Home Sweet Home!

We had a nice productive trip to Arizona but boy does it feel good to be home. As much as I love going places, I love coming home just as much. There really is nothing better than being home sweet home.

Arizona was hot hot hot this time of year. Our daughter was moving from one apartment to another this last weekend so that was the reason for the trip. We rented a U-haul on Friday, bought bedroom furniture at Ikea, and moved her into the new apartment on Saturday. It was about 106 degrees that day. I don't think I've ever been so hot. Oh, wait a minute, yes I have! I was in Rome in June about 8 years ago and was completely miserable. Arizona in July or Rome in June, it's a toss up.

Also, our daughter's good friend Jynelle was moving on Sunday and had planned on moving all by herself in that heat so on Sunday we packed up the U-haul once again and moved Jynelle to Scottsdale. It's no wonder I lost another 1.2 pounds but we were happy to do it. Jynelle is the sweetest thing and just got her first teaching job after graduating from ASU in May. This is her first "grown up" apartment and we're so happy for her. She and our daughter were beyond thankful for all of the help but like I told them, "this is what being a christian is all about!" People loving, helping, and being there for one another. That truly is what makes the world a better place.

Even though we just got home last night, I volunteered to work tomorrow because they're really short staffed (as usual). I do have to say though that I'm loving this per diem gig. It's great to be able to work when you want to work and when it fits into your schedule. Tomorrow will be perfect. I won't be in charge and I get to work with 2 good friends. It should be a fun, stress free day!

H-E-L-L-O

Just thought I'd say hello and let you know that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. This has been one busy summer and in fact, I've only been home for about a week total so far. We're heading home tomorrow from AZ and let me tell you, I need to go home so I can get some rest! This AZ heat is something fierce and it just wears a person out.

My diet is going very well and I'm now seeing some results in the way my clothes are fitting. I'm still wearing the shorts that I've been wearing for the last couple of summers but at least they're not so snug anymore. Yay!! It's a slow process but I'm sticking to it!

Photo Resolution 2010

29/52:


30/52:

Introducing...

Rufus, the newest member of our camping club crew...




Rufus, or Roofy as he is affectionately known, is a "double doodle." Golden Retriever/Poodle and Labrador Retriever/Poodle = double doodle. What a cutie but what a handful!

He is literally wearing his new parents out, but boy do they love him already...


Everyone loved Roofy, except this spoiled little one...


He wanted no part of him and certainly didn't want his momma showing anyone else any attention, especially a handsome, spry little youngster such as Roofy!

Welcome to our camping club Rufus, and welcome to your wonderful new home!

It's Friday

And I'm nosy...

So here's the question: Have you ever tried waterskiing or wakeboarding?

I waterskied for the first time when I was in 6th grade or so and love it! I've never tried waterskiing with only one ski though. My husband was the pro at that.

When we bought our boat 10 years ago, wakeboarding was and still is the latest craze. I'm the one that taught my kids how to wakeboard. Yep, I sure did!

Now days you wouldn't find me at a lake, in a bathing suit, standing on skis for all the world to see! Let my Jenny Craig results kick in first!

All Kinds Of Miscellany

* Knock on wood, my diet is going well. The food has improved greatly since that awful turkey burger. I've been sticking with the plan, drinking lots of water, and haven't had any regular Pepsi. Really, Jenny makes it very easy! I'm sure I haven't lost an ounce but I'm giving it time. Something is bound to happen within the next few weeks. It's just so strange for me to be eating this much food. I haven't felt hungry once!

* I went for a check up on Tuesday and asked the doctor to send me for lab work to check my Thyroid as well. I've thought that I might have an under active Thyroid, hence the weight gain. I also have the dry brittle hair and sluggishness that goes along with it. I'll go have the lab work done this morning before I eat or drink anything.

* This weekend is camping club weekend and we're camping(RVing!) at the beach. I'm really looking forward to the cooler weather and the long walks on the beach. We weren't able to go to the last few campouts so I've been missing my camping club girlfriends like crazy. I can't wait to see them!

* I didn't go outside at all yesterday. I had a list of things to do but stayed inside and got stuff done in the house. I dusted all the shelves in our built-in bookcase and washed all the knick knacks, even doing a little rearranging. It's amazing how fast things get dusty!

* I prepared 10 packages of good mail for mailing, wrote out a sympathy card, a thinking of you card, and 7 thank you cards. I still have 4 more thank you cards to write and more good mail to package up but I need more mailing supplies. That's on my "to do" list for today.

* I spent over an hour yesterday just going through all of the stuff that has piled up on our kitchen table since vacation ie., mail, bills, and all of my Hobby Lobby stuff that I brought home from Colorado. Hey, we don't have a Hobby Lobby here in California so I always need to stock up. Plus, that's why I was able to package up so much good mail today!

* Do you remember my daughter's friend Macey that was hit by the car in December. Please keep her in your prayers right now. Macey had a specially made synthetic flap placed over a portion of her skull a few days ago and her lab work now is very high, possibly showing infection, and/or rejection of the flap. Months ago when they surgically put her own skull flap back in place, it became infected and therefore she needed a synthetic one made. She was very fearful of this operation and the possibility of another infection occurring. Macey is a beautiful 19 year old who just wants her life back. She's tired of wearing that darn pink helmet that she's had to wear all these months to protect her skull! I know Macey and her family would appreciate your prayers tremendously.

