Thankful Thursday

Today, on this beautiful, dreary, cool fall day, I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• my family and friends
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, clean running water on demand, food in my fridge, a dependable car, my washer and dryer, all the other appliances and gadgets and gizmos that make my life easier, my comfortable bed, enough money to cover my needs
• my cell phone and the magical 3 weeks we've had together...I sent it swimming in the sink last night, it couldn't handle the adventure, and it's trying to recover right now in a bag of rice. I am so sad that I tried to drown it, and I'm very hopeful that the rice will actually work. I'll report back.
• my job, my supportive coworkers, and my eager-to-please students
• a very productive math leader meeting today
• the cinnamon broom I bought at Publix the other day...cinnamon makes me so happy
• hot tea, lemon, and honey
• medicine and vitamins
• all those times I felt really great, because that gives me hope that this crud I have won't stick around forever...right???
• a spectacular weekend in Auburn with Mama and the Buggs last weekend
• the Walking Dead premiere last Sunday...looking forward to the next episode!
• learning my limits, realizing that I can't do everything, and understanding that that's okay
• Angie's statement that she's bringing back her Satisfied Sundays...now that I've made it public, there's no backing down, Jarrell!!!
• being literate, and my weekly tutoring sessions with Mr. L.
• getting to meet (on Monday) the college student who will be spending the rest of the semester in my classroom...I hope that she'll learn something useful while she's with me
• hard times, because they've made me more appreciative of easy times
• cute hand-me-downs...thanks bunches, Dawn!
• Bub and Liv landing on American soil tomorrow...can't wait to hear about their trip to St. Lucia!
• prayers
• peace
• seeing the leaves just barely start to change...I love fall
• feeling inspired to start a quilt this weekend...it can't be that hard, right? (Famous last words, I'm sure!)
• my small group and a FABULOUS lesson this week on entertaining within a budget...being a girl is so much fun
• my simple little life and being content with what I have right here in this moment

Thankful Thursday

Again, with the the Thankful Thursday on a Thursday. Get it, me!

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• my sweet family and some of the best friends a girl could ever ask for...I'm so blessed
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, health insurance, a dependable car, a strong body that does the things I need it to, my comfortable bed, the appliances and gadgets and doodads that make my life more convenient
• my washer and dryer...thankful for these always and forever :)
• my job, my darling students, my wonderful coworkers, and enough money to pay for my needs
• the totally unexpected and VERY exciting news that Rachel and Todd were chosen last week to adopt a sweet baby boy...answered prayers! I'm so happy for them I could just explode. Can't wait to meet their handsome Samuel!
• weekends
• a successful Parenting Day math lesson on Tuesday
• Bub and Liv's safe arrival in St. Lucia...those lucky ducks get two honeymoons in one year :) Enjoy, loves!
• my very full calendar these days...while I'm often busier than I prefer to be, these are some really great times and I'm determined to enjoy every last second!
• fall and October and breezes and cooler temperature
• getting to visit with Carrie and Baby Joseph this afternoon
• the baby boom that's happening to seemingly everyone around me these days...people I love have welcomed 4 new babes over the past 4 weeks, and I'm glad that there's no shortage of snuggly newborns for me to love on :)
• The Lumineers concert last night...gorgeous night, great venue, FANTASTIC talent, fun friends...couldn't have asked for a better night
• the Pumpkin Spice Latte that kept me going today...even non-coffee drinkers need a boost every now and then
• fun plans this weekend
• the Walking Dead premiere on Sunday...so excited!!
• Mimi getting to go on a "fall in New England" trip with Mrs. Linda this week...I love those girls and am glad they're getting to do something so fun
• an impromptu family supper at Aunt Dianne and Uncle Billy's last Sunday
• weekends
• my new friend Ashley
• my small group...I'm learning a lot and have really enjoyed meeting some new girls
• being literate, and my weekly tutoring sessions
• vitamins
• good sleep
• news that the work to replace the plumbing in my little home will be finished soon...I've felt like I was camping in my own home these past few weeks
• patience, and a great message on faith and patience last week
• contentment
• my simple, challenging, beautiful life
• weekends

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday! On a Thursday! Victoryyyyy!

