Easter Came Early

Spring is Here

We finally had a day that it wasn't raining or sopping wet from rain the day before.
So we had the kids and grandkids come out to the house for some dinner and fun.  Obviously, from the pictures, Lexi was our photographer for the day.  And Emerson was our main subject - bu isn't he just the cutest.??  It's so fun to see each of the grandchildren run around the property and enjoy everything there is to see.  But it's especially fun to see Emerson finally be able to run on his own and finally getting to do all the exploring that he has seen his older cousins do.  He LOVED it!  He was so independent and loved roaming from place to place...and especially loved chasing the chickens.  We also went for several walks up the street to see the neighbors horse and donkey, which were the kids favorites.  Just being outside and allowing the children to be with nature and their favorite person, Papa, made them happy.  Great day.
We have some more garden planting to do - we need to get the green beans in ASAP - then the tomatoes, squash, peppers and  finally corn.  So the next few weeks will be busy - hopefully soon.

It's Been a Week...

I've lost 8 pounds...in one week.
I've had NO junk food. NO second portions. NO over eating. NO candy.  NO juices, only water.
And NO regrets.
This is only the beginning.
Feeling excited.

One More Week

This is next week.
We've been practicing for 3 months every Thursday - I've only missed one week due to illness. But the past 2 rehearsals, I have been very hoarse - it's either allergies or a really bad head cold.  And it has hung on for over 4 weeks.  I've been worried that as we get closer to concert time, I wouldn't show any improvement, but I have been gradually getting better each day I rest my voice.
Today was one of our dress rehearsals and our first practice with the orchestra.  I have loved 99.99% of the songs we're performing.  There is one combination of songs, done in Hebrew, that is really difficult.  I have had a hard time attaching my heart to it, only because we all struggle with not only the music, but the words.  It will be interesting to see how and if it comes together before next week.  But the other songs are really very beautiful.  Enough so, that today, I cried.  Several times.  It's like the spirit was witnessing to me the truthfulness of the words and the spirit of each Easter song - the death and resurrection of our Savior.  I mentioned to some of the other ladies that if I'm a mess today, what in the heck am I going to be like next week during the concert??  I'm being told that hopefully I will get all the tears out today and there won't be any left for the concert.  I doubt it.
I need to finish memorizing all the words to each song, and I STILL need to get my skirt hemmed.  I haven't even done that yet.  I need to make sure I'm completely ready to give this concert my all.

Time to End This Nastiness

I know..I know.
I just heard my nephew Sean say, 'Oh, Aunt Marlys - that's nasty!"
I know..I know.
Four years ago, I went from 194 pounds down to 161, and I looked and felt pretty good.  I was proud of myself.  And now, THIS is what has happened over the past 2 years - back up to 183 pounds but TONS of inches. I quit exercising, started back with junk food and 2nd portions!!  And my numbers are bad again - cholesterol is not too bad - only 183 - but my triglycerides and other numbers have me pretty close to diabetic and stroking out.
It's time - I've GOT to make this change permanent.
So this time, I'm documenting it.  IN PICTURES...and for those of you who do read this, and SEE it, stick with me.  By the end of this year, this stomach WILL BE GONE.  My numbers will be changed, and I will be, once again, happy with my lifestyle changes.
See past the nastiness - the grossness of it all, and remember, I have a great sense of humor.
That's all that's left - my sense of humor.

Packing The Heat

One of our Aubrey Ward members displayed these pictures on his facebook page this week, saying he had just purchased these and would be carrying the top one with him.  Several friends and ward members made comments about the guns, mentioning that either they had the same brand, or Ryan had made a good choice in purchasing the ones he did.  All in all, at the end of the conversation, there were three ward members who fessed up to carrying a concealed weapon and  I made the comment that 'I feared for our dear Bishop if he dared make a comment that offended any one of them - I could end up a widow'.  Then, a 'just moved in our ward from the Crossroads ward' member, coyly wrote '4 members', insinuating, that he, too, was 'packing the heat' to church on Sundays.
WHAT THE HECK!!???
I may need to give the Bishop a 'heads up' on all his future 'calling to repentance' talks.
He may need to choose his words a little more carefully these days, or the spirit may 'move' one of our 'packers' to silence the Bishops words.
And I may need to learn how to 'duck and roll'.

The Seven Dwarfs

Do you remember that 'funk' I was in the other day??
Well, I'm OUT of it now, but this clip describes what I was going through for over a month.
Not very pretty, right???

