Merry Christmas!

One more Christmas has passed and we don't have our tiny miracle yet. I know, I know.. It will come. But damn it, I'm sick of waiting!

So, if you watch the news, you know that the midwest is being pelted! We've already gotten a foot of snow and are getting up to 6 inches more tonight/tomorrow. This is on top of the 10 inches we got 2 weeks ago that has yet to melt. Yeah, great times. Ready for the Snowed In crowd:
* 11 adults - me, David, my mom, and his family (including the fertile sister in law)
* 3 children under 4 - the 3 of the above fertile sister in law.
* 10 dogs - mine, my mom's, my mother in law's.
* Wine, wine, wine

It's definitely been an interesting few days... We celebrated Christmas last night - dinner, presents, etc... - because David was supposed to go to work this morning but couldn't get out of the neighborhood. So, he left at 5:00 pm - it took him 2 hrs and 15 min to get to work. But, he made it safe. And that's what matters. Jazzy and Max are not dealing with the people/kids well - they are stuck to my side no matter what and Max is being more protective than usual.

We all enjoyed opening gifts together. Our 2 yr old nephew is just learning how to open gifts - he usually gets in trouble for ripping so he had a hard time with learning that this was "okay" for the night. Once he got it figured out, it was hilarious!

And the last gift of the night was one from David to me.... A cruise!!!!!! We had been thinking about doing something over Spring Break, but "we" (me) didn't think we could afford a cruise this year. David found a really good deal on a 5 day Carnival cruise leaving from Galveston, TX the week of my Spring Break!

That also means that I need to get my butt in gear and lose the 15 lbs I've gained... Monday is a new day - the family will be gone, and I will be able to get back on the Weight Watcher's band wagon strict! I need to go to a meeting - I know I will have to pay, but I'm okay with that. Well, not really, but I need to face the scale and make myself accountable. The NICE sister in law and I already have a Cruise Shopping Day set in February!

So, I need help! Keep me accountable. My goal is to get the 15 lbs down by early February and then maintain until the cruise - I want to get down to 185, and the last time I got on the scale I was 201. I need to weigh myself in the morning, and then I'm going to make a ticker ~ I know how to gain the weight, I know how to lose the weight... Now how do I maintain it? Help!

The Knee Saga continues...

Well, as you all know, I was released 2 weeks ago to start some light cardio. I wanted to go 3 times the first week, but because of my schedule, I only made it once.

The first week, I made it 10 minutes at 2.7 mph. Today, I went 15 minutes at 2.8 mph! Not much of an increase, but enough of one to make me feel worth the effort to get to the gym.

On Tuesday, I had PT. Mike is really happy with my progress. We've lowered the resistancy from a 9 to an 8. Wednesday, I was a little sore, but now I'm fine. I'm doing better with the 3 sets of 10 steps and 3 sets of leg raises. He added 10 chair-squats. And, he took away my quad sets, and added a second leg raise. This leg raise, I couldn't even do 1 a month ago. Now? I can do 10 with only a little "annoying" pain!!! We are very excited about the progress!!!!

More of a "life" update later...

Time for a U-Turn

Since hurting my knee, workouts have been limited. Stress has mounted for lots of reasons, and WW has fallen to the backburner...

On Monday, I got on the scale to see where I was at. I started crying when it said 202. Seriously? I'm back over 200???? I've gained 17 lbs since hurting my knee. Crap!

And then I remembered something... Weight Watchers is a LIFETIME journey. It's not a diet, it's not a get-to-goal-and-then-stop thing. No, it's not. It really is a lifetime journey. It's a road... And I accidentally took the wrong fork in the road. Well, guess what? I found the spot to make the UTurn at. I'm making that Uturn and then getting onto the right path again!

Today is Wednesday, and when I got on the scale this morning, it was down to 197.3! I know it's water weight, but hey -- it's down! I watched my points all day on Monday (it wasn't perfect, but it was close), and yesterday I stayed just under my points. I've done really good today - I did have an oatmeal cookie, but my student teacher was doing a cooking project. The kids need to see us trying it to say "Oh, well, even the teachers try 'new' things!"

I had Physical Therapy tonight. This week has been better than last week. I had alot of pain last week, but he helped me push through it. This week, we worked out the "order" of exercises so that I can complete them all without unbearable pain. And.........

I get to start light cardio!!!!! He said I can do the treadmill or stationary bike, but the treadmill will be easier. No incline, and only 5-10 minutes to start. But, you know what? It's a start! So, I'm going to meet David at the gym after work tomorrow. He can obviously work out alot longer than I can, so he can get his long workout in, and I'll do my stuff while he's doing his cool down.

I know that getting back into the gym is going to help the weight. If nothing else, it will help me mentally - to know that I'm at least burning a few calories, and I won't be sitting around so much. I'm hoping it goes well - my goal is 3 times this week, and then I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can up the time and maybe days next week!!

I'm itching!

With all that's gone on with my knee, I have not had a GOOD workout since our 5K on Aug 15. I did what I could until the pain got even worse - arms, abs, etc... But, not what I've grown to LOVE - dripping sweat, exhausted, and happy!

Now that the brace is helping, I want to go back to the gym. I really haven't "wanted" to go back - I had kind of decided that I wouldn't be able to go to the gym for who knows how long... We had even talked about canceling my portion of the gym membership in February when we're up for renewal.

When I had PT on Tuesday, I asked if I could start doing the gym again. Mike said to give it a couple more weeks - I could be working on arms, but no cardio, legs, or abs. Well, that's what I love! The arm circuit takes me 15-20 minutes and doesn't get my heart rate up.

