Vinyl Revival

I read an interesting feature on USAToday.com about how vinyl records are making a comeback for the holidays. Um, I thought that happened years ago. In fact, a few years ago, Derrick's first Christmas gift to me was a turntable and some records. It was the sweetest gift ever because I'm a sucker for nostalgia. The recent article made me remember Christmas 1984. I was four years old and my dad gave me a turntable and an entertainment stand for it (I'm not sure if it was for me or really for him at that time). My very first record? New Edition. I also have this album on iTunes, but Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike and Ralph just don't sound the same. I loved that turntable and as a child of the 80s, I did try my hand at DJing by scratching records. I'm surprised I didn't ruin them.

Occasionally, we shop around for records. It's a fun way to spend some time together, we don't do it nearly as much as we used to. We mostly stick to the old stuff, the stuff we grew up on and stuff our parents listen to. I can't imagine buying Lady Gaga on vinyl. It just doesn't seem right. But so far we've got some John Coltrane, Heart, Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye, The Allman Brothers and even Grease on vinyl, and we really have enjoy listening to them (well maybe it's just me who enjoys listening to Grease). I bet Christmas music would sound divine on vinyl. We may have to check that out.

I thought I would go ahead and include a little something to brighten up your Friday and take you back to the ol' school. What's in your vinyl collection?

Thankful Again

So my 30 days of Thanksgiving was an epic fail. I guess after Day 8, life started getting a little crazy. That doesn't mean I haven't been thankful these past few weeks. So I compiled a list of 22 things (in no particular order) I have been thankful for as we lead up to the end of the year.

22 - My wonderful furbabies, Beasley and Stella. They are getting into the Christmas spirit by playing with the ornaments and chewing on the Christmas tree.


21 - Our home. We've been in our house for a year and it's been fun doing little projects here and there. It really feels like it's our home.


20 - Spending Thanksgiving with my BIG extended family. Bless Derrick's heart. Since most of my extended family is from out of town, Derrick doesn't get to see them as often. So we had run through pictures and go over names before we made it to Thanksgiving dinner.

19 - Saturday coffee talk with my mom. Since the wedding, my mom and I decided she would come over the first Saturday of every month and have coffee. It is just a time for us to spend some quality time together.

18 - I survived my first 5k. I am thankful I didn't keel over and die after running that thing. Unfortunately, I haven't ran since so I need to get back into it. But I'm still glad I made the effort and proud of myself for how I did.


17 - My gas oven. Even though it's retro (I think the brand is Hot Spot or something and it came with the house), I love cooking with it.

16 - I can cook. I am thankful for this because if I didn't, we'd probably starve.


15 - Changing seasons. I am not a fan of cold weather, but I am thankful that the seasons do change. It lets us know that time goes on, things change and so do we, hopefully for the better.

14 - The little things. I am thankful for a friendly smile or a helping hand. Even if the teenager at the drive-thru window tells me to have a nice day without throwing my food onto my lap, I'm pretty content.

13 - My book club. This is one of the best group of girls you'll ever meet. They are supportive, hilarious and just good people.


12 - Anti-aging cream. Yes, I have started using this stuff. Might as well slow down the signs of aging, right?

11 - Our leaf blower. This has been a godsend this year. Last year we just left piles of leaves all over the yard throughout winter. When spring came, we had large circles of dead grass. This year, we invested in a leaf blower/vacuum/best invention ever.

10 - A job to go to. It's been a rough couple of years for some folks. I thank God every day that I have somewhere to go. And while every day may not be the best day at work, as long as I have a job, I will always be grateful.

9 - Multi-colored pens. They keep me organized and make my notes look pretty.

8 - K-State and MU going to bowl games. This makes our household very happy.


7 - Amazing friends. Between the both of us, Derrick and I have a great group of friends and we cherish each and every one of them.