Our Future Date Nights

Del got a postcard in the mail a few weeks ago inviting us to attend a 'retirement planning' seminar and dinner.  Of course, I was more interested in the dinner portion of the advertisement - a nice steak house restaurant - and Del was not really INTERESTED in the financial part of it, except to maybe hear what some of the new thinking is out in the world today about investing and the saving of money in today's economy.
But Del asked me, I accepted.  And we had date night last Tuesday.
The restaurant was called 'Queenies' in Denton, just 15 minutes away.  We were there just a few minutes early, so as we parked the truck and walked towards the restaurant, we noticed all these old couples walking towards the same place, most likely attending the same seminar.  I had to giggle to Del, expressing that I was pretty sure we were the youngest couple there and asking if we were truly at the right place?  I forget, sometimes, that Del is nearly 60 - I'm not NEAR that age (55) - but from the appearance of things when we walked in, our seating options were to sit with 'the dead', the 'nearly dead' and those 'hanging on with their last breath'. We chose a table without an oxygen tank, a cane, or a coffin - and only one couple at the time.  Another couple joined the table right before the event started; Del guessed them at our age - I guessed them about 3-4 years older.  In our dinner conversation, we learned that my guess was exact - they were both 60. But they, and the other couple shared their traveling experiences over the past 10 years - Europe, Spain, Italy, England, Jerusalem etc etc..I had flashing through my mind, our recent trip to Utah - and OH, we went to Hawaii for our 10 yr anniversary.  But we really enjoyed listening to their 'life of retirement' and all the places they had been to visit, not at all feeling deprived of their world travels.
The thing I came away with from the whole evening was two-fold.
 One, we are closer to retirement age than I ever imagined, but no=where near retirement capabilities.
And two - I was very proud of us for going out on a limb - doing something adventurous and new - like having date night on a Tuesday instead of on a Friday!!!
Quite the rebels, aren't we??

P.S. - the food WAS excellent - beef tenderloin, garlic potatoes and asparagus - salad and cobbler for dessert.  $50 a plate at the presenters cost.  Nice!

Exactly What I Needed

Another Funk

I don't know if I LOOK like I am...
I don't know if I FEEL like I am...
I don't know if I THINK like I am...
Or if I ACTUALLY am...
falling apart.

Moody - weight gain - anti social - negative- tired- mentally exhausted - spiritually unmotivated - sad - stressed - anxious - quiet - introvert -

These are not words that one would usually use to describe me.  But this is me, the past month or so.
I felt it start around the holidays, with everything I was feeling here at work and the way some things are changing in my life.  And it's just gradually been getting worse.  Is it medical or physical?  Probably some of it.  Maybe more than 'some of it'.  But I am also very ANTI social - even with family ; my children and grandchildren.  I'm wanting to just hibernate most of the time and just be alone - I think the weather has some to do with it - but I'm finding myself going through some really moody days - depression?  I'm seeing a few signs.
I'm going through the 'wish I could be a stay at home woman' again...The things changing here at work have me weary and worried.  I love my job - I love Dr Henao - but things are changing and I'm feeling a little uneasy.  I don't like the shift, but will wait to see what the future holds.  She is gone this week on Spring Break with her family, so I am enjoying being here in the office with no-one else - just answering the phone, doing the payments and mail, doing the insurance and having no other stresses or distractions.  I need this quiet time.
It would be nice to have a nice little get away with Del...didn't I just have one of those last October?? That was only 6 months ago and I already need another one??  I used to be able to go years without a retreat or get away - Now I'm down to every 6 months???
Gotta get it together.  I maybe need to cut back on a few things that may be causing me stress.  And just get a nice swift kick in the back side.

Some Nana and Papa Time

Mike and Kylie live closer than Jordan and Lexi - plus, their kids don't have any going to bed restriction times, so it's much more convenient for them to come over to the house.  Sometimes, they will come once or even twice during the week, especially when Mike is at school and Kylie is bored being home alone with the kids.
So, Preston and Madi come over and we just play play play.  Madi has turned on me...from being Nana's little girl, to being Papa's little girl.  I knew it would happen - it happens with all the grandkids. But Del is lovable...and he gives them horsey rides and all this fun stuff.  All I do is cook for them, read to them and then they want Papa.
That's okay.  It's still wonderful when they come.

This Was the Worst of It

Not a bad winter at all.
We got snow like this only twice, as compared to weeks of it last year.
So I was glad I captured these pictures, because it was actually melted off by the next day.  Thank heavens we hadn't planted the bulk of our garden yet - only the onions and the potatoes haven't even come up yet.  Our poor chickens are walking around in 2 inches of mud though in their coop.  I feel bad for them.