On this gloomy Sunday, I:

• worshipped the Creator of the universe, who loves me despite my sinfulness


• sipped tea cozied up on the couch watching Gilmore Girls reruns


• baked fresh bread


• did not have to clean up lunch dishes (thank you, Subway)


• am happily catching up on neglected schoolwork from the past 2 months


• am looking forward to hanging out with friends tonight that we haven't seen in months


• am loving the cute kitty cat curled up at my feet

• breathed--for the first time since school started.

So Proud!

Our competition girls got 4th in the district today!! I was so proud of them. They performed their routine the absolute best they have done all season TWICE!! While we don't get to move on to Regionals, it was definitely a day of excitement and pride. We overcame 2 injuries that happened in the last 24 hours which resulted in us having to us an alternate girl at the last minute, since one injured girl was unable to compete. We were so proud of their hard work!! I couldn't stop jumping up and down as they hit EVERY SINGLE STUNT and totally rocked our socks off!

I would just like to say...

I did it! I went to the gym! I did Day 1 of the running program! And...


I DID NOT DIE OF AN ASTHMA ATTACK.




Patrick told me I should set some goal, like running a marathon this time next year.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, baby.

It's Time

I just got an email from our head cheerleading coach with the coming basketball season schedule. I was reluctant to open it, not prepared, at this point in the hectic game I am calling Life, to see how my time would be slipping away again in the near future. (Please do not get me wrong. I am LOVING coaching. It has just been crazy lately, and I'm tired.)

Turns out, not so bad! Between the four coaches, it works out to me supervising one game every week to week and half or so. Do you know what this means?? This means that I MIGHT be able to slowly dig my way out of the mound that has slowly been growing around me for the past 2 months entitled My To-Do List. This means I might be able to actually ENJOY the holidays without it seeming like a blurry mess.

Also, I am thinking about starting this program this week (thoughts?). I desperately need to start exercising. I dream of being a runner. I would love to be one of those people who "needs to run" (this phrase has never come out of my mouth). For whom running is "theraputic" and who just can't go without it.

Plus, everyone I know who runs is skinny.

I would like to be skinny. Just. Once. In. My. Life.



Is that too much to ask?

Confessions:

Life has been crazy. More like a blur since September 8th, aka The Day School Began. Patrick is back in school. I am teaching and coaching cheerleading and trying not to lose my mind/social life in the process. Meanwhile, we have fallen off the horse in just about every area of healthiness/sanity in our lives:

1. We have only been drinking soda for days. Weeks really.
2. The last time we exercised was the night we walked to the end of the block to see trucks repairing a water line break down the street, about a month ago. We saw lots of lights and thought there was a fire. We were sorely disappointed to walk all that way just for a water line break. And sadly, out of breath.
3. The laundry has been stacking up for maybe a good 3 weeks. Patrick is taking that back over soon. He did a much better job than me.
4. We are currently being very successful at sticking to a strict high-carb, high-cheese diet.
5. Often during quick trips outside, we will observe the rotting, decaying leaves in the pool and the clogged drain at the bottom of the basement stairs and remark to one another, "We should really do something about this." Then we quickly retreat inside for a high-carb, high-cheese snack instead. We have determined it is best not to even go out there anymore.
6. We have convinced ourselves that the clutter all over the house makes it look "lived in" and "cozy." These terms make us feel better. They just do.



But this is a new week. Patrick has a 2 week break from school. Competition season in cheerleading is quickly reaching its peak (Districts this coming Saturday and Regionals are next week) and life as we know it will hopefully slow down. Hopefully?!? Please?!? I don't know how much more I can take. We did set some goals for the week to make us feel more on the ball:
1. Exercise at least twice.
2. Do not go out to eat (I took Friday night to go bulk shopping and prepare some freezer meals...more on this to come)
3. Close down the pool.

Oh, and Patrick just informed me while reading this that no, my social life is actually dead. I'm going to try to work on this too.

Finally...

• finished painting my grandma's old jelly cabinet and moved it into my dining area for extra storage
• gave myself a much needed mani and pedi
• got some good sleep
• got my husband to clean and return the ugly metal dog pin that's been sitting in our living room from when our cat broke her leg 1 YEAR AGO
• brought up the fall and winter clothes up from the basement
• made a good trip to the grocery store
• started that book that's been laying on my bedside table for the last year
• got to see my good friend from high school who's moved back and her precious family!