6 - The storms in life. When it rains, it pours but eventually the sun comes out again. Believe it or not, I'm actually thankful for bad days because I always learn something about myself and they only make me stronger.

5 - Only 10 days until Florida. I can't wait to get to some warmer weather and little mini vacay with the hubby.

4 - 19 days until Christmas break. I need a break in a major way.

3 - A free Saturday. We spend most of our fall traveling to football games, but every once in a while we get a Saturday to do absolutely nothing. I love those days.

2 - An amazing year. It's been a great year filled with lots of changes and exciting things. I'm looking forward to 2011.

1 - My husband who is my world and my best friend.

Day 8 - I Am Thankful for Our Stories

I've always known my dad to be somewhat quiet. He doesn't say much, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a lot to say. Thanks to e-mail, my dad has become quite a writer. He often will write a story about something he experienced and how it relates to the e-mail conversation. From childhood experiences to being stationed overseas, he seems to have a story for every situation. Last week, he saw my tribute to veterans and wrote a wonderful e-mail about his time in the Air Force. I've gotten e-mails about everything from first loves, first houses and marriage to stupid things he did as an "indestructible teenager." They are always fun and entertaining.

When Derrick and I went to his hometown for the weekend, he got to spend some quality time with his grandpa, who was a WWII veteran. Although there was a highly anticipated football game on, he decided to sit in the kitchen and listen to his grandfather as he told stories about his time in the Navy. Derrick said that really put things into perspective for him. He valued that talk with his grandfather more than any football game.

As I get older, I value those e-mails and chats more and more. My dad's stories and Derrick's grandpa's stories become our stories, too. I'm actually in the process of going back through old e-mails and saving them so I can print them off and compile them. It would be wonderful to have for our children and there children and so on. I will cherish them forever.

What's your story?

Day 7 - I am Thankful It's Friday

I had a super awesome, touching post for today's edition, but I'll save that for another day when I'm in a super awesome, touching mood. For now, I'm just glad it's Friday. Enough said.

Day 6 - I am Thankful for All Who Served

"The willingness of America's veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude." ~ Jeff Miller

On this Veterans Day, I salute my dad, my uncles, various family members and the men and women who bravely served our country. Thank you for you all you have done and all you do.

Day 5 - I am Thankful for Getting Lost Every Once in Awhile

Last night, Derrick and I decided to go out for Mexican food (his all-time favorite cuisine). I insisted that we go somewhere we normally eat at, but Derrick was feeling adventurous and wanted to try something new.

The first place we decided to try was Don Chilitos. When got to the general vicinity of the restaurant, we couldn't figure out how to get into the parking lot. So there was a lot of pulling in, backing out and driving through dark alleys with vicious-sounding barking dogs. Finally, we parked the furthest away from the restaurant by a creepy dumpster. When we got to the door, we looked inside and noticed it wasn't anything like we were expecting. We typically like to sit down and order our food, but this place had a line you go through like Chipotle and we didn't want to make the effort. Besides, if we wanted that experience, we would have gone to Chipotle across the street. So we got back on the road in search of our new favorite Mexican restaurant.

Derrick decided to use his new nifty Verizon Droid X to find a place to eat. He came up with El Rancho. He used the GPS to guide us to our destination. After about 20 minutes of winding through a dark neighborhood, the voice on the GPS told us our destination was on the right. The only thing that was on the right was a duplex. There were duplexes in the front, on the left and behind us. We were in a subdivision. The GPS lady lost some major cool points with me and further perpetuated the stereotype that women are not good with directions.

As the driver, I was highly frustrated, not to mention extremely hungry. But leave it to Derrick to see the silver lining. When I finally figured out how to get out of the subdivision maze and back onto the main road he said it was kind of fun getting lost. We did have a good laugh about the whole thing and we managed to not argue.

As it turned out, we ended up going to one of our staple Mexican restaurants but I had a great time with my husband in the process, and that, to me, is priceless. I'm sure that won't be the only time we get lost, but at least I know, together, we'll always find our way.