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord and billionth chances
• my family and friends, and the feeling of being loved unconditionally
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, a dependable car, my washer & dryer, all the other appliances and doodads that make my life convenient, enough money to pay for my needs and some every now and then for my wants
• my job, my sweet coworkers, and my enthusiastic students...they keep my days fun and my job interesting!
• a precious student who gives me a hug every single day before leaving and says, "Thanks for being my teacher!"...every day without fail...such a nice way to end my day
• my students totally slaying division these days...that makes me so happy!
• October...aka, my absolute favorite month of the year
• 
• fall weather, even though it's still a bit warm around these parts
• a fun day spent with Mom last Sunday
• getting to take supper to Kira and Oliver and their babes yesterday...love them
• the rock that cracked my windshield the other day, because that means that I have a car
• answered and unanswered prayers
• plans to see The Lumineers next week with some of my very favorite people!
• the safe arrival of handsome Baby Jace this week
• good sleep and a comfortable bed
• being literate, and the opportunity to volunteer at the literacy center every week...such a great program
• Impractical Jokers...absolutely hilarious
• vitamins
• the stack of papers I still need to grade tonight, because that means I have a job
• comfortable shoes
• Commander in Chic on my toes...my all-time favorite fall and winter nail polish, and it makes me happy every time I look at it
• folks who make me laugh
• First Wednesday service last night
• my sweet new friend Ashley...we were prayer partners the first week of our small group, found out we're going through similar things in our lives, and have hit it off from there...that makes me so happy!
• encouragement
• the fact that God's plan trumps mine, even when I put up a struggle...I think it's best if He's in charge instead of me ;)
• a good walk tonight and no knee pain...jogging again soon?
• the weekend right around the corner!
• my simple little life
• contentment
• weekends :)

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Sunday

I've given up trying to get my post done on Thursdays. Maybe next week. "Thankful Sunday" isn't as catchy, but the thought behind it is just the same!

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord and the things He's teaching me these days
• prayers, both answered and unanswered
• my wonderful family and incredible friends
• tough times, and the good that can come from them
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, clean sheets, my comfortable bed, a dependable car, the appliances and doodads and gadgets that make my life easier
• my washer and dryer, and the 4 loads of laundry I was able to do yesterday
• enough money to cover my needs, and a little left over for my wants every now and then
• my job, my fun coworkers, and 27 of the most wonderful 5th graders in the world
• a conversation with a student Friday that left me seriously humbled and in tears...some kids are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, and we need to be there for those sweet babies
• the safe arrival of Baby Joseph, and the fact that his unexpected, nerve-wracking trip to Children's Hospital yesterday ended well
• 
• getting to hold 2 sweet, brand new babies in one month...love it
• a great haircut yesterday...thanks, Eric!
• a long conversation with Laura today...luh you, Boo!
• a fun day spent with my mama today
• getting to celebrate Daddy's birthday last week
• a really long chat with Angie after work on Thursday....much-needed, and it reminded how much I love that girl!
• a one-on-one Global Scholar tutoring session with Debbie...she told me she deserved to make my Thankful Thursday post, so here ya go, Debbie :)
• the fact that my knee is feeling better after some searing pain during my jog on Friday...I only made it 7.5 minutes and was afraid I'd done some serious damage, but I'm relieved that my knee seems to be on the mend
• sunscreen
• positivity and faith and trust
• reminders that things are not all about me
• gloriously cooler temperatures...fall makes me so happy I can hardly stand it
• the fact that my favorite month of the whole year begins on Tuesday!!!
• pretty new fall colors on my fingers and toes
• homemade chicken noodle soup
• my new phone
• small group tomorrow...I'm excited to learn some new things about healthy cooking and exercise, and I'm loving the opportunity to get to know some new girls
• being literate, and the privilege I have to tutor Mr. L. every week
• good sleep
• my simple little life
• contentment

HAPPY NEW WEEK, yall!

Thankful Thursday, now that it's Sunday and all

One of these weeks, I'll actually have time to sit down on a Thursday to write my Thankful Thursday post. I've been putting in some seriously long hours at work trying to stay one step ahead of the new common core, and that leaves very little time during the week for anything other than eating and sleeping. We're making some amazing things happen at school, though, so hopefully all these long hours are worth it!

