25th Anniversary/Retirement Pictures

As promised, here are pictures from Mom's retirement/RISE 25th anniversary party.

I'm trying to figure out how to include pictures on my blog but it doesn't seem possible when I compose from my iPad. This attempt was to create posts, add the pictures and save so I can the text later...now...but the pictures aren't showing up so I need to label the pictures...lesson learned.

I will get back with some pictures

Well…what a weekend!  Since I last checked in, my sweet sister flew in to surprise my mom for her retirement party, which was also a huge success (thanks RISE team) and such a touching tribute to the hard work Mom and Tammy have put in to the community.  We had lunch with my Gma’s friends, a big taco family dinner and a game of Mexican train that I won.  I walked a 5K with Carrie, took a much-needed nap with Abby and spent a nice afternoon playing with Abby and dinner with Mom and Gma.  Wow—what a time!  And so much fun.  I’m sure I’ll expand later…wouldn’t pictures help? J

My eating-out goal is going OK.  At this point in the month, um…a whole five days into it…I’d give myself a C.  Not an F because of all of the eating out because the only one I paid for was scheduled but not an A because, well, I ate out a lot.

We ended up eating dinner out Thursday night with Gma and Mom before picking Aaron up.  Thai so the healthy choices were there and I’d say I did pretty good at picking something healthy and tasty.  Water and none of the appetizers but I ate the whole thing…because it was so GOOD! J  We had lunch at Scott’s Seafood with Gma and her friends—I had the fish and chips (I usually do if it’s on the menu and somewhere where is should be good because I love fish and chips but WILL NOT make it) but I stuck with water to drink and only had one piece of the insanely-good French bread.  And then there was the scheduled meal out—coffee before/breakfast after the 5K with Carrie.  So good.  So good.  I love Café Italia.  Of course I had the French toast with eggs.  And it was good.  And I had coffee.  And we had what we like to call “breakfast appetizers”—these little donut sticks that they bring with chocolate and raspberry syrup dipping sauces.  OMG.  So…see what I mean…a C.  Right in the middle. J

To get back on track though, I have my lunch made for the week and have dinner out with friends planned for Friday night so I have that to look forward to, food-wise.  Friend-wise too.  Not to self: need to find a babysitter asap.

And the weather looks like it’s going to be beautiful so it’s back to evening walks for the Wilmots, which is great because we all love it.  We all feel so good after going, Abby sleeps so much better, Jason and I catch up on the day, the week, life, and the fresh air is just nice to breathe in. J  If you can’t tell, I’m a big fan of the family walks. J

I will get back with some pictures.

A New Project

Why is it that I feel like I must always have a “project” going?  And why is that “project” never to have clean floors or the laundry done?  J

I’ve been eating out more than usual.  It’s a bad habit.  It’s not good for me, it’s full of junk and calories and fat, and it EXPENSIVE.  For all these reasons, and more that I’m not thinking of right now, I’m taking a month-long break from eating out.

April 11^th to May 11^th

It’s going to be perfect timing because we leave for Hawaii the 12^th and being on vacation does through a bit of a hitch in even the best-laid plans.

The only exception I can see will be already-planned (I can see two on the calendar) meals out and my goal for those times will be to choose healthy options and not blow the budget on extras like sodas and desserts.  I don’t need them, they are always super pricey for what you get, and they don’t contribute to the goal of being a healthy me.

Thoughts?  Advice?

Easter is upon us

I love this time of year.  I love the beautiful weather, the flowers in bloom, Spring Break (oh how I miss those), and little girls in dresses and sparkly shoes:

I'm thankful for things more this time of year too.  Family, friends, health, basic luck in being born an American (really, I take this for granted a lot).

Today makes the anniversary of my best friend's death when I was in seventh grade.  I don't even want to count how many years that was...ok...I was nine in fourth...so ten in fifth, eleven in sixth, twelve in seventh grade.  I'm 35 so Sean, dear Sean, died 23 years ago.  OMG.  I'm thankful for his life, as short as it was, and the impact he's had on me and my life since.  Sometimes I live carefully because I am "living" for Sean too, living the life he didn't get to.  And sometimes I live life crazily because...well, I'm "living" for Sean too, and he was a fun-loving person and would rock the house.  So today, tonight, I will hug my baby a little tighter, tell her about my dear friend Sean, and we'll say a little hello to him.  I'm sure he's looking down at her an smiling, just like I do.