Day 4 - I'm Thankful for Getting Over this Cold

My last couple of thankful days have been more monumental. This one doesn't seem as big, but still is something to be thankful for. I rarely get sick and when I do, I usually bounce back fairly quickly. This cold in particular has been kind of weird. I've had it since October 20. The only reason I know that is because that was the day I had a doctor's appointment and got a flu shot. I was already sniffly and stuffy then and the nurse said the shot would have nothing to do with me getting sick or sicker.

It seemed as though things were clearing up, but I still had some coughing and sniffles the last couple of weeks and then I felt like poo on Sunday after a cold night at the football game. Last night I had a coughing fit as I was going to bed. But it was a dry, heaving cough and that usually lets me know that I'm getting better. It's the kind of cough you have when you take a deep breath and all you can do is cough to exhale. Anyways, I woke up this morning feeling better than have in the last couple of weeks.

So I'm thankful for my health and that makes everything better. I know that it's always a possibility for these things to take a turn for the worse, but I feel like I'm coming out of it. I wonder if that glass or wine (or two) helped last night :)

Day 3 - A Restful Sunday and a Case of Mistaken Identity

I should have posted this yesterday, but as you can see by the title of the post, I was probably resting. It is rare that I get a whole day to do absolutely nothing and go absolutely nowhere. Yesterday was that day and I'm very thankful for it.

Our weekend started off pretty uneventful. We rented a movie, grabbed some dinner and chilled Friday night so we could gear up for the last home K-State football game on Saturday. Saturday was particularly fun because we got to spend most of it in Aggieville with Kyle, Kendra, Krista and Derrick's parents. It was the perfect day for a football game, but it was a long day. By the third quarter, I was exhausted and the cold I had been battling all week seemed to get progressively worse as the temperature dropped.

In the middle of the fourth quarter, we received a disturbing call that Derrick's brother Jared had been in some kind of accident. Of course we all thought it was a car accident, but as it turns out, due to some carelessness, some kind of explosion occurred at a bonfire and burned Jared's face. We had to drive an hour to an ER in Topeka without knowing the extent of the injuries, but just as we were pulling into town, we were told that they were first degree burns and he seemed to be doing okay. Jared was doing just fine. Boy, were we glad to hear that.

We hung out in the ER for about an hour. By this time it was after midnight and everyone was exhausted. Half of us went to grab some food and head back to Kyle and Kendra's. A little after 1 a.m., Derrick and I decided to head home. It would be another hour or so before we got to lay in our own bed and we did gain an hour due to daylight savings so I guess that helped. But I was getting sicker and something Derrick ate didn't seem to sit right in his stomach.

So Sunday came. I had every intention of getting up and going to church Sunday morning. But I had too much gunk in my chest and hardly a voice. Derrick was still not feeling well from the night before so we each settled in for a day of absolutely nothing. It was a great.

Throughout the day, my mom seemed really concerned about Derrick's stomach bug so she wanted to come over later and check on us. I thought it was very unusual for her to want to come over when she just saw us Saturday morning, but I chalked it up to her being a concerned mom. So yesterday evening she stops by and asks to see Derrick in the most pitiful voice. I told her he was in the living room watching the end of the Chiefs game. When she saw him, she asked about his burns. It turns out when I called her the night before to tell her about Jared, she thought I was talking about Derrick. She wanted to come over and see if Derrick was all right. We finally got it straightened out and of course she was glad to hear that Jared was doing okay.

I'm very thankful that Jared is well and will recover. I'm also thankful for a restful Sunday. After all, isn't that what Sundays are for?

Day 2 - Thankful to Have Something to Give

It's hard to part with what we have sometimes, whether it's time, money or possessions. But one thing this exercise is teaching me to do is to be grateful that I have time, money and possessions that I can spare for a good cause.