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord and the fact that His plan always wins out, even when it doesn't match up with mine (I should say...especially when it doesn't match up with mine!)
• my family and friends
• a glorious, sunny, breezy, beautiful first day of fall today...today has been good for my soul
• my job, the 27 sweet peas I get to spend my days with, and my hardworking coworkers
• patience
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, my comfortable bed, a dependable car, my washer and dryer, the gadgets and doodads that make my life more convenient, a tidy little home
• church with Byrne and John today...great message, and I love seeing those two lovebirds together :)
• lunch at California Pizza Kitchen...I especially love the fact that since my first pizza was "too done" (the waiter's words, not mine), they let me keep that one and sent out another one...I have enough pizza to last for days!
• seeing the Fain fam at lunch...what a lovely group of folks they are!
• getting to sing this song at church today...one of my favorites
• answered and unanswered prayers
• my new phone
• enough money to cover my needs and a few of my wants
• my new small group, and a fun supper/flower arranging lesson earlier this week
• hard times, because I truly do think that some incredible things can come as a result of perseverance and strength and faith
• a really lazy day yesterday and a near-victory for my Tigers...it's still better than last year :)
• knocking out Week 6 of Couch to 5K
• legs that are strong enough to run
• some fun lessons planned this week, and the fact that my students are PUMPED about the novel I'm reading them right now...I love to see kids excited about learning
• sunscreen and moisturizer
• long talks with great friends
• some rain yesterday
• good sleep
• peace and contentment

HAPPY NEW WEEK, yall!

Thankful Thursday

In the words of Dierks, I'd settle for a slowdown. Life these days is great and hard and oh so busy. My week has consisted of three busy days at work, the Mumford & Sons concert, tutoring, making 65 Oreo balls for Carrie's shower, staying at school until 6:15 making sub plans, spending all day today in math leader meetings, going to see brand new Baby Lolly, making 35 more Oreo balls, making 2 trips to the bank and one to the post office, and typing this post. And I still have a stack of papers to grade before I'm letting myself go to bed tonight. Whew.

On another note, thank you so much for all the prayers for my loved ones and for me. These have been some really tough weeks for a variety of reasons, but I'm learning a lot from these experiences. Even though I can't see it now, I'm praying that God will use all of this for our good and His glory!

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• my family and friends
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, food in my fridge, clean running water, clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, my comfortable bed, hot showers, my dependable car, the gadgets and appliances that make my life more convenient
• my job, my coworkers, and my sweet students
• the pile of papers I still need to grade tonight, because that means I have a job
• getting to go to the Mumford & Sons concert Monday...it was BY FAR the best concert I have ever been to, and I really didn't want it to end...they are almost supernaturally talented and put on a killer show!
• getting to meet sweet Baby Lolly...she is 3 whole days old, and she is a precious little bundle of sleepy baby goodness

• a very successful shower for Carrie yesterday afternoon...I can't wait to meet Baby Joseph!
• getting a whole mess of burp cloths sewn last weekend...bring on the babies, friends!
• fun plans to celebrate Angie tomorrow night 
• picture day at school tomorrow...I always love to see the kids with their spiffy picture-takin' clothes on :)
• totally dominating Week 5 of Couch to 5K...coming up Saturday is 20 minutes without any walking at all...wish me luck!
• vitamins
• sunscreen
• fall right around the corner, even though I very much miss the sun still being up at 8:00 PM
• getting to go to China Grove last weekend...I love hearing Grandad's stories about the old days, and I love spending that time with him
• small group coming up on Monday...I'm excited about meeting some new ladies and having a flower arranging lesson!
• peace and contentment

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Thursday, Saturday-style

What better time to write your Thankful Thursday than on Saturday???

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord and reminders to trust Him above anybody else
• my family, friends, and loved ones
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• hard times, because I know it's possible to come out a much better person on the other side...I just need to constantly remind myself of that :)
• my job, my wonderful students, and my awesome coworkers...I don't know what I'd do without them!
  
• Michelle and Ginger...not sure how I'd make things work this year without their help throughout the day!
• payday yesterday
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, a comfortable bed, a dependable car, the doodads and gadgets that make my life more convenient
• my washer and dryer :)
• the intense humidity that has resurfaced lately...it was blessedly, surprisingly absent for much of the summer and now that it's back, I know I'll appreciate the arrival of fall so much more
• the promise of fall right around the corner
• College Gameday on my TV this morning
• the cute haircut I got this morning and awesome Eric who does my hair
• plans for a pedicure with Kira this afternoon
• my Tigers kicking off their new football season tonight...here's hoping for a much, MUCH better season than the one we had last year!
• a really good night's sleep...much-needed
• Airborne
• a very successful Parent Academy Thursday night...I'm really excited about this school year
• some fun science experiments this week
• a sweet friend who takes the time to check on me and give me advice, even though she's got far more on her plate than I do...love you, Julie!
• only having to wait in line for an hour to get my new car tag yesterday...I figured it would be much worse since I'd waited until the last work day of the month, the last work day before a long weekend, a Friday, and payday...such a blessing to get that out of the way fairly painlessly
• making it through Week 4 of Couch to 5K...excited that Angie has joined in on the fun!
• a long weekend