I want to go back - I NEED to go back. I'm READY to go back. I'm hoping I can go back around Thanksgiving. I would LOVE to start earning some activity points and getting toned again... I miss the cardio that I used to do. No, I can't run anymore. But, I can do cardio, and I can do the elliptical. I can get my heart rate going, and then throw some arm weights in... And then I can get back down to the 185 that I LOVED seeing on the scale!

I'm itching to get back to the gym! Itching! Need to go.. Need to go.. Need to go... hoepfully soon! *end of the most random post I've posted in a long time!*

Progress!

Today, I'm happy! Why? Because things are maybe starting to turn around! I don't want to say they are DEFINITELY turning around, because that would jinx it! So, things are MAYBE turning around....

The Knee

I got my brace 3 weeks ago. We've been playing with the right resistance, how long to wear it, etc... Last week, Mike (PT) added 2 quad strengthening things back into my night routine. On Wednesday, it tough, but I was able to do it. My leg was shaking and quivering, and I was having alot of pain after completing 6 out of 10 leg raises. Throughout the week, I've been able to do all 10 leg raises - yeah, I shake still, but no pain!

I went today for my weekly appointment. Every week, he has me do the series of 4 leg curls, and then does a "trunk rotation" test. I lay on my back with my knees bent, and then lean them to one side or the other. I've always been able to go farther going to the left (with my good leg on top) than to the right (with my bad leg on top). The first week, it was almost a 2" difference. Last week it was between 1 to 1 1/2".

This week, it was the SAME! That's right! The same!! This means that my hamstring is getting stronger, and "rotating" my femur to the correct path, which will make my knee track correctly. He increased my quad "sets" (flexing and relaxing the quad) from 15 to 30, holding each one for 5 seconds. He also increased my leg raises to 2 sets of 10. The last couple hurt, but I worked through it. He told me to work up to 3 sets of 10 by next week if I can - basically, as I don't have pain, I add more. He also added an ab strengthening thing. Again, one more thing that will make my leg muscles work correctly!

Weight Loss

After I stepped on the scale last week and saw 200.5, I freaked. Oh My God. I CAN'T let this happen to me. I've worked WAY too hard to get down to 185-190, and I've crept back up to 200? No FREAKING way!

So, I cut myself down to 27 points and actually tracked for a week. I lost 4 lbs in water weight literally overnight. This morning, the scale said 191.7! In 8 days, I've lost 9 lbs of the dreaded water weight and a little fat.

We're going to the Weight Watchers meeting tomorrow, good or bad. If I have to pay a week, I pay a week. I should be under 192 on their scale, as long as I don't overeat during the day. I still want to get back down to 185, and I know I will as long as I keep with it. I'm still not able to exercise - hopefully within a couple weeks - but I can watch my points and make healthy choices.

Vacuum Decisions!

My dad was planning on getting us a snow blower for Christmas with his Sear's rewards. I talked to him about what David and I could REALLY use - a new vacuum. He's willing to do this for us, so I get my vacuum!

The winner is:

The Dyson DC28 Animal vacuum! It has 2 removable filters that can be rinsed and reused. It's a little heavier, and more expensive, than the version with the ball. But, that one has 2 filters, but only 1 filter is removable. So, how do you actually clean the 2nd filter? Doesn't make sense to me, so I asked for this one. And it's a bonus that it's purple!

So, I have lots to be happy for today! Only thing that could be better would be to get pregnant this cycle! I'm ovulating sometime in the next week or so.. Fingers crossed, but not too tight because then the disappointment is harder...

You know you're old when...

Your Christmas wish list consists of 2 things:
** teaching certificate for the state you live in
** new vaccuum!

Yes, there are the normals - clothes, ornaments, scrap booking stuff, etc... But I would much rather have the other 2 things! In fact - I NEED the other 2 things!

So, Poll: What's your vaccuum - remember: we have dogs, allergies, and a dust-attracting house! What's your heavy duty vaccuum? And why do you love it?


In other news...

I'm thinking about going back to school to get my administration endorsement. I spoke with my PK supervisor and she said she hesitated quite a few years ago and then realized how many opportunities the administration opened up for her. Did she HAVE to leave the classroom? No. But, now she loves what she's doing and knows that she could go back to the classroom someday if she wanted....

The knee brace is working! I have 4 exercises that I do everyday - 2 of them, I do 15, and the other 2 I do 10. I do them 3 times a day (2 of them I only do 2 times a day because they are hard to do without a bed or table - laying down). I wear the brace all day so that I can get the support I need. Sunday was a sore day, and Saturday evening was pretty bad... but, still, the pain is WAY better than it was. Today? I walked around Walmart and it stopped hurting as soon as I got in the van and had a chance to rest for a few minutes. One of the exercises that I have to do was making my knee pop. My PT told me if I had unbearable pain associated, to stop. Well, yesterday.... the popping STOPPED!! That's right - no more popping! My knee itself pops sometimes, but not as often. Ahh.. relief! Here's what it looks like:





Last week was Red Ribbon Week (drug awareness/prevention). Thursday was Jammie Day, so David took a picture of me in my sexy jammies. And no, I don't really wear these to sleep in, but the kids LOVED them! And it gives you a better view of the brace.

That's about all I know right now. I'm busting ass on healthy eating this week, and I'll go to Weigh In next week. This week, I won't be able to make it because of PT, so next... Sure hope I'm under 190!