Each Sunday in church we take a love offering. It is an offering that is used to help those in need. I will admit that I don't always contribute because I want to hold on to that five-dollar bill in my purse. Why? No particular reason. I rarely carry cash and when I do, I want to hang on to it. Now, I'm going to look really vulnerable saying this, but tithing is an even bigger problem for me. It just seems like such a big chunk of money that can help me pay a bill or buy that new pair of shoes I've been eying. The few times this year I have tithed, it was with much trepidation. I felt like I was really going to miss that money. I'm gonna need to work on that.

And each week, my dear pastor reminds us that he isn't forcing anyone to give and he's not mandating an amount to give. Give what you can and if you don't want to, don't, but don't try to stop anyone else from giving. And if you are going to give, give with a cheerful heart. Don't do it because you feel obligated and it's just your weekly routine. He continues to remind us to be thankful that we have something to give at all--that we would prefer to be on the giving end rather than on the receiving end.

Those last few words always strike a chord with me. Um, yes, I would much rather be in a position to give than to receive. Those who are in need probably think the same thing. I am not a wealthy woman, but we really don't lack anything. Sure, there are things we want, but there really isn't anything that we need. I have the means to give a few dollars each week to the love offering without missing it and I certainly should be able to tithe.

Giving isn't always about money either. Last week, the company I work for partnered with United Way for a week of giving. Some people used their baking talents to participate in the bake sale, some pledged to donate a certain amount of money from each paycheck and some donated their time and volunteered at ReStart, an organization that provides food, shelter and other services to the homeless. Just being there and helping where help was needed was a good experience and it really makes you re-evaluate priorities.

So, it's not just about being thankful for what we have, but being thankful for what we have to give. Spread it around.

Less Attitude, More Gratitude - 30 Days of Thanks

Halloween has come and gone and now we are in the full throws of the holiday season. Last week, I did not have the best attitude towards a lot of things, but whenever I look around, I see so many blessings, that there really isn't a reason I should be Mrs. Grumpybottoms. So I have decided to do a month of thanksgiving. Each day, I'll blog about something I'm thankful for. I know this isn't the most original blog project, but hey, being thankful never gets old. Even my nephews already have a spirit of thanksgiving and they are ages three and one. When my sister-in-law asked them what they were thankful for, one answered he was thankful for his toys and the other answered he was thankful for choo choos. Ah, the simple things in life. If everyone could show a little more gratitude and a little less attitude, wouldn't this world be just a tad bit better?

That brings me to day 1 - My In-laws
Of course, I am thankful for the family I was born into. But I am also thankful for the family I married into. Not everyone is lucky to have in-laws they not only get along with, but also love dearly. When Derrick and I had our pre-marriage meeting with my pastor, he mentioned the importance of getting along with the in-laws and how it's not always easy for two families to come together. In-laws can be a bone of contention for many families for many different reasons. Fortunately, I felt loved and accepted immediately after meeting Derrick's family and I hope Derrick felt the same way after meeting mine. More importantly, we'll have the love and support of both sides of our family once we decide to start our own.

Being an only child, I'm so glad I married someone with siblings. At least our child(ren) will have some cousins. Derrick's brother, brother-in-law and sisters feel like my brothers and sisters. I have the same concerns for them as they would for each other. One of my favorite memories is our trip to Minneapolis for his younger sister's high school graduation trip a couple of years ago. It was great getting to know each of them better and they got to know me better as well. I probably laughed the hardest when I heard the story about how Derrick tied up his older sister, Kendra, on top of a bunk bed and pushed her off as he yelled "Kill all the prisoners." Only siblings can share that kind of story.

In the time I've had getting to know his parents, sisters and brothers, I have really enjoyed every minute of it. I am especially thankful that Derrick's family doesn't just recognize me as his wife, but I'm part of the family like everyone else.

So, to my in-laws, thanks for making life so Lunderful!



What are you thankful for today?

Campfire Girls

Rain or shine, it's all good with wine!






