So it is Saturday and my sweetheart is coming home...he has been in Phoenix this week...if you know anything about me, you know we love visiting Phoenix...and we didn't get to go this time. But as I talked to him this week he would tell me where he was and Brittany and I could picture it perfectly. Ho Hum...boy do I wish we could have gone...we have to build up our miles again though...
Brittany and I sat here on Thursday evening basking in the glow of how beautiful her room turned out when she looked at me and said...we should go buy some paint and paint the dining room...(this is my goal for the summer...I am repainting...) So we gathered our purses and out the door we went. I took my fabric with me that I intend to use for valences in there...which are the same for my kitchen. I was in a very bold mood. In the last months...I have had so many paint samples around here that I am driving everyone insane...LOL. I love to decorate...LOL. So at this hardware store that we went, which is in our neighborhood...they have Benjamin Moore paint (more about that later) They had Pottery Barn colors. Wow...this opened up a whole new world for me...more colors that I haven't looked at...LOL. I chose Poppy! Yes, a beautiful, rich red and it looks amazing. We came home and painted one coat all the way around the room and then finished it up yesterday and painted the woodwork a fresh new coat and I am so happy how it came out. I overheard Brittany telling her dad how she just couldn't imagine me picking red...I think he was kind of wondering too...but I think he is going to be very pleased when he comes home today.
Next up...my living room...it is a pretty big room and we have to paint the ceiling in there as well...so I think I'll take a bit of a break...and re-energize myself again. Again...I would post pictures but we are without a camera right now...as soon as we buy a new one...I'll post pictures of my rooms...who knows, by then, I may have it all done. This is what I have yet to do...Great Room, hallway going up the steps, husbands office. When it is time to start up with school again...I'll have a whole new look...Brittany is getting pretty darn good at painting now...we were talking that maybe we should become professional painters and go into business for ourselves. I have already painted for friends and a business...people tell me that all the time...maybe I should give that some thought.
Oh yeah, Benjamin Moore paint...goes on like silk. I just couldn't believe how nice that paint did. My favorite has always been Valspar...but I think I am switching...I just couldn't get over it. It was way more expensive...but worth every penny. It also went further...in the past it took a full gallon to paint my dining room...I have a quarter of a gallon left. I don't know how that happened...but if you are going to paint...you might want to consider it.
Did you ever try Space Bags? I will testify...they do truly work and you can get so much in them...living in an old house, storage is always a problem. I usually place all of our seasonal clothes in a garbage bag or rubbermaid container but this year I decided to try this great little product. I bought the extra large bags...I did my husbands first...and I did a great job placing everything in there...so great in fact, all of his heavy winter clothes are neatly tucked under our bed. When I did mine...I squeezed in another sweater on the top...even though it did a great job...that sweater was just a little too high for under the bed so I had to store it in a closet...but still...I highly recommend this product.
Reading books and just kicking back has been a huge thing for me so far this summer. I took a couple of weeks to just have some down time and I have to say I have enjoyed every minute of it. Not having to drive everywhere has been a big plus too.
We took two days this week to paint Brittany's bedroom...it is a very fresh shade of green...she is using browns, bright greens and blues as accents and all of our watching HGTV has paid off because her room turned out just beautiful. She can't wait to show it off to her dad. It is truly a "big girl room" now as our daughter is quickly approaching her Sweet 16. (I would post pictures but our camera is broken...you'll have to take my word for it)
Last year during Brittany's summer intensive classes for dance they were auditioned and Brittany made the top 9 dancers of her dance Company. She was offered a position to dance in a music video that a local group was shooting. This group is out in LA now and beginning to make it in the business. Their name is The Strange Familiar and are very talented. One of their songs was just chosen as the title song to an up and coming show on ABC family. It is the new show with a pregnant teen ( I can't say anything about the content of the show) but we are so happy for these young people who are following their dream. The video was just launched and we are so excited about it. Our girl is one of the dancers in black...she is the only one with her hair up. In the beginning she is to the right of the singer...then she is in various places throughout the video including the shots in red and a special cameo shot towards the end in the hall. It was so fun to see her face as she actually got to watch herself. Here is our girl doing what she loves...Enjoy!
Here I am experiencing those bitter sweet moments of the end of grade 10. My goodness how time has flown by. Brittany just finished the last of her dance classes last night and the dance revue in on Sunday...she'll have several weeks off until her summer classes start mid July. I don't want to think about that though...by then summer will be half over.