Life's update

So, it's been a while, huh? Where to start? Things have been freaking crazy... a roller coaster.. and it seems like more downs than ups.

I'm having one of those moments right now, so this will be short, sweet, and to the point. Pics and more ramblings to come when I'm not PMSing.

* I got my knee brace. It's going to be a long process, but I have hope that it will work. I got it on Monday, and when it's on, it feels great! My Physical Therapist is happy with the "progress" I've made since Monday. He's also letting me wear it throughout the day, and then I'll take it off after I do my night exercises. Except for today, when I just pushed too hard, it's been great!

* David and I are going through a few things.. We decided to stop the foster care classes. Yeah, I'm sad, but our marriage and our sanity is more important to me. There must be a reason that it just wasn't right...

* No news in the baby-making field....

* Maintaining my weight loss is not going all that great. I'm a stress eater - always have been, and I always will be. I wish I could tell you that Weight Watchers taught me how to be perfect all the time. But, guess what? I'm not perfect. It's pointless to try to fool you - or myself - that I'm perfect and can do no wrong. Sunday is a new week, and I will be back on track. I'm going to go back into weight loss mode - I need to lose the 10 lbs I've gained through stress and not being able to work out. I'll get there. I know I can do it. And then it won't come back on until I'm pregnant.

Foster Care Class and The Knee

Foster Care Class

Wow! Talk about alot of information in one night! David and I are excited. Our marriage is going to strengthen so much. 3 hours of dedicated "us time."

We will have alot of "roadwork" (homework) over the next 10 weeks on top of the 3 home visits. Our "coordinator" is pregnant, so our home visits won't be until Novemember and December. Her report isn't due until January 23, so we won't have kids in our home until the beginning of February at the earliest.

This gives us time to deal with.....

The Knee!

I called my ortho, Dr. Brown, to get a follow up appointment. So, my thought: try the Prednisone and get the CT scan done before my appointment next week on Tuesday. That way, we're one step closer to figuring out what's going on, right?

The first return message from the nurse: "I spoke with Valerie, the PA, and she doesn't think Prednisone is warranted at this point. She recommends 2 tablets of Aleve 2 times a day. Also, before you come back on Tuesday, please have your physical therapist send us an updated report of your progress." Okay, did she even LOOK at my file? Why do I ask this? Because... I was told to take Aleve - by the PA - 2 weeks ago. It hasn't helped. This SAME PA wrote a prescription for Mobic (7.5 mg daily), which I began taking on Thursday.

So, I called back and left a message for the nurse. "I've been on Mobic, which you prescribed me, since Thursday. This is why I'm wondering if we can try the Prednisone or do the CT so that we can be one step closer to making any decisions. Also, if Dr. Brown wants me to continue PT, he needs to send new orders over as they end this week."

Her message to me: "I spoke with Dr. Brown about you and he doesn't see that the scan or Prednisone are needed right now. Since you're on Mobic and the Cortizone shot didn't help, he thinks you just need to take time and rest. Elevate and ice your knee as often as you feel necessary. This is something that will just take time. See you Tuesday!"

My mental response: Screw you! You don't know me from Eve and you probably didn't even look at my file before making these "recommendations."
My actual response: I made a phone call to my family doctor, leaving a message for the nurse. "Would Dr. L want to see me before giving me a referral to another orthopaedic dr for a second opinion? I need to see a dr who will listen to my concerns and find out what is really wrong with me."

We'll see what happens. I'm very frustrated, very emotional, very anxious about all of this... Tomorrow should be another "easy" night at therapy because I'm still banned from any exercises. Unfortunately, my knee actually hurts WORSE without exercising than it did WITH the exercises. I don't get it?!!?!!!!

Hopefully I'll have better news soon....

I have him stumped!

Today was my 7th visit with my Physical Therapist. Mike is awesome. He's probably in his 40s, really passionate, and is really good with his patients. I really like him. He tries his best not to hurt me, and really listens to what my body is saying. (When I had surgery 12 years ago, the therapist DIDN'T listen and I think that is part of why I'm having problems now)

Last week, I had a heart to heart with him about needing my life back. He said we have to do things, step by step, and the most non-evasive ways are the ones we're going to do first. Well, duh!

So, on Wednesday, we had another short conversation - I'm more swollen than I was when I started PT. "Call Dr. Brown" - I needed to be switched from Aleve to Mobic. Okay, that's done. And he said we'd "re-evaluate" my needs on Monday (today).

Today came. This weekend was a PAINFUL weekend. Like, crying painful. Stabbing, sharp knife being dug into knee painful... Ouch! Even when it's not stabbing, it's a constant pain. It sucks. I need my life back. I need to do laundry, clean my kitchen, take care of my dogs. I need to get down on the floor with my students, carry buckets of flowers at the shop..... I NEED these things. I love what I do.

Mike re-evaluated me today. I'm more swollen today than I've ever been. This is after doing 2-3 loads of laundry yesterday, and that's IT for being on my feet. So, no more exercises. None. He took them all out. Why? Because it's irritating things more (about damn time "we" figure that out!). He still can't get over how loose my knee cap is and when he has me raise and lower my knee, it just grinds. His expression was not a good one - it actually kind of worried me!

Instead of exercises, we did a few "rest the knee" treatments. He did an "ice rub" - take ice cubes and rub them around my knee for 5-7 minutes. Then he applied a medicated patch to my knee that stays on for 2 hours. He'll do it again on Wednesday, and again on Thursday.