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Thursday

The past four weeks have been some of the hardest I can remember having, and it's been tough to look on the bright side and count my blessings. I keep getting slammed with bad news, and it shows no signs of stopping. Some good news one of these days would really do a lot to lift my spirits. Until then, forcing myself  to stop and see how blessed I am helps. 'Tis but a season, right? Jeremiah 29:11

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• my family and friends
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, appliances and gadgets that make my life more convenient, a dependable car, enough money to take care of my needs
• my washer and dryer...I don't ever want to take them for granted
• vitamins
• my job, my GREAT new students, my sweet coworkers, and my paycheck
• the fun read-aloud I've started with my students...we're all loving it
• being able to cross lots of things of my never-ending "to do" list
• planning meetings with my whole grade level...I like knowing that all of us 5th grade teachers are on the same page, for the most part
• a fun, successful start to the new school year
• the pretty plants Mama got me for my classroom
• sleep, and my comfortable bed
• a fun date night with Angie yesterday...pizza, beer, brownies, and Antz...the highlight of yesterday for sure!
• my sweet Laura, who turns 28 whole years old today!
• getting in some quality time with Byrne and John last Sunday...such a sweet couple :)
• precious, lovely friends who are always there for me...whatever I need, anytime
• getting to visit with a handful of my friends this weekend, although I hated the reason we were together...please say a special prayer for my friend Julie and her family
• making it through Week 3 of Couch to 5K...I actually enjoying jogging now...who woulda thunk it?
• my phone and computer
• getting my lesson plans for next week finished before I left work today
• the Mumford & Sons concert in a few weeks, and the Lumineers concert not long after...so excited!
• getting my dental work finished this week...after a root canal, a crown, a routine cleaning, removing a filling, and putting in a new filling (all over the course of a month), I'm officially over going to the dentist and hope to not go back until my next cleaning in March!
•  a fantastic dentist and wonderful dental insurance
• football season right around the corner!
• a tidy home
• a tidy classroom
• the homemade chicken noodle soup I've been enjoying for lunch this week
• contentment

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord and all that He's teaching me these days
• my sweet, sweet family and friends
• my health and the health of my loved ones
• my brand new washer and dryer...I felt like a little kid waiting on Santa Claus when the delivery guys were setting them up...I'm so excited to be able to do laundry in my OWN home :)
• clean laundry
• no longer having to rely on the laundromat or the kindness of friends to do my laundry
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, a dependable car, my computer and phone, gadgets and appliances (like my new washer and dryer!!) that make my life more convenient
• my job, my wonderful coworkers, sweet new schoolbabies that I get to welcome to my classroom in less than 2 weeks, my paycheck
• one more weekday and one more weekend of glorious summer break
• Shark Week!
• getting to eat supper with Kate last Sunday...I don't know why we've never met halfway before!...a visit with her is always good for my soul
• a great visit yesterday with my sweet Kira and Oliver and their wee ones
• climbing Yogurt Mountain with Byrne this afternoon...she has some exciting things going on in her life right now and I am so, so thrilled for her!
• fun plans with Mimi tomorrow
• getting to spend time with Mama and Daddy Saturday, and Olivia and Amber on Sunday
• a very productive leadership team meeting earlier this week...I have a feeling this is going to be a great school year!
• wonderful helpers in my classroom last week...they got SO much work done, and that really took a weight off my shoulders
• finishing 3 Couch to 5K training sessions...I needed a goal for my immediate future, so I'm going to run a 5K...I am NOT a runner, but at least I've hung in there for 3 sessions!
• my first batch of homemade ice cream...so good and SO easy...I'm hooked
• prayers
• being literate, my weekly tutoring sessions, and a reminder this week that my efforts are making a difference
• the library and a new book that I'm excited to start reading
• reminders to trust God more and to lean on my own plans less
• clean teeth (and no cavities!) after my cleaning at the dentist today
• great dental insurance
• things to look forward to
• my simple little life
• contentment
• my new washer and dryer :)

