30 Before 30 - Update

Hi! I wanted to let you in on what I've done so far:

Goal #3. Spontaneous Roadtrip.

The weekend of my birthday, I took a random unplanned trip to Matagorda, TX. My original plan was to go to Galveston for the day, instead we met up with some family and had an AWESOME TIME! We are definitely going to do it again!!

I also took a short trip to visit Susanne's Family to celebrate Lindsey's 4th birthday. I shouldn't have it count because I didn't get to stay long! :o(

And I just got back from a road trip with MIS AMIGAS! Sure, this wasn't spontaneous per se. But we were pretty spontaneous while we were there, so it counts!! We went to Fort Worth to visit our friend Valerie who recently got engaged. I am so excited for her and Josh - I mean he has to be amazing to have won Val's heart!! (They have the cutest story ever!!)

Goal #5. Write HANDWRITTEN letters to VIP's in my life.

I've written 2 of 15. They take a lot of thought!! :o)

Goal #19. Write and illustrate a kids book - homemade books are so fun!

Originally, I was going to write a little random story and illustrate it. I actually have a little poem that I'd like to add to to make a book out of...but anyway - I digress.

Some of my friends became foster parents not too long ago. When I met their little baby, my heart literally melted!! Not long after they welcomed the baby home, she ended up in the hospital. I was sad and scared. I prayed for her and wanted to do SOMETHING!! ANYTHING!! So, I stayed up one night and wrote it in about thirty minutes with an idea of what I wanted the illustrations to look like.

Thankfully, the baby is health and at home! Once she was okay, these same friends go out of town for two weeks asking me to house sit for them. I found that not being at home helped me focus on some projects I wanted to get done including this one. In one night, I got illustrations done. Another night, I did the detailing. And on another night I added the carefully written text.

Unfortunately, I am not going to share this book with you here...except for the cover. Just trust me when I say, that it is a sweet and special book.

Goal #20. Lose at least 10 pounds (no, i don't ALWAYS think I'm fat - yes, running is easier when you're lighter)

HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL!!! I'm going backwards! In the last month I've packed on extra pounds. I'll blame it on stress and lack of meal prep and some health issues I hope straighten out soon. Summer break is one week away and I will work extra hard in the month of June to do something about this!!

As a launch to this MONUMENTAL endeavor (yes - monumental...it's HARD!), I am doing an at home Biggest Loser Challenge by myself. I have some friends to keep me accountable. Every time I weigh in, I will take a full length picture of myself in the same work out clothes...and also one of my face. Will I post these pictures online, you ask? Well, I'll post the ones of my face! :o) I'm not as brave as the people on the Biggest Loser. And, my face does show change...

Here is day one (May 29) after a sweaty work out:

Welp, that's all for now folks! More to come later!! :o)

A World of Wonder

Today, I laughed with a lady who mistakenly came into my classroom twice! She's not usually "zoned" to my classroom. The mistake reminded her of one of her dreams coming true.

She lived in a garage apartment with her daughter. It was small and cramped. They shared a small bed that she pushed up against the wall to make sure both of them fit without falling out. She prayed over and over for a house....

Finally she got it. It was a 3 bedroom, one bathroom home. She said that when they first got there, she and her daughter would fall over laughing because they'd get LOST in the house!

I tell my mom often, while I am thankful that I have what I have, I miss the newness of things. Not that things grow stale, but that the sense of WONDER sort of fades. That is unless you take time observe the things God has created or help someone else experience new amazing things! That is probably better than having that feeling yourself. (This is very true!)

Do you have a WONDER Story? Here's mine:

I grew up with very little. However, my brother(s) and I never felt like we went without - thanks to my wonderful parents who made stuff grand for us.

So, anyway, my parents decided to splurge one year and take us to the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo! We had never ever been and didn't really know what to expect. The Astrodome was humungous and I remember feeling pretty cool about the whole thing. We watched all the Rodeo stuff and then it was time for the concert part of the event....and the dome started to RUMBLE! All of a sudden we heard: "Ladies and Gentlemen, We present to you.....*rumble, rumble*....WILLYYYYYY NELSOOOOON!!" Fireworks went off everywhere!! My brother and I got out of our chairs hugged each other and cried the happiest tears any kid could cry. We had no idea who Willy Nelson was or whether we'd actually like his music, but nonetheless we were very happy! We leaned over to our parents and told them how happy we were and how much we loved them.

It's so funny to think back and see how excited we were to see Willy. I'm happy to have that experience and many other like it. I'd have to say that this is one of my favorites.

Fight For Air Climb - May 21

Today, with two friends, I climbed 48 flights of stairs. Using the First City Tower fire escape, the American Lung Association set up a race that was harder on the lungs than it is on the legs.

My first mistake was starting off too fast (ok - if we back track a little more, I didn't train very well at all...). So, yes, I started off too fast. By the 5th floor I was not only out of air - I was becoming desperate for fresh air. The desperation was making me feel as though I just might pass out!! This fire escape doesn't have circulated air so you're breathing the stank of the people that have gone before you and those who are quickly passing by you!! There are also no windows so you really feel like there is no escaping this...

From then on, I stopped for water at every rest stop which was every 10 floors. I stopped one more time that wasn't a rest area...

Mistake number 2 - I don't know how y'all do with races and stuff like this...but I usually don't eat all the energy stuff that everyone talks about. From what I hear, people love that stuff...and fruit too...and whatever else. For me, if I eat during a work out, it'll come back to say hello. I ate one slice of an orange, because I was desperate for fresh AIR and an orange looked as fresh as anything I could get. I was feeling queasy afterwards though - it really sucked!

Then I finally made it to the top!! And I was surprised that it did go by faster than I imagined...and that my legs could've done more...

Breathing though - that's what makes this climb such a fight!

Would I do it again? Hmmm....I'm not sure. I think I like running outside more than I liked the enclosed space... I'm glad I did it. It was a good experience.

19 Days and counting...

WOW!

All I can do right now is keep breathing! There is A BUTT LOAD to do before the year ends! You're wondering what - well let me tell you:

1. Stanford Testing
2. Field Trip
3. G/T Expo
4. Science Fair

Yes - You're wondering what the heck we're doing waiting until the end of the year for the Science Fair...I'm wondering the same thing myself. But I'm excited about it since my class is going to explore in greater detail the world of BUTTERFLIES!! (ok - i'll be honest and say that I'm just barely getting excited about it as I was typing this...)

Today, I'm still at school at 7:30 pm on one of the most festive days in the state of TEXAS!! Why? Well, I'd rather be here covering up everything for the Stanford Test we have next week and start putting things away during the week than having to do it on a festive FRIDAY and restful SATURDAY!

I started by feeling overwhelmed and I freaked out and honestly got mad about something stupid...seriously stupid...but I channeled it and I see progress!! YES! I love it!!

Thank you Pandora Radio's Quick Mix of my stations for giving the perfect soundtrack to a working night!

With that my friends I say good night! This teach is goin home to a tastey dinner and a good book. There was enough work done today!

(This post seems like I have the case of logorrhea. I'm sorry - wait - no I'm not!)

Whew!!