The biggest thing: I have to call the ortho again. He wants me to be seen this time - not just make a phone call. He thinks Dr. Brown will do 1-2 of 3 things:
1. Put me on Prednisone for 5 days to help calm my knee down. The down fall of this? It can lower my immune system... and working with PK kids during cold/flu season, and having a compomised immune system... not something I'd really enjoy. Plus, Prednisone makes me HUNGRY and BITCHY.
2. Do a CT of how my knee cap sits. I've already had the xray and MRI. I don't know that the CT would show anything different, but what do I know.
3. Start talking surgery. Mike thinks this will be Dr. Brown's LEAST likely decision because I've only had PT for 2 weeks. But, if we don't start talking surgery, he will at least "prescribe" more PT. (You have to have an active order for it or insurance doesn't cover it)

So, I'll be calling right at 8:00 to find out when I can get in. I'm hoping I'll be able to get in quick - I'll probably have to take a 1/2 day or something to make it work. Let's hope my principal is in a good mood when I let her know about this!

I guess that's about it -- Nothing new in the weight loss area. We begin our Foster Care classes tomorrow, so I'm sure I'll have another update then!

Knee Update and...

Knee Update

Well, I started Physical Therapy today. It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be but it definitely wasn't pleasant. Lots of burning, pulling, stinging... I found out my biggest problem: My quad muscle is very weak. It's almost 2 cm LESS than my right leg. He doesn't know if I necessarily lost it in the last few weeks or if it's been declining and that's why I'm hurting... But, that's where we're starting - with strengthening the quad and then going from there. We also have to calm my knee down from all the irritation from the last 2 months.

3 times a week for at least 3 weeks - about an hour each time - plus exercises at home 2 times a day and icing once. I'm still taking the Aleve, and he said that will help, but he Ultrasounded my knee today - he said that gets the "heat" deep, deep down and calm things down a little quicker. It was the only thing (besides the ice) that felt good!

Weigh Ins...

For the next 3 weeks, I won't be able to go to Weigh In. I have PT on Mon, Wed, and Thurs. Weigh In is Wednesday. I might be able to swing over to a site on Thursday, just to weigh in... but I'm sad. I'll miss my group! David will still go, though, so at least I can stay in the loop!

I'm disappointed about this. Right now, I'm still not exercising (other than what I do at PT), and I've been watching the scale go up. I got my butt back in gear the last couple days -- I'm going back down, slowly. Granted, I'm not above 190, but it's like "Oh.My.God! I CAN'T do this again!" EEK! So, I know it will be okay. By the time I go back, maybe I'll be down to my 180!

Family Pictures!

2 weeks ago, we had pictures taken with David's family. Did I tell you that? I can't remember... Either way, They are in!!!!! Check out her website:
http://www.heidikeenephotography.com
At the bottom, click on Clients and type the password: thereynolds
If you don't feel like looking - I'll put some of my favorites up when I get the CD in a few days. I'm SO excited. They all turned out AWESOME!

Knee Update

Well, it's been a little over a week since my cortizone shot.

I tried exercising on Sunday and it did not go well. I made it a total of 10 minutes between the elliptical and treadmill. 47 calories. That's it. And what happened? STRONG, SHARP pain. Intense. And it hasn't stopped since.

So, I called Dr. Brown back on Monday and he ordered an MRI. I had the MRI done Wednesday morning and got the results back today. Everything "looks good." All the ligaments and everything "in there" is fine. My knee cap is loose (yes, I knew this), and there is some "wearing" of my joint because of the way my knee cap moves when I walk. It doesn't sit in the center like it should, so the "track" is wearing down and causing pain.

I have to take 2 Aleve tablets 2 times a day. Okay, fine. Got it. And.... I have to start going to Physical Therapy. He wrote the order for 2-3 times a week for 2-3 weeks. Great. One more thing to do. I'm hoping they teach me some exercises that I can do to keep my knee strong so I can start working out again.

I need to work out. Need to. Have to. No if's, and's, or but's about it. It's KILLING me to not work out. So, if Physical Therapy doesn't help, I have to go back for a re-evaluation... I'm praying this works because I really don't want to end up with surgery at the end of this!

So, that's about it for me.... Tonight was Open House - I'm exhausted and in pain! We begin Foster Care classes in just a few short weeks (Oct 8 is the start date), and I'm still tutoring 2 nights a week. David is going to take one more bottle of his supplements - about 1 month worth - and then retest his swimmers! As soon as they get up to an "okay" number, we are still planning an IUI. Now I'm headed to bed.... Happy Friday Eve!

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

Here's another YUMMY recipe for you! I don't usually like Mac & Cheese because it tastes over processed... the homemade mac & cheese that I grew up on was, well, eh..... not so good. But, this? This is healthy AND yummy!

POINTS: 6
Serves:4

Ingredients (see the note at the bottom)

8 oz whole-wheat macaroni (I couldn't find whole-wheat macaroni, so I used whole-wheat rotini)
1 TBSP butter
5 tsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 TBSP plain dried bread crumbs
1 TBSP grated Parmesan

Directions

Cook the macaroni according to package directions, omitting the salt if desired; drain.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Increase the heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cheddar, salt, and pepper, whisking until the cheese is melted. Add the pasta to the ceese sauce, stirring to coat.

Preheat the broiler.

Stir the bread crumbs and Parmesan together in a small bowl; sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese in the skillet. Broil 5 inches from the heat source, until the crumbs are browned, about 1 minute.

