Sunday, April 28, 2013

While Daddy's Away...

What a week!

Billy flew out early Wednesday morning to speak at a workshop on Parenting in Florida.  It must have went well.  He sounded happy -- so did our friends putting on the event.

Dad got to stay here...



Nice, huh?

That's my mom's back yard.

He deserved a few days of rest, fair enough.

But while he was away talking about parenting, well, let's just say I was here doing it.  :)

Still recovering, I purchased my needed vitamins and set a schedule.  It's complicated.  B-12 shots, multi with iron, calcium (but not too close to the iron and only 500 mg at a time...3 times a day), and not to forget the D3.  Basically, I eat vitamins these days.

I finished my lesson plans for the rest of the year.  I'm done seeing my clients on May 18th and will be taking off until JULY!  Yea me!

We are going to do this in my preschool class...



My older classes are going to try this...




I planned summer lessons and started working on summer camps...and ran accounts payable.

Victoria was accepted and CONFIRMED in College Pathways.  Such a blessing!  More on this later...

Elizabeth and Hosanna worked A LOT.

Usually, B does early mornings and late nights -- as I'm more of a "mid day" type of person.  Saturday, taking Hosanna to work at 7:30am she mentioned that she had picked up a "double shift" and that I'd need to come back and pick her up at midnight.  I almost wrecked into a tree.  Fortunately, my mother-in-law had mercy on me. She offered to pick Hosanna up.

We did a soccer game.  We kicked butt 6 to 1.

We registered for the pool -- only $99 this weekend.  Can't.  Wait.



I shopped with this sweety.


I will soon bless you all with a blog about bathing suit shopping with teen daughters.  
You're Welcome.


We ate NO fast food.  Tuesday, I will have been "off" fast food for 1 month.  AWESOME!

I worked on a grad gift for Elizabeth.

A little collage of her childhood art projects.  I just love this!



We couponed.

$400 in groceries for $250.  Not EXTREME COUPONING, just REGULAR COUPONING people!

I sold a book on Amazon.  Missions trip fundraising nearing an end.  Can we all say, amen!

I didn't fold this laundry.


This stack was much smaller before Billy left.  It's grown.  I hope he still wants to come back!


I planned next weekend away, here....


I AdOrE the Old Town Guest House in Old Colorado City.

Who wouldn't love this?


And this?


Bedrooms with private balconies with hot tubs that over look Pike's Peak and the sunset?

Yes, please.


Today I decided to REST.  Get outside with all the other Coloradans.  It's 70 and the sun is blazing.

After a two mile walk at the park, I took Eli and a friend for ice cream...



Eli found this treasure.  I wonder if it's real?  It says $20.





And since Monday and Tuesday are my BUSIEST days of the month -- come Wednesday I'll be exhausted and come Friday -- very much in need of a night away!!!

Dad comes home tomorrow!!!




Thursday, April 18, 2013

What a difference 2 weeks can make...

It might feel like I'm coming out of the closet here -- but I just haven't gotten around to telling everyone.

A little over 2 weeks ago, on April 2nd, I had Gastric Bypass Surgery.

How I came to that decision was years in the making -- and material for another day (don't worry, I'll get around to it - and I'm more than happy to share my process).  I actually thought about starting a new blog dedicated to this topic -- and my next thought was WHO WANTS TO READ AN ENTIRE BLOG DEDICATED TO GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY or even about MY weight loss?  I quickly answered, I DON'T.  For real, I don't.

Here's the jist of it.  It's a kicka** recovery.  Believe me.  The word a** is appropriately placed there.  It's that hard.  Even when the surgery apparently "couldn't have gone better".  In the first week, I only thought I'd die about 100 times.

God must have other plans for me.

Yesterday was my 2 week post opt visit.  I have lost almost 16 lbs.  The doctor said it was mostly water weight (and I didn't even slap him).  I've been cleared for all physical activity -- which means I've been doing "Walk Away the Pounds" by Leslie Sansone.

3 miles, in 45 minutes -- with a firm band.  Hallelujah.

Since it's technically a 6 week recovery, I'm still on "soft foods".  Which is a whole lot better than clear liquids, believe you me.  I never. EVER. want chicken broth again.  Nuff said.

But, man, do I feel better!

I've had my first attempt at eating in a restaurant.  1 egg, over easy, at Cracker Barrel.

