My Biggest Loser

Here I go, embarrassing Brian again! But this time it is a good thing and something that he should be really proud of. Since March, Brian has lost 52 pounds!! I have been so impressed with his dedication and willpower. He has been going to the gym at least 3 times a week, eating healthier foods, and concentrating on portion control. He maintains that he is not on a "diet". So, if you see him, do NOT use that word! Instead, he is really focusing on making this a lifestyle change, and I think he looks fantastic. Way to go Bri!

Also, several have inquired as to which field I am going into. And the answer is: Nursing. Right now I am leaning towards the ER, but that may change. I have to do my prerequisites first, which consists of five classes, and then I can apply to the program. I don't know how long the waiting list is right now, but I think it is usually a couple years, and then the program is two years. So, I won't actually be a nurse for probably five years, but it will be worth it in the end.

Better Late Than Never?

The night is still young for me. It is only 10:20, but I really should be in bed. Why? Because I have a math class at 7:00 am. That's right, I am going back to school! And for the past two weeks I have had Adam Sandler in my head singing, "Oh, back to school, back to school, to prove to dad that I am not a fool!" (That might not be the exact wording, but that's how it goes in my head.)

I am a mix of emotions right now: apprehensive, excited, proud, and a little scared. I wish I had been one of those people who knows exactly what they want to do right out of high school, goes to college for the allotted four years, and then begins their career. But alas, here I am, having graduated 11 years ago, and once again beginning a college journey - for the third time!

To make matters worse, I have to decided to go into a field that I had originally began my schooling for 11 years ago. Oh brother! I guess I did know what I wanted to do right out of high school, I just stunk at the follow through. And I am kicking myself because it really would have been easier when I was single and childless. But, I know that life is just going to continue to get more complicated and I can either put this off for another 11 years and continue kicking myself, or I can take a deep breath and jump in.

I hope the water isn't too cold.

Summer Vacation

We went on our annual family vacation last weekend. The spot of choice this year was Yellowstone National Park. Our family has always loved going to Yellowstone - we have vacationed there more than any other destination. As kids, my parents once gave my siblings and I the option of either going to Disneyland or Yellowstone, and Yellowstone won - go figure? For me, there is just no competing with the beauties and natural wonders of Yellowstone. Sorry Mickey.

This was the one thing I did not enjoy seeing - a never-ending black hole. Brian threw a rock in, and we never heard it land. Freaky.

Vacationing to Yellowstone means that you have to be okay with spending hours and hours driving in the car. Luckily, our kids did extremely well despite being strapped to their car seats for over 1,000 miles. 1,383.5 miles in five days to be exact. Actually, I think the long car rides made Ashlyn and Trent bond. I turned around at one point and saw this:

Too cute! It made my heart melt! Fortunately, the West Yellowstone entrance is only about a 4.5 hour drive. We played the license plate game and saw cars from as far away as Maine - now that would be one long car ride! We counted up a total of 45 states. The only plates we did not see were: Hawaii, Rhode Island, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Delaware.

This was Ashlyn's reaction to seeing Old Faithful for the first time. She gets excited whenever she sees a man-made water feature, so I figured she would be blown away by the infamous geyser, but I was wrong. There was no big smile, no "WOW", no arms flailing. She just kind of stared. Oh well.

The only downside of the trip was that we just did not see as many animals as we have seen in the past. However, we did see two bears! Too bad they were both wooden.

We did see a bald eagle, coyote, elk, chipmunk, deer, moose, muskrat, antelope, and hundreds of buffalo. Or, as Ashlyn called them, "buffaloafs".

Like all good things, our vacation came to an end. But, it was a fantastic weekend and it definitely won't be our last trip to YNP. Knowing this makes everyone smile!

New Tricks

Trent has learned two new tricks - blowing spit bubbles and clapping. Both of these tricks are so stinkin' cute, but only because he is 9 months old. Let's face it, there comes a certain age when blowing spit bubbles is no longer cute and clapping is no big deal. But right now, in this moment in time, it is simply adorable...