We have had strange weather here in Ohio...it has been, well, cold. We have barely even gotten into the 70's so far this month. I am however happy to say that I have looked at the extended forecast and it appears that we are heading up into the 70's from now on. I sure hope it holds. It doesn't seem like summer vacation with cold weather.
My husband has been home for three weeks studying for a big exam...the big day is Friday so all prayers are appreciated.
I have continued with my work outs and am getting stronger and stronger every day. This is what I am currently doing...my goal this week is to burn between 400 and 500 calories in an hour. I gave up the miles because I do something different each week...but I am staying consistent with my calorie burn. So my current workout is 30 minutes on the treadmill in which I burn 200 calories...I have given up the bike for now because it tends to hurt my sciatica...so then I go to the elliptical for 10 minutes...I can burn another 100 calories there and then back to the treadmill in which I walk the pyramid mode for 18 minutes...and yesterday I burned 160 calories on that mode...so I am staying within my goal. I am pretty tired in the afternoon but then by evening I am raring to go. I know this has to make a difference...I am just waiting to see...LOL.
I will say my mom told me I was glowing yesterday though...she told me my skin looked really good...so I guess that is something huh?
Not much else going on here...I'll write more tomorrow.
I can't believe we are almost done for the year...
It just doesn't seem possible that our school year is winding down. We have had a great year this year...I (as always) am sad to see it go...although...we still have a few books that we plan on finishing. Brittany is in the process of setting up her portfolio for her assessment. I am a bit nervous...but that is to be expected. We have read so many great books this year...I just know the Lord has blessed us and it'll all work out just fine.
Our weather hasn't been very nice at all. I seriously think that my body is craving the hot weather of Phoenix...LOL It has been so cold here for the last couple of weeks...a large amount of rain and so many clouds...I was wondering today just where all those clouds are coming from...we are leveling off at 59 degrees right now and for once the sun has shown most of the day. Even this coming holiday weekend doesn't look that great...You would think it was football weather...for those who live where it gets cold...you know what I mean...
My family joined our area YMCA...I am so happy about it too...we can go to five different locations here...as part of our membership...but for the sake of using less gas (as we all have to think about these days) we are going between two different ones. I am so proud of myself...I am working so hard and feel just great. I am getting stronger everyday and I am pushing myself each day to go farther. About midweek last week...I finally narrowed my workout down to where I get the most calorie burn. I am averaging about 4.5 miles a day on a fitness cycle...and then I am walking a pyramid program on the treadmill. I started off with the treadmill...the funny thing was ( I have this back problem, remember) as I was walking...it wasn't long before I completely lost all feeling in my right leg...it would spread from the top of my hip and work itself down and wrap around the bottom of my foot. I looked at Brittany and told her (because she is using these machines as cross training for dance) that I completely couldn't feel my right leg. I managed to stay on there getting a pretty good workout though. The funny thing is as soon as I get off the treadmill...I can feel my leg again. (I figure it has to be a pinched nerve or something) I have made it up to 10 minutes on the elliptical trainer too...my goal is to work up to 60 minutes of Cardio 5 days a week. I have gone from three days to four and this week we'll be at five. I plan on riding 20 miles a week...to start and to walk the pyramid everyday...I found that when I walk uphill on that treadmill...I can burn way more calories...get a great workout and my leg doesn't go numb because of the angle I guess. I am not going to let it stop me.
This is what I have been doing to keep myself busy...Brittany is finishing up her last two weeks of dance until her summer session in July...we plan on hitting the Y even longer now that we are wrapping up school.
I hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day. I sure did...this special day reminds me of how not so long ago (15 years) that I never thought that I would be a mommy...I remember that last Mother's Day while we were going through infertility treatments...I was pretty sure that I wanted to just stay in bed that whole day feeling discouraged and just plain old tired of being poked and prodded. That was a hard time in our lives...infertility is an awful thing. I suffered with primary and secondary infertility and the loss of a child through ectopic pregnancy. Mother's Day is a very special day for all of us...for those of us who have struggled...even more. I can't ever go through this special day without thinking about how many woman are suffering. Woman that want to experience Motherhood. I just want to encourage anyone out there that knows of a woman experiencing this intense pain to just remember them too this week...chances are they have just been through an emotional roller coaster. I still struggle...though I am thankful for each day to be a mommy...I wanted to fill my house with children. The pain for me can still be very intense...but God is my refuge and my strength...with Him I can get through.