(NOTE) Now, for my meat-eating husband..... We added 1 grilled chicken breast that I shredded. It added just enough extra that made it even yummier! We added 1 POINT for the chicken. Next time, I want to saute onion, green/red pepper, and mushrooms and throw that in also. We LOVE fresh veggies and I think it would have been the perfect addition! I can't wait to make it again with the add-ins.

Accountability...

Well, tonight was yet another Weigh In... I was up 3.2 lbs. I was expecting to be up, and I had a feeling it would actually be worse... But, still!

Labor Day weekend was full of food, food, and more food. Also, less than "normal" activity (read: sitting around staring at each other), and some wine.

David, on the other hand, did AWESOME! He lost 7.8!! He's really motivated now that he's kicked his butt back in gear. He set the monthly goal of 15 lbs and working out 4 times a week for the entire month of September. If he achieves both goals, he gets a case of wine - and HE gets to pick all the wines (although he did promise that he'd get some that I like too).

Right now, I'm 4.6 lbs away from my ultimate goal - 180 lbs. I think if I work hard, I can be there by the end of September. My reward? Just knowing I did it. I really don't "need" anything. Well, I do... I need clothes, but I'm waiting.......

What was going on 3 months ago? I hit Lifetime - not just goal - LIFETIME. I can't believe it's been 3 months since I received my Lifetime status! Wow! I had to buy a new 3 month journal at the meeting tonight, so I'm changing things up a little...

I redid my points quiz. I've been giving myself 28 points, knowing it was over what I "should" be getting, and I've been allowing myself to use the weekly points (no activity points since I haven't been earning them). I want to lose the extra few pounds, but I didn't necessarily care as much as when I was "actively" losing.

My points quiz says I should get 27 points. Starting this week, I will only give myself the 27 points. I am hoping to start some light exercising again on Monday, so I can use the activity points, but not the Weekly Points unless it's something very important AND planned. Also, I've been lazy about getting all daily Healthy Guidelines in. This week, my focus is fruits and vegetables. I WILL get all 5 servings in.

I'm hoping I can handle some light treadmill and elliptical time this week. I want to start cycling - at the gym first, then on trails until it gets too cold - but I need to get my endurance back up and make sure that this cortizone shot is really going to help as "planned."

So, that's all for now.... I will be back with better news next week - exercise and all! Oh, and stay tuned for a few more new recipes! I got some rhubarb from Mom this weekend and plan on using it next week!

Ortho Appt

BLECH! I had my ortho appt today and Dr. Brown and his resident (can't remember his name) were both wonderful. I got good news and bad news.

GOOD: The benign growth on my bone is "normal." Dr. Brown said 95% of cases referred to for this reason are actually experiencing pain for other reasons.

GOOD: I can exercise............

BAD: I can't run anymore.

BAD: I have beginning stages of arthritis in my knee. I have alot of fluid under my knee cap, some swelling, and my knee cap is very loose. The resident said "If I wanted to be a prick, I could probably pop it out without trying very hard." Gee, thanks.

I got a cortizone shot and that was NOT an experience that I'd wish upon my worst enemy - or myself again for that matter. I'm taking tomorrow off work because the pain from the shot is really, really bad. David was worried about me pushing myself too hard at work so I'm gonna sit on the couch and keep my knee up.

I have to wait and see what happens as far as the pain goes. Dr. Brown said it should be MUCH better in a few days, and then I can resume exercising. He said walking, elliptical, swimming, and possibly biking are good options. No running, and no stairs.

I'm not sure what to about our upcoming races. Both the Corporate Cup and Race for the Cure I can walk. But, can I PHYSICALLY do the distance? I'm not sure. I haven't signed up for the Race yet, and I have 3 days to make the decision. I'll see how tomorrow goes and then go from there.

So, there you have it.... I'm sad, but at least I know what's going on. I know I'll get through this hurdle just like I have all the others, but DAMN! I wanted to be able to continue running!

Rocky Road Brownies

Um, YUM! These were really, really rich, but SO good. I'm not sure if they are worth 3 points for the 2-3 bite brownie you get, but we will definitely make them again! And I did take a picture, but I haven't downloaded it yet. Sorry!

POINTS: 3
Servings: 16

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini-marshmallows
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350*. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, allowing the foil to extend over the rim of the pan by 2 inches. Spray with nonstick spray.

Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. whisk the sugar, apple butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Add the sugar mixture to the flour mixture; stir just until blended.

Scrape the batter into the baking pan and spread evnely. Sprinkle with the marshmallows, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging, 20-25 minutes. (I had problems with this part because the crumbs got lost in the melting chocolate chips. So, I just went by when the marshmallows were browned, but not burned. It worked.) Let cool completely in the pan on a rack. Lift from the pan using the foil as handles, cut into 16 squares.

Surf & Turf Pizza

Yet another successful recipe from the new cookbook! The only problem? It's TOO good! I had to put the last 2 portions in the fridge before finishing my portion so that I wouldn't go back for seconds!!!!

POINTS: 7

Serves: 4 (2 slices)

Ingredients

1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza dough

1 (6 1/2 ounces) can minced clams, drained

1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

1 ounce prosciutto, chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup torn basil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 475*.

Unroll the dough onto a pizza pan or a baking sheet, gently pulling on the dough to form a 12 inch circle. (I left it in a rectangle and it turned out fine.) Sprinkle the dough evenly with the clams, zucchini, and prosciutto. (I think next time I will put the zucchini on the bottom, but you can do it however!) Lightly spray the top of the pizza with olive oil cooking spray. (We were out of spray, so I just brushed a little olive oil on.) Sprinkle with the Parmesan and bake until crisp and browned, 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and cut into 8 wedges. (I misread the recipe and cooked it with the basil. It turned out great!)