* I went into work after my doctor's appointment on Tuesday and although I miss my co-workers and the patients terribly, I didn't wish to be back there! They are so so short handed that it makes working horrible, extremely stressful, and needless to say, dangerous! We need 9 nurses per day to make the place run smoothly, yet they will only have 4 nurses on Saturday!! I feel so sorry for those 4 nurses! Upper management does nothing to help out and they certainly won't reward those 4 dedicated nurses. I did break down and give them 2 days over the next few weeks. I figure one day a week or one day every two weeks will suffice and it will keep my per diem status active. It's really a shame because I used to love my job dearly.

Photo Resolution 2010

28/52:


(Do you remember this cute idea from last year? I made them again this year and they were a hugh hit. You can read about them here.)

It Had To Be Done!

Guess what I started yesterday...


I had no other option!

Since January, I've seriously tried to lose the 10-15 pounds that I've put on in the last year and a half and it's just not happening. My body is not budging one single bit! I eat way more healthy than the average person but I don't eat enough to keep a bird alive, and that's part of the problem. I have never had a love affair with food and I just don't get that hungry. I figure I needed something to kick start my metabolism and having the Jenny Craig meals all ready to go will hopefully give me that push that my body needs. I'll be forcing myself to eat 5 small portions a day and hopefully it will become habit. I'm happy with a breakfast bar in the morning and dinner, period! Needless to say, this will be a stretch for me but I'm determined to make it work.

I've got serious motivation and it has to be done!

We will be going to Hawaii August 10th with our good friends and former neighbors from across the street. We have been to Hawaii with them 3 times now and each time I feel like a beached whale next to Kim. She has 3 kids, one of which is in college, yet she's got the perfect shape, and with not one bit of cellulite! She's just the spunkiest, cutest little thing! Ok, now I'm asking myself, should I love her or hate her!?! Truly, I can't help it, I love her to death, even with that cute, cellulite free little body!

So, like I said, I've got serious motivation and only 5 weeks to do it! Only one problem, my Jenny Craig turkey burger I had for lunch was just awful! I had to throw the last part of it away. Hey, is that part of the diet plan?!

Oh, it's gonna be a long 5 weeks!

Mail, Mail, and Some Good Mail!

The one thing I dread about coming home from a vacation is having to face all of the mail that has piled up during our absence, most of it being junk mail! It doesn't take long before our mailbox gets completely full, meaning that we always expect to come home to this...


After a few days of the mail sitting in the mailbox piling up and our mailman realizing that we're not home, he collects it all back up and takes it to the post office for safe keeping. We automatically know when we get home that we'll need to make a trip to the post office the next day to collect the mail, and it always ends up coming home in the big box!

Again, the box was heaping full but it had lot of treats in it for me. Lots of good mail from special blogging friends!

Jenn sent me some adorable 4th of July decorations. I love 4th of July and love all of the red, white, and blue decorations that go along with it. As a matter of fact, we went to a potluck get together yesterday and so many people commented on my festive dishes and such. Ohhhh, if they only knew! Have I mentioned before that I'm a holiday decorations junkie!?!


I received thank you cards from Natasha and Andrea, and a sweet card from Kim Sue...


And last but not least, I received a special good mail package from Cheri. It was very sweet and special because she knows 2 things about me...that I love sweet tarts and that I adore dish towels!


Thank you girls for making the painful job of sorting through 2 weeks worth of mail not so painful! It was truly appreciated!

A Wish Come True

Do you have blogging friends that you feel you are destined to meet one day? I don't know about you, but I have made friends through blogging that truly feel like family to me now. Incredible relationships have been made and it's something I think only bloggers can understand. It's hard for non-bloggers to imagine the connection that blogging brings to others, but it most certainly does. I wouldn't trade my blogging friends for anything and they truly are my friends. They are sisters of the heart!

I have one such sister of the heart that I have dreamed of meeting and I knew one day it would eventually happen. Janiece and I have been blogging friends for over a year now, meeting through her sister Darlene. Darlene and I have been able to get together a few times during my trips to Phoenix, but being that Janiece lives in Idaho, I knew this would be a little tricky and would have to be orchestrated.

In May, Janiece had a heart transplant in Salt Lake City and has been staying in Utah with her brother and his family. I knew this would be my chance to finally meet her so we drove a different route home from Colorado, going through Salt Lake City this time. When we arrived in SLC, I read a message from Darlene on Facebook saying they were now back in Idaho! Oh my gosh, my heart sank!

We decided to stay in SLC for a few days anyway, taking in some sights and even meeting up with a dear friend from CA for dinner. I was bummed to say the least about Janiece but then I got the best message ever. As it turned out, Janiece had to be back in SLC for a doctor's appointment on Thursday. It looked like we were going to be able to meet in person after all! We made plans to meet for lunch!

On our drive to the restaurant, I remember thinking how I wasn't nervous at all. Here I was meeting someone I had never met before, yet I cared and knew so much about. I was meeting a sister of the heart!

Meeting Janiece was everything and more than I had imagined, plus, I even got to meet and visit with her daughter Kira and SIL Sergio who are here from Argentina. I've seen so many photos and read about Kira and Sergio so this was a hugh treat for me. And if that weren't enough, my sweet sister of the heart Darlene was there also with her adorable little son. I tell you I hit the jackpot! I can't even begin to tell you the joy I felt being with these incredible people. It was a dream come true and I will carry around these memories for a long time to come!

In true blogging fashion, pictures had to be taken! Here is a picture of myself with my sisters of the heart, Darlene and Janiece. In front of Cafe Rio no less, another wish come true!


Not the best picture of myself but a treasure just the same. I have to ask though, what is up with all that wind in Utah!? You might as well just not brush your hair at all in the morning!


This is a picture of the beautiful newlyweds, Kira and Sergio, with Darlene's son Ham in the background...


Thank you Janiece, Darlene, Ham, Kira, and Sergio for wonderful time spent. It was a wish come true!