A productive yet relaxing weekend. Perfect for the beginning of Fall, my favorite season!!

Weekend Plans

In a couple words:

1. Sleep in.
2. Read.
3. Wear pajamas.
4. Worship.
5. Date.


I'm reveling in the fact that I'm caught in grading and lesson plans. It's still early enough in the year that I'm motivated to get things done, and I mean GET THINGS DONE, in planning period. You should see it...I'm like a freight train! A grading machine. In a short time, though, essays will be turned in, tests will stack up, the "to be filed" pile will be uncontrollable, and I will slowly begin to lose my mind (and my free time).

For now, peace like a river.

Week 1 Down

It's midnight on Sunday and I still haven't gone to bed. I don't have to teach tomorrow because our principal is coming to speak to all my classes on school rules (a routine, beginning of the year procedure) so I feel like a little kid who gets to stay up past their bedtime!! On a school night!

So I survived the first week of school with a much more peaceful attitude than I had antcipated. I made my To Do List during teacher work week, completed it, and showed up on the First Day of School calmer and more relaxed than I really thought I would be (despite the fact that I could not sleep the night before...). I have a first period this year so getting to school on time is a MUST and I must say I have done a superior job so far! I've gotten up when the alarm clock goes off and only managed to hit snooze once. We'll see if that's still the deal come November...

My kids this year are much quieter than last year! I will say, I miss my former students like crazy!! I feel like a mama whose baby chicks have flown the coop. I had visits from lots of them throughout the week and am looking forward to the point in the next couple weeks when my current students start to feel like my own in the same way my former students did. It's nice to know more kids in the school as well and not be the newbie on the block anymore.

Hopefully Week 2 be even better as we start to get into the flow of the class and I get back in the habit of running a classroom. Thanks for your prayers!

Back to School Eve

The last load of laundry is in the wash so that I have the absolute full spectrum of my clothes from which to choose my First Day of School Outfit.

Today I stocked the fridge/pantry with peanut butter, jelly, banana, apples, and plenty of bread.

Mom bought me a new Teacher Bag so that I can finally ditch the ugly black square briefcase-looking thing they give us to carry our laptops in. Hello red snakeskin with a shiny buckle! You will make leaving for work in the dark each morning not so dreary.

I also bought new travel mugs. There are never enough when we're both working.

Pencils are yet to be sharpened and I still have to put the finishing touches on my First Day PowerPoint.

Tomorrow is coming so quickly...

A Married Person Date

Shared a pepperoni, mushroom, and onion pizza
Cherry coke (my first soda in 2 weeks) to boot
Catching up on our bulk grocery shopping
"Surprise" bouquet of daisies in honor of finishing Grad school
Stopping off at Food Lion for a bottle of champagne
Home to hang out and enjoy each other's company



A lovely time was had by all.

The Diet Ball

I dropped it.

Yep. Again.

That's ok...the important thing is that I keep picking it back up, right?

So tomorrow I'm starting this. This challenge follows the basic guidelines for the Abs diet, I will just be adding spinach or kale to my smoothies (stop turning up your nose; you can't even taste it!) and eating a salad with dinner (hopefully instead of having a second helping).

I have read really good things about green smoothies. Lindsey talks about them here (I don't know Lindsey, but I love her blog!) There is also good information here and here. No, I'm not going all "raw-food" on you. Yuck! I like to cook wayyyy too much (really, probaby too much. Seriously. That's why we're where we are in this whole diet thing, people.) Just trying to be a little more healthy. I'm also hoping to rev up my immune system with the start of the school year looming. I always get sick the first few weeks of school as my immune system adjusts to living in a moldy cave for 8 hours of the day and interacting with/touching papers handled by/being in the same vicinity as a thousand snotty teenagers. That is not mean; I love teenagers. Really I do. But they can be a little snotty at times, admit it.

So, a green smoothie each day, no white sugar, no soda, a salad with dinner, and 15 minutes of activity. 30 days. We'll see!

Innnnnndiana!

I keep wanting to sing the Oklahoma song, except we're in Indiana. But it sort of works, right? The wind is sweeping through that's for sure, giving me the ultra hot wind-blown look as we walked in the building for Patrick's orientation.