A few weeks ago, someone suggested I take pictures of the food. For the first time, I actually remembered to take a picture before I inhaled! So, here you are:

Next time I'll put the clams and prosciutto on top of the zucchini, but it really doesn't matter in the end. Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Wow!

Has it really been 2 weeks since I've done a real post... one other than recipes? Gosh, I go from one extreme to the other!

I guess things have just been really busy and - believe it or not - normal!

The school year has started and I have 14 students right now. They are very, VERY low academically, but decent behavior wise. I can still get 2 more kids, so I'm just waiting for that to happen.... They love Crush & Squirt and we've had several "Turtle Time"s since starting school.

Weigh In was good last week. I lost 1.6 lbs, so I 'm down to 182.4. This is the lowest that I have EVER weighed and I'm less than 2 lbs away from my ultimate goal of 182! I'm hoping I'll be there by the end of September!

I have 9 days before I see the ortho for my knee. I haven't worked out since the 5K - the pain has gotten worse. Walking hurts now, and dancing with my kids - which I do daily - irritates it. So, no working out. I'm still planning on doing Corporate Cup on 9/15 and Race for the Cure on 10/4. Just not sure how much pain I'll be in afterwards and whether or not I'll run the Race for the Cure.

David is back in school and doing well. We're both trying to adjust to the new school-year schedule and it SUCKS. But, at least we're able to spend Friday night's together and we usually go up to Too Far North, our favorite tasting room!

We start our Foster Care classes on Oct 6! We're praying that it all goes well and we will have kids in our home by the end of December.

So, that's about it... I just wanted to give a little update and say hi! I planned a few new recipes this week so look out for a couple more recipes soon!!

Frozen peanut butter and chocolate pie

Wow! That's all I have to say. Wow! This was dessert from my "Suzie Homemaker" night, also from the new cookbook. David actually asked if I had really made this -- he said "you're a good cook, but did you REALLY make this?" Yep! I did!!

POINTS: 3
Servings: 12 (small portion, but worth every ounce)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fat free milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup + 1 TBSP reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup frozen thawed fat-free whipped topping
1 prepared reduced-fat graham-cracker crust
1 TBSP chopped dry roasted peanuts
1/2 ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely grated

Directions

Combine the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes; remove from the heat. Whisk in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 1 hour. (The milk never got really warm before the sugar dissolved so the PB had trouble melting and it didn't take long to "completely cool.")

Gently stir the whipped topping into the chilled milk mixture; spoon into the crust. Sprinkle with the peanuts and grated chocolate. Loosely cover the pie with wax paper, hen with heavy-duty foil. Freeze until completely frozen, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Let the pie soften at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Chili-spiced thick oven "fries"

Yep, another recipe from the new cookbook! We served these with the burgers and it was perfect!

POINTS: 2
Serves: 4 (6 fries per serving)

Ingredients

3 large (8 oz) russet potatoes, scrubbed
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450*. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Halve the potatoes and cut each piece lengthwise into quarters; place on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil (I used 1 tsp extra because it didn't look like enough, but probably would have been), and toss to coat. Rearrange the potatoes in a single layer and bake until the bottoms are deep golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Turn the potatoes onto the opposite cut side and bake until crips, 10-15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the fries are done cooking, sprinkle the seasoning mixture over and toss to coat. (I didn't think that it would be enough seasoning, but it was. You could easily add more if you wanted more seasoning.)

Cheese-stuffed chicken burgers

Here's another recipe from the Classic Comfort's book. SO yummy!! Someone asked me to take pictures of my food. Sorry, I ate it too fast! Yes, there was 1 left (David had 2), but it didn't look as yummy in the ziploc baggie as it did on my plate with the muffin!

POINTS: 8
Servings: 4

Ingredients
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 lb ground chicken breast
1/3 cup plain dried bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
4 light multigrain English muffins, split and toasted
1/4 cup ketchup
4 lettuce leaves
4 tomato slices
12 bread and butter slices

Directions

Stir the cheese and mustard together in a small bowl. Stir the chicken, bread crumbs, and salt together in a medium bowl just until blended. Form into 4 balls. With your index finger, make a deep indentation in each ball. Fill each indentation with 3 TBSP of the cheese mixture (ends up being just under 3 TBSP for each burger). Fold the chicken mixture around the cheese to seal; shape each one into a 3 in diameter patty.

Spray a nonstick ridged grill pan with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Place the burgers in the pan and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the side of each burger (without touching the cheese) registers 165*; about 6-7 minutes on each side.

Serve the burgers in the muffins topped with the ketchup, lettuce leaves, tomato slices, and pickles (we used cucumbers instead of pickles).

Cheesy Chicken Carbonara with Fettuccine

Sounds unhealthy, doesn't it? Well, guess what! It's NOT!! I bought the new WW cookbook, Comfort Classics, last night and promised David a home cooked meal tonight. I plan on making LOTS of these recipes, so be prepared for some updates!

This recipe was super easy to make and really yummy! I paired it with homemade cheese bread (slice of 1 pt toast, 1/8th cup reduced fat cheese - 1 pt, and garlic salt) and some steamed veggies. Oh, and a glass of wine (duh!).....