That should have been our motto for the fabulous weekend I had with some fabulous ladies. Four young women embarked on a camping adventure to Hermann, Mo. a couple of weekends ago and we made it alive, much to the amazement of our significant others.

Every year, people flock to Hermann Octoberfest and this year I finally got to see what all the fuss was about. We decided to do a little girls/wine weekend. We researched accommodations, but all we came up with were quaint little bed and breakfasts and not-so-quaint-looking motels. So we did what every red-blooded American girl would do: we decided to go camping. Now, I will admit that we did not do tents and air mattresses. Nor did we go without electricity or running water. But pulling a camper, setting it up and making a fire were no easy tasks either.

Thanks to my friend Brooke and her generous family for letting us borrow their camper. She pulled that thing like she had done it for years. I actually think that was the easy part. As long as we didn't see the camper getting further and further behind the vehicle, we knew we were golden.

Our first stop was the Bobber Cafe in Booneville. I used to always go through Booneville on my to and from college in Columbia, but I've never stopped. That is one interesting town. We did enjoy our waitress Debbie and some delicious "unprocessed" food. At least that's what Debbie told us. I did have some pretty good chicken tenders that were breaded like no other chicken tenders I had ever tasted. And she asked what kind of taters we wanted. She really said taters. Classic. It was basically your quintessential truck stop. If I'm ever hungry flying down east on I-70, I may have to stop in and see Debbie again.

Bobber Cafe

The next stop was Montgomery City where we set up camp at the Lazy Day Campground. It was packed with giant RVs and we rolled up in the Honda Pilot with the camper trailing behind us. The owner of the campground guided us to what would be our home for the next day and a half. We parked and got out the instructions for setting up the camper. These were very detailed instructions and with them, we managed to get the camper set up with few hiccups along the way. Once that was done, it was time to relax by the fire and have a few drinks. It was great not being tied to a computer, cell phone or television. It was just good old fashion quality time laughing and talking.
Brooke in front of the successfully erected camper.

When the fire began to die down, we headed into the camper for a night of playing the classic game Sorry! and few card games before calling it a night. The camper itself was comfy, but I hardly got any sleep because the stormed all night. By morning, we were all a little worried that the rain and thunder would ruin our day in Hermann. But by nine o'clock, the clouds started to break and the sun began to shine and all was well.

Playing Sorry!

I don't have to tell you we had a great time. We spent the day in Hermann checking out wineries, bars and the locals. It was a great weekend to just hang out with the girls and get caught up on everyone's busy lives. Below are some pics to document the occasion.

First taste of the weekend.

Looks like CD cover art.

On the hill at Hermannof.

Happy Engagement Day

Two years ago, a very nervous Derrick and a very cute nephew of mine changed my life. On October 18, 2008, two years to the day after we met, Derrick asked me to marry him. I remember being in a horrible mood that day because Derrick was out late with his friends the night before and I was stuck at home cleaning and preparing for his sister to be in town. I don't recall Derrick acting weird or anything. I was probably too irritated to notice. As it turned out, he was out late with friends making the final arrangements for the proposal. And he was a nervous wreck the day of. Needless to say, I felt kind of bad for my attitude afterward.

When Derrick's sister and brother-in-law finally pulled up, Derrick said he would go down and meet them. This was not unusual since the apartment we were in had secure entries and guests had to be buzzed in. When he came back up, he knocked on the door. That wasn't unusual either. The door always stayed locked and he may have not taken his key. I've locked myself out of that apartment a few times back in the day.

I opened the door and my nephew was standing there with a piece of paper. He handed me the paper and as I tried to make out what it was, Derrick got down on his knee. The paper turned out to be the sign-in sheet I used when I first interviewed at the job we ended up working at together. That interview was how we first met. There was my name and the date of October 18. When I finally looked up from the paper, I saw Derrick holding out a ring. In a shaky voice, he asked me to marry him. So what did I do? What any girl would do when her boyfriend asked her to be his forever. I ran to the bedroom and cried.