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• prayers
• my wonderful family, friends, and loved ones...I am blessed way, way, WAY beyond measure
• the way the above-mentioned folks worked really hard to make sure I enjoyed my birthday, especially my family birthday supper
• the sweet phone calls (even one from the other side of the world!), texts, emails, snail mail, and facebook messages on my birthday
• thoughtful, lovely birthday presents...can't wait to try out my new ice cream maker!
• getting 27 amazing years on Earth and the start of my 28th on Tuesday...looking forward to what 28 has in store for me
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, my comfortable bed, my dependable car, electricity, my computer and my phone, all the gadgets and doodads and appliances that make my life more convenient
• my job, my precious coworkers, my sweet schoolbabies (past and future) and a couple more weeks of summer break
• a very successful, VERY enjoyable FriendshipFest last weekend...I had so much fun at the lake and in Florence with my friends...that long weekend away with my girls was exactly what I needed
• sunscreen, even though I didn't reapply nearly often enough while floating on the lake (white girl problems)
• a nice retirement tea for Dr. Williams on Sunday
• getting to see my sweet Sash at the tea...I miss her
• a perfect birthday-eve celebration...pedicures, Chuy's, birthday cake, and The Bachelorette...Angie, Laura, Ashlee, and Holleigh were so sweet to invite me along and celebrate my birthday
• good news for a very deserving friend
• vitamins that keep me healthy
• exercise that helps to clear my head and plans for a new exercise endeavor 
• getting my temporary crown put on yesterday...one step closer to being DONE worrying about this tooth!
• good sleep, even though I'm having a hard time sleeping past 5:30 these days...I guess it's good practice for when I go back to work
• some wonderful former students who are willing to spend a few hours helping me in my classroom today and tomorrow...they are SO excited about 6th grade and while I miss them already, I'm excited for their middle school adventure to begin
• my simple life
• learning a little more every day to trust God's plan
• contentment

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• prayers
• my incredible family (blood relatives and otherwise) and friends
• a roof over my head (especially with all this rain), clean running water, food in my fridge, clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, all the appliances and doodads and gadgets that make my life easier than it has to be, my very dependable car
• my job, my wonderful coworkers, summer break, and my paycheck
• getting to meet lots of new students and their parents at registration this week...I'm praying for my new schoolbabies already!
• FriendshipFest right around the corner
• all the green leaves and plants outside due to the nearly nonstop rain we've had this summer
• umbrellas 
• a successful root canal last week and (so far, blessedly) no complications from it
• no pain (as of yet...say a prayer) resulting from pulling out a filling while flossing on the very day I had my root canal...try not to be jealous of my awesome teeth
• a great dentist and endodontist
• good exercise
• being literate, my weekly tutoring sessions, and a very thoughtful "thank you" present this week
• contentment

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord and the countless blessings in my life
• my sweet, handsome, hilarious, level-headed, patient boyfriend who compliments my cooking and tells me I'm beautiful...he's absolutely the best boyfriend in the world!
• my lovely family and friends
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, a very dependable car, my dishwasher, all the appliances and gadgets and doodads that make my life easier and more convenient
• my job, my coworkers, and summer break
• getting to find out tomorrow who my new schoolbabies are...I'm praying already that I'll be a blessing to them this school year
• enough money to cover my needs and occasionally, my wants
• the fact that my very first root canal will be OVER in a few hours
• dental procedures that allow you to keep your teeth and keep them healthy
• a precious boyfriend who volunteered to sit with me during my root canal because he knows how nervous I am
• incredible dental insurance that is allowing me to get a root canal and a crown for less than $300...looks like I can pay for all this AND still get my washer and dryer...woohoo!
• my resolve to pay for my washer and dryer outright with no installments and without taking money from savings...it took longer than I'd planned but I'm happy that I stuck it out
• plans to squeeze the last bit of fun out of 27 before I turn 28 in two weeks
• a fun cooking class to go to next week
• a visit from Mom the other day
• a clean, tidy little home that's finally starting to look all pulled together
• happy memories
• patience
• cloudy days...apparently this is our new normal, so I might as well be thankful for it!
• being literate, my weekly tutoring sessions, and a book that's proven to be pretty entertaining
• FriendshipFest coming up soon...excited to be reunited with my friends and enjoy some time at the lake!
• plans to visit with Laura this afternoon...I've been missing her
• plans to see Kira and her babes tomorrow...such a sweet little family
• fun plans for this fall...Mumford & Sons (!) in September, the Lumineers in October, and Alton Brown in November...I love having things to look forward to
• contentment