Reach out to all the want to be a mom's out there too...please just tread gently as you are holding their heart in the palm of your hand...
one of those weeks when you just haven't felt yourself? I, for one am glad it is Friday because, I have had one of those weeks.
Last weekend, was Brittany's final dance competition for the year. This was a very tough competition and there was a lot of favoritism to another dance studio there that had 108 numbers throughout that whole weekend. Believe me, we had our fill of seeing the same kids over and over and over again. The medals go like this...Bronze, Silver, High Silver, Gold and Platinum. I bought a program...and as I watched the awards ceremony I began to notice a pattern. Most of the dances this past weekend were from this said studio. During awards you would hear...Gold, Gold, Platinum, Silver, Gold, Gold, High Silver (the lower awards went to all the other dancers)...as I watched I was amazed at just how slanted the judges were...most of the high scores went to this huge dance studio and all of the special awards too...there were about 4 other studios there and we are a big one...but we looked dwarfed by this other studio...anyway...our kids did pretty well considering what they were up against. It was very frustrating...Brittany did awesome on her solo...she just more or less gave up and just went out there and had fun...she walked away with a Gold medal...we were so proud of her.
I don't know if it is the stress of competition, coming home from our trip and being busy or just spring fever...but I have been so tired all week...there were days that I woke up thinking (oh, how I would like to go back to bed and sleep until tomorrow). Brittany was pooped too...so she didn't go to dance on Tuesday...we both took a 3.5 hour nap...which is totally unlike us...but it was wonderful...Maybe it was the weather too...it was very cool here this week...sort of made us feel like hibernating again.
But...today is Friday which is my house cleaning day...it is supposed to be warm and thunderstorm today. I think I'll clean and then curl up with a good book. I am into Philippa Gregory novels right now...I am currently reading The Favored Child. I love historical fiction.
Okay...enough of this rambling...I am hoping for a better week next week.
It is my sister blog...my accountability blog because I need to hold myself accountable to physical exercise. I am going to attack it and keep myself going every day. If you want to follow my journey and/or join me with your own exercise blog...visit me there at www.homeschoolblogger.com/activity.
I just had to post and say we are back from Phoenix and we had a most amazing time. We were able to go out there Saturday...so therefore my husband could have some fun too. We landed Saturday night and just savored the warm air...oh how nice that was.
On Sunday we got up and decided to visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix...it was really, really neat. We walked around there for several hours. Brittany took several beautiful pictures that I am hoping to frame and hang them up somewhere..they are just too pretty not to display. The garden had a special event...which was a butterfly display. We have one here locally every summer, but we have never made it...so we were able to in AZ...it was so pretty and I just enjoyed myself so much...I can't even tell you. Afterward, we were pretty jet lagged...so we went back to our room and took a nap for an hour...then we went to see Nim's Island. We loved the movie...it was so good!
On Monday...it was business as usual for Dennis, so Brittany and I walked over to a mall (I think it is called Biltmore) and found a MAC store...it is a makeup store and Brittany has been dying to check it out...well, much to her delight...they actually will apply the makeup for you...she bought 2 pretty eye shadows and a lip gloss, I bought a lip stick and lip pencil. We had so much fun and it was just a nice little pampering for us.
The rest of the week...Brittany and I lounged poolside with a good book and nice hot sun. We enjoyed ourselves very much and got completely rested up until we got home and had to re-adjust back to our own time zone...that one was a tough one.
My poor husband came home...and left again on Monday for Las Angeles. He went from pacific time to eastern time to pacific time in 48 hours...of course he is used to that...below is our day at the Botanical Garden...
The next slide show is more random pics of our week...most were taken when Dennis was working...but we did get to walk a trail in the evening and take some great pics there to...the trail was at the Dreamy Draw Dam
One of the highlights of our break was when Brittany and I decided to go and paint pottery. As I have mentioned I am in the process of spicing up my kitchen...it isn't quite completed so I haven't posted any pics...as soon as our trip is over I'll have the time to finish...anyway, we have a place here that you can go and buy pieces of pottery...sit at tables and paint them...you leave them there, they fire them for you and you pick them up in a week. What a great time we had together sitting there chatting about nothing in particular but just enjoying each other. We each chose a desert plate which we are going to hang in the kitchen...we chose coordinating colors so it would look like a set. We want to go back and do 2 more...so we'll have to do that soon. Here are the pics...I'll start with Brittany's and end with mine. We are very proud of them...