My hubby is starting grad school. ::Sigh:: He's doing a "hybrid program" through Taylor University in Indiana, a 16-month program through which he will receive his Masters of Business Administration. He chose Taylor for several reasons:
1. He sort of wanted to go to undergrad there, but life had different ideas.
2. They have a great program that centers around a practical Christian worldview of business. That was important to him (and me) as we seek to live every area of our lives to glory of God.
3. The hybrid program is cool because he comes to Indiana twice a semester for 2-day seminars then does the rest online so it's sort of a mix between sitting in an actual class and distance learning. This is good for his learning style (Don't get me started on learning styles. I have to start teaching again in a couple weeks. Ugh. Not ready...that's my new middle name).
4. The hotel where we stay is connected to a flippin' sweet mall.

Ok, number 4 is actually why I like this program. I got to come for this trip and will be spending my free time (window) shopping, sleeping in the (flippin' sweet) hotel room (thank you, hotwire.com), and reading FOR PLEASURE.

I accompanied Patrick to his orientation tonight and kept having mild panic attacks everytime the lady started explaining how to submit assignments, check blackboard, and communicate with group members for projects. I DON'T WANT TO DO ASSIGNMENTS.... I DON'T WANT TO WRITE ANYMORE PAPERS... PLEASE NO MORE GROUP PROJECTS... But then the most glorious thing happened: I REMEMBERED THAT I AM NOT THE ONE IN SCHOOL!! THIS IS NOT MY ORIENTATION! I am, in fact, done with school (except the fact that my profession requires me to go to school every single day, but teaching is so much better than being a student. I'm so done with being a student.) So my panic attack subsided and I relaxed, looked at my hubby--so eager to check his backboard and take notes in class, and gave thanks that it was him and not me. (Such a supportive wife, huh.)

Well, the supportive wife did kick in, thank you very much, when Patrick dropped me off at the hotel after a delicious Mexican dinner and headed back to begin his first classes. I felt like a proud, worried mama sending off her baby on the first day of school. "Have fun! Make new friends! I'll be there when you get home!" I kept saying to him. (I also nagged him profusely about getting him a new backpack or some mechanical pencils while I am out tomorrow.)

Seriously though, I am SO proud of him for sticking to his goals and going back to school. He said he would as soon as I was done, but we always secretly feared life would just be too crazy by then. Well, life is crazy, but he is going for it anyway. Pray for us! Fall is going to be a doozy.

Update on PearBudget

We are about 1 week into our attempt at a new budget system, and I think I can say that IT'S WORKING?! We are using PearBudget, which allows you to categorize your expenses as you enter in your receipts daily. I must say that having to attach a "label" to every single cent you spend really makes you think hard whether you actually want the item or not.

Last night I had a few minutes to spare before I had to be at a school meeting so I stopped by Fresh Market (we had gone to inner near by). Usually I'm so compelled to make impulse purchases at Fresh Market because everything smells so nice and is packaged so beautifully (yes, I'm a sucker for good marketing...yes, I was a marketing major and should be able to see through all the pizzazz...), but as I walked through the store I kept thinking about the $157.62 I have left in the "groceries" category for this month. Do I really want to eat it up (no pun intended) with this box of fancy tea or a pound of overpriced coffee when we already have these things at home?

Another great benefit is that Patrick and I both see where money is going. Before, he did the budgeting and I just ran most of my purchases by him, getting mad if he told me no on something. Now I can see it too as it's all laid out in neat little columns and I can better understand why he might say no at a certain point in the month, etc. Since I'm responsible for entering the receipts for the day, we sort of report to each other each night what we spent. This holds us accountable to each other as well for how we're spending our money.

The verdict for Week 1 is: so far, so good. I'll continue to report as we encounter any interesting situations.

OH! I almost forgot! PearBudget also has a blog, which has great tips for saving and budgeting! I mean good tips, doable tips. This product is really great.

I <3 Veggies.

Patrick did not like this super delicious amazing salad.



That's ok! More for me :)
Ignore the poor lighting. The salad was very pretty despite what this photo would have you think.

Sabbath Compilation

To God be the glory
Great things He hath done...

Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Jesus, author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

My chains are gone, I've been set free.

It's my joy to honor You.
In all I do, I honor You.

Oh the Wonderful Cross
Bids me come and die
to find that I might truly live

Shape and fashion us
in Your likeness
That the light of Christ
might be seen today
in our acts of love
and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord
and fulfill in us
all Your purposes
for Your glory.

My chains are gone, I've been set free.

It's my joy to honor You.
In all I do, I honor You.