They charge you $6.99 for that by the way.

I've cooked a couple of times.  Tonight, Vegetarian Chili - light on the spice.

My diet is WAY different -- and WAY healthier.  High protein, low carb -- very little sugar.

And my doctor has ALREADY taken me off of ALL -- that's A.L.L. -- meds for blood pressure and diabetes.  Rock on.

HOWEVER, that's NOT all that's happening around here....

Elizabeth has her first voice student competing in a competition in just 3 weeks.  I'm her accompanist and she's doing great!

She also took a SECOND job at ChickFila.

(Since they give free meals to their employees, I've speculated that we should all 7 work there.)

Elizabeth's graduation happens on May 24th -- Grad Party on May 26th -- Leave for a week in Hawaii on May 27th.  Yup.  Fun.  Exciting.  Crazy.  (I can't wait to be in Hawaii!)

Hopefully, we'll she'll have decided on a college by then.

Hosanna has also been working at Chick.  Miss Smarty Pants will be inducted into the National Honors Society on Monday night.

Saturday night, however, is Prom.  She borrowed a dress and is going with a young man the RamFam parents happen to adore.

Note:  Boys we don't adore -- need not apply.  Whereas I might be able to be charmed and won over, Mr. Ramsdell -- not so much.

Ben got his cast off.  He's been in physical therapy and playing around (agility drills only) with the football team.  He's been selling doughnuts like crazy (which means his father makes him get up at the crack of dawn inorder to drive 39 miles ONE WAY to the nearest Krispie Kreme) -- and only about $300 from his $1995 missions trip goal.  This past Saturday, he participated in this first training with Every Home for Christ.  I. Love. It.

Victoria, thanks to her expert knowledge of "the law" and persistent personality, was able to start a prayer group at school. In just a few weeks they've gone from having 3 participants to having 10 -- and she's VERY excited about that!  She was recently invited to join the College Pathways program next year -- which if accepted -- will be major change.

Eli started soccer during my recent recovery.  Lets just say, he probably won't have a career in it HOWEVER he did make a perfect score on his 5th spelling test in a row -- earning yet another Light Saber -- one that ACTUALLY lights up and makes sound!  Spelling is harder when you have limited vision.  Good thing he's a genius (and really cute)!

Last but not least, Billy is getting ready to go back on the road again soon -- speaking at a parenting conference in Florida on April 26th.  After taking care of me day and night since April 2nd, I'm SURE he needs the break!  We are thankful for all the opportunities extended towards him this past year to speak and minister.  Truly, truly a blessing!

Best of all summer's right around the corner!

We.  Need.  Summer.  :)

Peace....










Sunday, April 7, 2013

Hosanna in the Highest



Our 16 year old daughter, Hosanna, took a job recently at Chick-Fil-A.

She started in the Dining Room - sweeping, cleaning floors, refilling drinks and being social with customers.

One day, a lady noticed her name tag and said, "Hosanna.  I LOVE your name!  How'd you get it"?

Hosanna is gracious.

She smiled and said sweetly, "Probably the same way you got your name.  My parents gave it to me."

This is my child.

The real, REAL story goes  like this....

Back in the mid 90's Billy was helping to lead worship at our church in Valrico, Florida.

Elizabeth was just a few months old.  

That Sunday evening, I had the "ministry" of running the slide projector.  Some of you will appreciate.  

"State of the Art" in worship ministry at the time, the machine projected the words to the songs on the wall - just incase someone forgot them.

I sat on the back row and clicked the button forwards and backwards - keeping in pace with Billy.

I wasn't praying -- or asking -- in a typical sense, but I was listening.  Listening to see if there was anything God would want to whisper to me.  

All of a sudden, in my imagination, I saw a blonde haired little girl, dancing (and dancing well).  I heard, "Her name is Hosanna."

I was a little taken a back.  It was so crazy vivid in my minds eye that I actually began to talk to God, quietly, but out loud.

This is what I said, "You can't name a baby Hosanna.  It's not a name."  :)

But over the course of the next few weeks, it grew on me.  A lot.

Billy loved it.

But we told no one our plan.  We had already decided and we didn't want to be talked out of it.

Funny, years later, if you know her -- well her name has always just suited her.  Although, I'm sure she didn't want to explain all of THAT to the lady at ChickFila.

And, did I mention, she can dance?


Selah.