I'm sure Derrick was confused. But I was just so excited and shocked and surprised that I just ran. A few minutes later I came back out and said "yes." Later, we all went out to dinner to celebrate and I begin planning what would turn out to be one of the best days of my life. It's crazy to think that we've been married for almost six months. This time last year, I kept telling myself we'd be married in almost six months. Those six months felt like forever, but these six months have flown by.

I'm excited for the next six months and the years to come. Happy Engagement Day, hun!

Photo by Rebecca Peters of Rebecca Peters Photography

Falling Behind

OMG! Please tell me my last post was not in July. Okay, it was and I'm ashamed. It was summer then and now it's fall. I can't believe this year is almost over. The air is crisper, the leaves are falling and Christmas items are on the shelves. I do love this time of year, but it's a horrible time for fashion. I always find myself lacking summer/fall transition pieces. It's not quite time for a coat, but a light jacket in the morning would be nice. I'll work on that. And is it okay to still wear sandals or are we at full-fledged closed-toe shoes and boots? See, I just never know during this time of year. I'll also work on blogging more. I know, I know, I say that every time I take an unintentional blogging hiatus. But it's been a busy end of summer and fall. How do you other bloggers keep up? Perhaps I need some sort of no-blogging intervention.

I don't even know where to start with the updates. If you are friends with me on Facebook (which you probably are since that's basically the only way anyone will see this blog), then you're pretty caught up. At the beginning of August, we went to the lake with some friends. It was kind of like an end-of-summer hurrah. At the end of August, I literally ran my first 5k. Normally, I just walk those things, but this year, I actually trained and had a pretty good time. I did have to walk twice. The hills almost killed me, but it was a major accomplishment. I hope to do it again and get a better time, but that would mean I would need to start running again and I haven't ran since the race.

Labor Day weekend, Derrick and I split up. No, not that kind of split up. He went to Manhattan, Kan. to see K-State beat UCLA for their first football game of the season. I stayed in town to celebrate my friend Morgan's 30th birthday. The rest of the month of September was sprinkled with football games, visits from family and friends and home renovations. I finally got my gray family room. Actually, it's more of a bluish gray, but it's still what I ... er, we wanted. We also bought new furniture and painted the fireplace. Now we just need to do the finishing touches like adding the quarter rounds to the base boards, installing crown molding and adding some decor.

The first part of October has been just as busy. The first weekend, we had friends in town for a wedding reception. Just last weekend, Derrick and I split up again. This time he headed back to his hometown of Lincoln, Kan. for his 10-year high school reunion. I went down to Fayetteville and Little Rock, Ark. to celebrate my cousin's 30th birthday. She had a fabulous party and we all wore purple for the occasion.

I think you're all caught up. I'll be sure to post pictures soon ... and I promise it won't be three months from now. Sheesh.

Blessings All Around

What a busy, but fun weekend. I got to be with my beautiful grandmother as she celebrated her 89th birthday and I received some big news from Derrick.

I just got back from Arkansas yesterday afternoon and I couldn't believe how exhausted I was. That eight-hour drive really took it out of me, and I only drove three hours! I thought I was going to get a run in, but I could hardly move. So it's definitely back to the workout grind this evening as I start week two of training. But on to more important stuff.

Friday evening, I met my cousin Shani in Fayetteville so we could head down to Marvell. The drive didn't seem long at all. We had so much fun talking and laughing. I always have a great time with her. By the time we got there, there wasn't much to do but get ready for bed. Saturday, my aunts threw my grandmother a party in honor of her 89th birthday. I couldn't believe how many people showed up. Some even traveled from as far as California just to be with her. Guests told stories about how she's touched their lives and the lives of others. Through the power of Facebook, Shani was able to read expressions of love and gratitude from some of the cousins who couldn't be there. It was wonderful hearing all the kind words about my grandmother. There are a lot of us as my grandmother is the proud mother of 15 children. Grandmother looked stunning in her pink suit and hat, and she even had her nails done. I am so proud to have such a beautiful and strong grandmother. I know my grandfather is looking down and beaming with joy for his wife. She's an extraordinary woman.