Points: 7
Serves: 4

Ingredients

6 ounces fettuccine
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast (I cooked mine on George Foreman while the pasta water started boiling)
(we added 1 red pepper, chopped, and a few mushrooms, chopped)

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting the salt if desired. Drain and keep warm.
Meanwhile, whisk the milk, Parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl until blended.
Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon begins to brown, 3-4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic (and red pepper and mushrooms) and cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to brown, 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the fettuccine and the milk mixture. Cook, tossing, until the sauce is thickened and creamy, 2-3 minutes.

Race Results and Pictures!

As promised, more details from the race...

The day started out raining - CRAZY, pouring down rain. We were hoping and praying that it would stop raining, or at least stop pouring down rain. We sat in the car while we waited for the time to pass and hope the rain would stop!



Luckily, it DID stop! About 8:15 it started slowing down a little and by 8:25 it had completely stopped. They did the "normal" pre-race stuff - letting us know what the route was, etc... We made sure our numbers were pinned on and our timing chips were secured on our shoes.

And off we went!! David wanted me to walk the whole thing because my knee has been so bad. I started walking, but got really impatient after 5 minutes - I wanted, no... NEEDED... to run. So, I started running. I made the SMART choice to walk all inclines - up and down. And only ran 4-5 minutes at a time.

Final time?? 40:33! David completed in just over 42 minutes. My dad met us at the finish line and took pictures for us before we went to breakfast. We were wet from rain and sweat, but we felt great!




I did pay for that 40:33 with a fair amount of knee pain for the rest of the day. By the end of the day, it was survivable (or maybe that was the wine??), but David and my dad were really worried about me afterwards.

Thank you to all of you for your support while we've trained. David is doing so great running, and I am so proud of him. I'm waiting until my dr's appt on Sept 8 before I do anymore running. I'm hoping to walk and do some elliptical at the gym, but it all depends on what the knee can handle. I'm hoping -- praying -- that I can keep running after I see him. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!!

Quick Race Report!

I promise to post pics tomorrow, but it's getting late and it's been a long weekend!

Even with my knee being sore, I completed the race. I wasn't going to run any of it (just walk), but got ants in my pants and began running. I ran maybe 15 minutes of it, which is not much for me. My knee did okay, but I was sore for several hours afterwards. I completed the race in 45 minutes. David completed in 48 minutes.

Then, we took Saturday afternoon and all day today to visit some wineries. We made it to 6 wineries and got some awesome wines.

Pictures and more details to come -- after I catch up on some sleep! Kids start back tomorrow, and I'm meeting with my families for the next 3 days. My students start on Thursday. I'm excited but exhausted!

Quick Update

Well, since David updated his blog, I should probably update mine for the week! I'm running short on time, so no fun formatting - sorry!

Weighin was last night - I was up 1 lb. But, you know what? It was only 1 lb! I'm at 184.8. I can handle that! I had a tough food week - I let myself slack off, and I'm not able to exercise as well because of my knee. So, this week, I'm back to paying attention to what I'm doing. I will track every day, I will pay attention to my daily, weekly, and activity points. I will lose weight this week!

I went to see a PA this week for my knee. She's an idiot. She did an xray and found a "benign" growth on my bone right above my patella. Her nurse said "if" I want to go to an Ortho, they'll write me a referral. Yes, I want to go. Oh, and I asked about exercise and running - "Well, Linda [PA] says you're fine to do it if it doesn't hurt." Okay, well, obviously it hurts - that's why I came to you in the first place! Idiots!!! My Ortho appointment is Sept 8th, and I've heard very good things about this doctor.

So, Saturday is our 5K. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do. I know I'm going to at least walk it - I'm hoping to run some of it. I may walk all of it but the last part - at least then I can be running across the finish line! We'll take before/after pictures at the race, and then we're going to breakfast with my dad!

I have my sleep study scheduled. They think I may have narcolepsy or some sort of para-insomnia. So, instead of just staying the night, I have to stay the day, too. They will give me 5 "opportunities" to nap throughout the day to see what my brain does. Lovely. That is Sept 15th/16th.

We went back to school this week! The kids start Monday, but we're doing meetings and getting our rooms ready. Today is a Curriculum Day (meeting with big-wig administrators) and then tonight is "Safe Walk to School" - basically a "meet the teacher" night. So, I have to dress up a little. I'll post a pic later but I feel great!

The turtles get to go to school tomorrow! They are starting to get used to each other. In fact, last night I caught them snuggling in their sleep. And, yes, they are both girls! It wasn't THAT kind of snuggle. I'm excited for the kids to see them!

Well, I think that's about it for my quickie update. I promised you recipes, but I haven't been cooking much. My energy level is still in the dumps and David hasn't been home much. Hopefully next week we'll get into the swing of us both being back at work/school and home together a few hours a night!

Turtle Time

Well, we finally got our turtles! David and I decided last week we were going to get turtles for my classroom. The Humane Society had two on Friday, but they were gone by Tuesday when we had decided for sure to get them.

We had already gotten the tank, so we went over to Petco, where I knew they had turtles. The guy in the aquarium area said he had just gotten a call from the Turtle Rescue (Yes! There is such a thing!) and they had 2 red earred sliders. I gave him my number and he said he'd call me back!

He called me Friday afternoon as we were on our way up to the winery to help get ready for Saturday night. He said he'd hang on to the one turtle (the other one had found a home), and that it would be okay to get a second of the same kind to put in the tank (this is the kind they sell at the store) because they are similar in size and I wanted 2.

My mom helped us with the tank setup and David's mom decided she wanted to buy the turtles for me! The one from the rescue was free, so she bought the other one and a statue for their tank. My friend Joanna said I should name them Crush and Squirt (from Nemo). Okay, sounds good! It's been a definite community effort to get this tank set up!

