended GriefShare, a grief counseling program at First Baptist. After the semester in the support group, their friendship grew and they fell in love. I am so very, very happy for them. They give me hope that there is love out there in the world, somewhere! :)

Busy week ahead, working on the rest of their pictures and putting together a surprise for them. I'll keep you posted! :)

Weight Watchers Wednesday

I had my first full week of WW as of Monday. I stayed completely on program, and I never once felt hungry or wanted to eat something that wasn't such a great choice for me. I stayed full, and I ate what seemed like a lot of food. I chose to eat several times during the day in smaller portions that were just a few points here and there, rather than using them in big chunks on a couple of big meals. I only used 2.5 of my "extra" weekly point allowance, and I never traded any of my activity points. Speaking of activity points, I earned 20 of them. I walked every day except Sunday, and I used my Gazelle when it rained. I made a conscious choice to do what was right and what was necessary to lose some of this junk in my trunk.

So.....I went to the meeting, kind of nervous about that first weigh-in. I have dieted many, many times, only to find that all my hard work was for naught. I went in, stepped up on the scale, and the lovely WW lady looked at me, then looked at the scale reading, then looked at me again with this strange look. I thought something was wrong, so I got off and got back on, and she said "I have to get out my calculator, you lost so much!!" I was in shock. I was expecting maybe a pound or two. My grand total for week 1's loss? 8.2 pounds, baby!!!!! E-i-g-h-t point t-w-o!!! I was on cloud nine!!

I'm still on program, I'm still walking (got two miles in today, as matter of fact), and think I might have finally found something that works for me. I'm giving it the old college try, that's for sure. I'm working hard to get in the right number of servings of fruits, veggies, and dairy...but I'm still struggling with the oils. I don't eat much oil.

Now I know that every week won't be like that, and I know that it will usually be in that 1-2 pound loss (but I'll take ANY loss). I'm not getting my hopes up for that because it didn't take me overnight to become this big, so it will not be overnight for me to lose it all. I'm patient, though. Someday you'll see me sashay through the streets of Terrell (yes, that's right, I will SASHAY) and wonder where the other half of me went. Promise. :)

Little Drummer Boys

2 Samuel 6:5 (New International Version)

⁵ David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.

OK, well maybe not so little...but they certainly fit the drummer boy bill. Here is the bulk of the 2009-2010 Fighting Tiger Drum Line. There are a couple not pictured (one broke a toe and one has strep throat). They already sound good to me, and band camp is only a few days old. Today they were marching up and down the drive along the back of the high school, which happens to go by my building and my office window. I was surreptitiously taking pictures so as not to embarrass that snare player in the front with the green shirt...he'd never forgive me if the other guys saw his mom taking pictures of practice, I'm sure. ;)

Off and Running

Acts 20:7
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.

Back to work yesterday...and it was great to be back. I was afraid I'd be all discombobulated from being on vacation so long, but it's like a bicycle. ;)

Weight Watchers meeting was last night...and my first weigh in. I'll have to let you know the results on Wednesday, but it's good, so look for that coming this week.

Band practice is every morning at 7:00 now...they go 7-11 and then 1:30-3:30. Two a days, if you will. The show is going to be AWESOME this year. The music is "Scheherazade" from 1001 Nights. I can't wait to hear it every morning from my office at the high school. They practice right behind my building so I always hear it. I wish I was musically inclined, but unfortunately, I can't even play the triangle. ;) I'll try to get a shot of them practicing and then post it up for today.

J.P. came home from camp yesterday afternoon. He had a wonderful time and was completely hoarse. He said he lost his voice screaming for the band and screaming at the girls to be quiet. ;) He told me about the fun things they did, and then told me about the groups and their meetings and devotionals. He learned 11 new bible verses. He also opened up and told me that in one group they discussed fears, and his fear right now is when André goes off to college and leaves him here...he said he won't have another guy here to "teach him how to do stuff." He actually cried. It was so sweet. Most of the time they just fight like cats and dogs...but I know deep down they love each other and that J.P. looks up to André very much.

Summer Ends...School Begins

Exodus 35:2
For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD.

Sadly, today is my last day of summer vacation. Tomorrow I must report back to work at THS. Now don't get me wrong...I LOVE my job and am truly blessed to work with a group of amazing ladies and wonderful kids that make it not seem like work at all. Heck, I'm truly blessed to work at all in these tough economic times!

I have really enjoyed the last six weeks I've had off with the kids. I've accomplished most of what I wanted to do, and I have had some very restful moments along with some wonderful and exciting ones. I wouldn't mind it going on a few more weeks, that's for sure!

HOWEVER...

I am really looking forward to this year. My head is full of new ideas and lots of motivation to try new things with my students. I am starting a new support group for my Project HOPE student parents, so that they can not only cope with teen parenthood a little better, but also earn "Baby Bucks" to spend in our new Parent Pantry on diapers, wipes, and other necessary baby items (we always need diapers and wipes for the pantry if you feel led to donate!).

I pray that this is going to be a wonderful and effective year for all my students. Yes, we face some tough times and many challenges, but I have faith that we will overcome the obstacles and come out in early June having accomplished what we set out to do at Project HOPE keep students in school and get them across the stage at graduation, despite their circumstances.

Here are a few of my favorite pics I've taken at work. You'll have to click on the pics to see the whole image...they look funny on here but you can see the whole shot when you click on it.

Rain, rain...don't go away!

Deuteronomy 28:12
The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.

I don't think I can recall a more rainy July. I had to look up some statistics just to see where we stand. According to the website Weatherbase, our zip code has, on average, 2.1 inches of rain in July. We average 4.3 rainy days in July, historically. As best I can tell, we had 4.81 inches of rain for July and 9 days with measurable precipitation. All I know is that I'm thankful for it and glad that my water bill will be slightly less since I haven't had to water as much! :)

Rain always makes for great photos if you know where to look...here are some of my personal faves I've taken just after a rainfall. Enjoy! :)

A Walk to Remember

Genesis 1:5
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Instead of listening to an audio book this morning, I decided to take my camera with me on my walk. I love to walk early in the morning, when the only sounds are those made by crickets and birds, and the only movement is the breeze or the occasional critter. The colors are more vivid, the scents of nature are more pure, and the hopefulness of the day is palpable. Here are the scenes I typically encounter daily. Enjoy!