OUT WITH THE OLD

Well, it's Spring Break here in Texas!! YEEHAW! (Not really, but it seemed like the right thing to say at the time...)  My brother is on his 8th grade trip to Washington, DC. It's turned into quite an ordeal. He left Amarillo Saturday night at about 11:30 and he's only been in DC for a couple of hours now. Poor kid got stuck in Dallas. But he's there now and I hope the rest of his trip goes great, he's missing out on the smithsonian, but i've always wanted to go back there since you only spend like 4 hours total to see the whole thing. So maybe we will go back one day as a family or something. After a two week hiatus, I finally made it back to the gym too. It was pretty great. I'm once again quite grateful for Kristi, cause I've wanted to go back to the gym, but I haven't actually wanted to go to the gym, you know what I mean. But having her to keep me accountable is pretty great; once I got to the gym and on the elliptical, I felt A MILLION TIMES BETTER. Great news, thanks to an "anonymous" comment on a previous blog (I'm fairly certan I know who it was...) I've joined Weight Watchers and I've been doing a good job of keeping track of my points. I even bought some healthy stuff on my last grocery trip, which I think shocked my roommates a little bit. I also am completed uninterested in drinking cokes at this point. I have been drinking lots of iced tea, water, milk- I actually bought this "almond milk" that's dark chocolate flavored, it's delicious and super healthy. So thanks to whomever suggested weight watchers, even though I haven't gone to the gym, I've still lost weight. If I were on the TV show, "The Biggest Loser" I would have, however, gone home a long time ago. I'm not shedding the pounds like they do, but I'm also afraid that if I don't transition this period of my life, it will be a diet and not a change. I don't tell people  that I'm on a diet, cause I don't see it that way. I'm realizing and acknowledging that I've lived an unhealthy lifestyle, not only because of my diet, but also financially. In fact, I've decided that I will not take any "personal" trips until I've gotten my self into a healthy place, that includes my debt paid off and my body in shape. So if you live somewhere besides Amarillo and you want to see me, then unfortunately for quite some time, you're going to have to come here. It's just not smart to not do something about it. If I want to have any kind of future, I have to stop living the way that I am.
One thing I was thinking about on the way home from the gym is growing. When I graduated from college, I had a "what you see is what you get" kind of attitude. I didn't feel like I was going to change who I was. Now, I realize that I'm still changing and growing and becoming a better person- who would have thought THAT was possible?!?! HAHAHAHA, I kid, I kid. But really, it's kind of cool the transition that I'm making. For example, two years ago, I was living in Midland and I was a "regular" at a restaurant, so much so that I didn't have to order, they just asked me if I wanted Tea or Dr. Pepper. (Yes, I really am THAT predictable.) Now, after returning to the gym after a two-week hiatus, the gym employee who usually works when I go in, remembered me and my gym number. How cool is that?!? I mean, out of who knows how many members, he remembered me, and I haven't been there in two weeks!! I just think that's a big difference!! One that I'm proud of!
Now for an update in other news:
We had 7 kids qualify for TAPPS STATE ACADEMIC & ART COMPETITION this last weekend in Dallas. For only having two weeks to prepare, our kids did WONDERFULLY!! We also came in third place!! Two 3rd place finishes for middle school and high school!! That's pretty great for our first year to compete in this things! Truthfully, I had so much fun organizing and coordinating it!! I wasn't a fan of the comments and "negative" feedback that I got from some of the staff, including one teacher telling me I was a "sucker" for volunteering for so much stuff. But I didn't do it for them, I honestly didn't even do it for me. I did it for the kids, to make sure that are getting more of a learning experience than I did. I'm also discovering that I really am NOT A PROCRASTINATOR!! Not at all, whatsoever!! I like having things done in advance, very far in advance!!
Well, I just bought "Blast from the Past" on iTunes so I guess I'm going to head to bed and watch it. I was thinking of it after watching "My Fair Lady." Hope everyone has a GREAT SPRING BREAK! I'll let you know how STATE competition goes, it's April 1st & 2nd in Austin! Thanks for reading! Love you guys!

Until next time....