Making the most of May

In recent days, I find myself missing Irvine and all of our friends there. Maybe it's because the Irvine High family lost four teens in a terrible accident this last week or maybe it's because it is getting hot here and I'm longing for the beach, either way SoCal is on my mind. I miss my co-workers and the kiddos at Alderwood; there was laughter every day in one form or another and I really, really miss them all (including the times I was laughing at myself). I miss the incredible staff at Stonegate and all the amazing activities there. Most days I feel like a stranger in a strange land if I venture any place outside of my home but looking back, I think I have made the most of May.

I took a big leap into exercise with committing to an abs challenge. I figured I really need cardio too so I hit the pavement. I just added it up and I did 46.86 miles on road - WITH MY FEET. And, no one was chasing me. Me? And I didn't break out in hives (broke a lot of sweat though). The abs challenge was killer, but who knew that I could do a 145 sec plank; 45 Russian twists (when I figured out how to do them correctly), and 100 sit-ups in one session. Me? The scale doesn't say that I accomplished much but two of my children said my butt looks skinnier and this is what my arms are starting to resemble.

Far from perfection, but much better than it was. I will continue on in my quest, but I foresee more workouts at the community center since the heat is setting in.

Many appointments have been scheduled and conquered. Maggie is in braces; all the kids have had dental cleanings; Collin and I have had physicals and other assorted tests. Amanda has an IEP plan for 6th grade (middle school here) and I am now a licensed driver in the state of Texas.

Making the most of May wouldn't be complete without recognizing the fact that this is the 8th blog post for me this month. I haven't blogged this much since July 2010. So, I'm happy about that. Still keeping up with my resolutions for the year so I'll call it a successful plan.

Now I just need to develop a plan/schedule for the summer hoping to make the most of our summer days. However, I want to make sure I take time to stop and smell the roses, literally. My rose bush that I planted out front is blooming nicely thanks to our weekly thunderstorms. So even though I'm missing Irvine, Texas has been a good move for our family and I'm jumping into June with both feet running.