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• my wonderful B, and the fact that I have the BEST boyfriend in the world...he makes me laugh and makes me feel special every single day
• my sweet family and friends
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, enough money to take care of my needs, warm showers, my comfortable bed, air conditioning, the doodads and gadgets that make my life convenient
• my job, my coworkers, my students (past AND future), and the fact that I get a summer break (and a paycheck during my summer break!)
• glorious summer break
• good sleep
• early mornings
• safe travels for B and his coworkers while they're out of town
• the cloudy, stormy days we've had lately, though I sure wouldn't mind seeing blue skies again sometime soon
• finally finding the motivation to finish fixing up my little home...3 months after I moved :)
• a really, really, ridiculously fun Independence Day celebration with great friends
• a great lunch with Mama, DennyJ, and B last Sunday...good food, good conversation, and dominoes...good times
• getting to visit with Rachel at her new home last week...excited to have her closer!
• a celebration dinner with B on Tuesday night...we were celebrating the fact that he lost more weight than me during our Whole30, and he chose Cheesecake Factory...no better way to celebrate weight loss than with a big slab of cheesecake :)
• a fun dinner at Zoe's with Byrne yesterday...I just love her
• plans to see Kira and her babes tomorrow...very excited to have her closer, too!
• finding out that we got tickets to see Mumford and Sons in September...I've been floating around on a cloud of happiness since B called with the good news on Monday...so, so, so, SO excited!!!!!!!!
• seeing the school supplies out at Wal-Mart the other day...I absolutely love summer break and am not ready for it to be over, but this teacher can't help but get excited about back-to-school time every year
• being literate, my weekly tutoring sessions, and a good book to read
• getting to find out who our new principal will be tonight or tomorrow
• nice, long phone dates with Bub, Mama, Laura, and Kate
• contentment

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Whole30 = D.O.N.E.

I meant to keep my food journal the last few days and then got busy and got behind and now, well, I don't remember everything I ate. And I don't want to sit here for 20 minutes trying to piece together my meals over the last 3 days. There are at least a million other things I'd rather do :)

Yesterday was the last day...we made it!!! Woohoo! We both felt really great and lost some weight. I lost 10 pounds and B lost close to 17 (I think). He definitely won our weight loss challenge, but I'm proud of both of us!

My plan is to stick to "clean eating" as much as possible. Friends at work, hold me accountable once school starts back...I'm serious! Help me keep from slipping! I'm not going to forbid anything, and I'll eat what I want to, but I want the majority of my food choices to be healthy ones. I celebrated today by eating a brownie with Rachel and a few chocolate chips later this afternoon. That was hours ago, and I still feel pretty out of whack. Bleh. Not worth it! Celebration over...lesson learned :)

PS---The brownies were quite tasty, by the way. If you're not sensitive to sugar, you should absolutely give them a try. I used Ghiradelli Double Chocolate mix and butterscotch chips. That's it. So easy!

Whole30 : Day 25, 26, and 27

Day 25:

*breakfast - 3 hardboiled egg whites; one apple
*snack - handful of walnuts
*lunch - the other half of my barbacoa salad from Chipotle
*snack - Apple Pie Larabar
*supper - Chicken Casserole (I just used the fresh veggies I had on hand...green beans, mushrooms, an onion, carrots, and a red bell pepper. Very, very tasty. I'm a big fan of this recipe.)

Day 26:

*breakfast - 3 hardboiled egg whites; one banana
*lunch - leftover Chicken Casserole
*snack - carrots; handful of walnuts
*supper - leftover Chili Pulled Pork w/cilantro, diced tomato, and an avocado; one small cucumber

Day 27:

*breakfast - 3 hardboiled egg whites; one banana
*lunch - leftover Chicken Casserole; handful of walnuts
*snack - Cherry Pie Larabar
*supper - Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

I changed up the Chicken Cacciatore recipe a bit because I think the original sounds "blah". I still used the chicken, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and a green bell pepper. I added mushrooms, zucchini, plenty of oregano, red pepper flakes, and a bay leaf. I cut the vegetables into thick chunks and made sure they were at the top of my Crockpot. I'm not a fan of veggies that are cooked to a mush.

It turned out okay. Definitely edible, but still pretty "blah". I'll tweak a few more things next time I make it.

Only three more days!!!