Some of the grandchildren and great grandchildren.

My grandmother and her daughters.

The blessings continued as I learned my darling husband got a promotion on Friday. He's worked so hard and often wondered if it would pay off. Well, it finally did and we couldn't be happier. What's even better is there is still more opportunity for growth with his company. I wish I could have been around to celebrate with him, but we'll certainly do some celebrating in the near future. I'm so glad things are working out for him, and I know there are many great things to come.

There are time when life gets a little busy and I fail to truly take stock in all the wonderful things me and my family have been blessed with. I am so grateful. What are you grateful for?

Where Did My Summer Go?

Um, whoa! Where did July go? It seems the weeks have just flown by. This summer has been a busy one and it’s time to get caught up on some much needed blogging. Let’s start with July 4 weekend.

We spent a fun couple of days with Derrick’s family in Topeka. Remember that quest to make the biggest slip-n-slide? Well, that didn’t happen. The weather was pretty crappy that Saturday and the in-laws were having company over that evening for a cookout. So the slip-n-slide plans were scratched. The rain did let enough to let us see some fireworks. Now, I am not a fan of explosives, but I have to admit, there is something about watching fireworks sparkle against the night sky. There is something about watching children watch fireworks. They were amazed.

My sister-in-law and nephews playing with sparklers.

That weekend was also the first time I attempted to bake apple pie and it was quite a success. Derrick’s parents made homemade vanilla ice cream and it didn’t take long for my pie to disappear. I made one for my parents, too.

Just call me Betty Crocker.

The following weekend, I headed to Rogers, AR and Fayetteville, AR with my mom and her sisters. I also saw my cousin Shani. We had a wonderful time just hanging out and we ate a ton. I’m definitely feeling the post-wedding weight gain, but more on that in a minute.

Last week, we added a new furbaby into our home. Derrick and I had been discussing getting another pet, but we weren’t sure if wanted a cat or dog. We decided since Beasley is such a handful, we’d try a cat. Last Tuesday, we brought home the cutest female kitten. A family’s cat had gotten loose and knocked up so they were trying to find good homes for her litter. Her name was Hope when we got her. Then we initially named her Yoshi, then she was Frankie and now she’s Stella, which is the name I wanted all along. Poor kitty. I hope she doesn’t have an identity crisis since she’s had so many names in less than a week. She certainly has changed. When we brought her home, she was shy and a little evil towards Beasley. Now she thinks she’s running things. She’s everywhere and she’s a sneaky little thing, too. But she’s so much fun and Beasley is starting to get used to her.

Stella playing with her new toy.

Stella and Beasley.

Back to that post-wedding weight gain I mentioned. I’ve noticed my clothes are fitting little more snug than usual. I tried on one of my outfits from my honeymoon and it was not a pretty picture. So I am now determined to get in shape. My first goal is to run the Rivalry Run, which is a 5k and at the end of August. Now that may not seem like a big goal to some, but it is for me. I used to run in junior high and high school. Since then, I’d run on occasion but never enough to get my endurance back to the way it was. Derrick and I did a 5k a few years ago, but we walked/ran it. My goal this time is to run the whole thing. I eventually want to get up to a marathon, but baby steps first. I started training last night. I nearly died, but it felt good to actually do something instead of lying on the couch and pigging out. Tonight was a rest night. Tomorrow it's back to work.

The next three weeks are going to just as busy. I'm heading back to Arkansas to celebrate my grandmother's 89th birthday, the following weekend we are going to visit Derrick's family and the weekend after that is the lake. If I'm not too careful, I might blink and summer will be over. Has your summer flown by?