Friday makes my dad's death anniversary...that'll be 13 years.  (And this is the first time I've noticed that those dates are 20 years apart...).  Another amazing man in my life, another incredible loss of a friend, dad, loved one.  He too, I'm sure, is looking down in wonderment at his little granddaughter.  Friday we'll talk about him...probably cry a little too...and say a little hello.

I'm not sad...I'm so so so glad that both of these men were in my life.  Thankful.  So very thankful.  See...Easter is upon us! :)

Hello Again!

I realized yesterday, when I was waking up slowly from the perfect nap, that I am feeling better!  I think I've been so concerned about getting caught up on everything I just dropped the past couple of weeks when I wasn't feeling well that I haven't slowed down long enough to realize I was feeling back to my self.  And I noticed this morning that, for the first time in I don't know how long--most possibly since Abby started school (Feb 6th!)--that her nose isn't running! :)

Just wanted to share this good stuff.  I also weighed in today--down 1.6 pounds--so that's cool too.  I have a big weekend coming up and am purchasing the camera attachment for my ipad this weekend so beware...I may just figure out how to add pictures.  Wait--that means I have to take them! :)

Till then...cheers!

The Bad...and the Good!

I went to the doctor this morning.  All weekend I've felt like I was working on an ear infection but tried to convince myself that my body was working so hard to keep it from happening, to get healthy.  The battle was lost last night and I spent the dark hours trying to rest as much as I could until it was time to get up.

The bad: diagnosis is ear infections in both ears and a sinus infection.  Antibiotics and nose spray have already been started.  Hopefully relief will come soon but I know it generally takes 24 hours for this stuff to start doing it's thing.  Good part is that the antibiotics will kill the ear AND sinus infections so there's that. :)

The good: when I weighed in, I am still showing losses.  If I remember right, I was ten pounds down from the last time I weighed in at the doctors, back in January.  And I don't know about you, but I have this issue: I use my scale at home 99% of the time.  The other 1% is when I'm at the doctor for something.  And I can't help but believe that they don't read the same.  I always feel like the doctor's is higher than mine at home.  So the fact that it registered the same as home--woo hoo! :)

OK...back to work.  I'm feeling very good right now because I've just cleared up three cost basis issues/research projects, one of which I had to go out to storage for.  Yah for me and the feeling of success when these things fall into place.  I can't believe that at one time I chose my major based on which had the least amount of math and science and now I'm celebrating a math-related success.  Ugg how life throws us curveballs, right?! :)

Happy Monday!

This cold...it's making me hate Abby's school! :)

Just kidding--I LOVE LOVE LOVE Abby's school and she loves going.  But I cant help but realize that if she hadn't brought it home, I wouldn't have it now.  And it's a bugger!  And making me slightly crazy.  Ugg!

On a much nicer, lighter note, we took a beautiful, fun, energizing walk yesterday and decided it needs to become a regular thing.  We'll try our schedule tonight and see if it works.  I'll pick Abby up at school, go home and put food in her face.  Jason should get home about the time we're done and he and I will change out of our work clothes and stick Ms Abby in the stroller and take off.  This schedule should give us a two-mile-plus walk and get us back home by 7pm.  Then Abby can get in the bath, play a little, we'll read and she'll go off to bed.  I'm hoping it works out because it was so nice yesterday to talk with Jason, enjoy the outdoors and play at the parks with Abby.

On the no-dessert-for-Lent quest, consider it banished!  But it has gotten me thinking about what dessert really adds to my life and when I really need some chocolate and when a piece of fruit (or date!) would do just the same without all the sugar and fat.  So...that's where we are on that.

Abby has been sleeping in her pack-n-play since the beginning of the year.  We borrowed her crib from friends and they are having a baby in about a month so in order to give them ample time to prepare, and to give Abby a chance to get used to pack-n-play sleeping for our trip to IA, we decided to go ahead and switch her a little early.  It's worked out fine.  A couple of times in the last month or so I've thought "wow, she's so big and this bed...isn't."  And the last couple of nights she's been waking up throughout the night, which hasn't been good for me needing some sleep to KICK THIS COLD'S ASS, so last night I decided to try something new and put her back down (after she woke up way early, like 930pm) on her big girl bed.  Seems like it worked out.  Since I was pretty much awake with an ear ache all night, the couple times she woke up, I was awake and went in and laid next to her and she calmed right down.  It may be time to spread her wings.  Wouldn't it be awesome if that is what's happening?!  Wish us luck. :)

Hope life is grand!
Cheers, Katie :)