And now, for pictures:

This is Crush, a 4-5 yr old female Red Earred Slider. The thing in the upper left hand corner is the bottom of one of their basking stations -- NOT a plastic penis or a UFO. (Both of these ideas were suggested, so I figured I'd just tell you now!)

This is Squirt, another 4-5 yr old female Red Earred Slider. She is a little more shy/laid back than Crush and also a little smaller.

I tried to get good pictures of their introduction, but the glare on the glass was really bad with my digital, and my phone doesn't take fast enough pics! They both tolerated me holding them and kept their heads out. They tucked their feet in, but didn't "hiss" at me or anything. I can't wait for the kids to meet them!!

Another Check In!

I think I'm liking these weekly check ins.. I know with school getting ready to start, things are going to get CRAZY! So, if I tell myself I will at least post once a week, plus at least one recipe, I can commit to that!

Life

Nothing *too* exciting this week. I've been getting myself mentally ready to go back to work next week. I'm making myself wake up by 7:00, even if I don't have anything going on, and no naps! (This has been tough with my lack of energy, but I'm surviving.)

David and I decided to get my class turtles as pets. It will be a learning experience for all! My mom helped us with the setup, and now I'm waiting to hear from the Turtle Rescue people here in town - an employee at Petco said they have 2 red earred sliders that are between 5-10 yrs old (he wasn't sure)... So I'm just waiting to hear back. If they aren't available anymore, I'll just get 2 from Petco.

Yesterday, the memory card on my camera crapped out. I know there were pictures on there, but I *think* most of them are on a computer. But, I'm scared that not all of them were... We had pictures of Toby and Max when they were little on that camera! (99% sure those pics are on a computer!)

My sleep study consult is Friday. I've been keeping a sleep diary for the last 2 weeks. The last week or so, I've had a little more energy, but I've been really irritable - almost, like I'm still tired but my body is changing the way it's reacting to that... Hopefully we can get the sleep study scheduled quickly and figure out what in the world my problem is!

5K

The race is getting closer and closer! It's in a week and a half, and I feel like I'm not ready. I'm not running as much as I thought I would be by now... And my knee is starting to hurt! It's not swollen, so I've been taking Tylenol and icing it after runs. But, it still hurts and I'm not able to run more than 5-7 minutes at a time.

It worries me... Maybe the doctors in high school were right: I will never run. But, damn it, I CAN run! I'm doing it! I feel great when I'm doing it! Until last week, and now I struggle to get through pain free. UGH!

Weigh In

Tonight was another weigh in! I kept my points at 28 this week to lose what I gained last week... I lost 3.6 lbs this week! I was very, very excited! I used all of my weekly points and 3 of my 17 activity points, so I guess I'm doing it right. I'm going to stay at 28 for a few more weeks and try to get down to my personal goal: 180. I have 2.8 lbs to go!

David is at work, so he wasn't able to come. He'll probably weigh in Saturday morning. I know he's doing awesome!

Fruit and Vegetable Challenge

Yes, it's over. It ended this week with getting 5 servings in a day. Well, my green monsters are 3 - yes 3 - servings of f & g, 1 serving of milk, and if I use "real" peanut butter (vs. PB2), an oil!

When it first started, our leader said to bring in the paper, all filled out, and we'd be placed in a drawing. Only 4 of us brought the papers back and..... I won! I got a POINTS Calculator! We used to have the old one, and it disappeared one day - it's probably in David's car, or maybe it was in the Equinox when he had the accident... So, now I have one! Super excited!!

Crispy Crab Cakes

I know, I know... It's been a while since I gave you all a recipe... well, not THAT long, but longer than I'd like! David and I are working on deep cleaning our house, and David found a WW magazine from May/June 2008... He was avoiding cleaning and started looking through it.

I LOVE Crab Cakes. My sister and brother in law introduced me to their wonderful-ness when I nannied Chris's daughter several summers ago.... Now, granted, these crab cakes are not as awesome as the ones on the East or West Coast, but they are pretty damn good!

The funny thing....? We had crab cakes as an appetizer at a restaurant today. It was $12 for 2! Really? They were so small. Now, they were good, but SO not worth the money. These were comparible to the restaurant ones in taste, healthier, and bigger! And they were cheaper!

POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 4

Ingredients
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 egg white
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning (I used Seasoning Salt because we didn't have Old Bay)
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
3/4 lb. imitation crabmeat, chopped
1/2 lb. medium peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped (I used the canned tiny shrimp so I didn't have to chop them!)
3/4 cup fresh whole-wheat bread crumbs
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 (5-oz) bag mixed spring greens
4 lemon wedges

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350*

Combine the mayonnaise, egg white, mustard, seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl, beating with a whisk until blended. Add the crab meat and shrimp; mix well. Add the bread crumbs, stirring until blended. With lightly moistened hands, form the mixture into 8 (2 1/2 inch) patties

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes on each side. (We have an electric oven, and medium-high was too hot for mine. They got a little burned on the one side, but still edible!) Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, 8-10 minutes. (I think closer to 10 minutes - I only did 8 and they tasted a little too "crabby", which usually means they aren't completely done.) Arrange the cakes on the greens and serve at once with the lemon wedges.

Another week gone by...

Much has happened this week! Let's see if I can sum it all up without overlapping from last week's post....

General Life
David and I decided several months ago that we wanted to look into Foster Care. (did I tell you about this? If I did, sorry!) So, back in June, we turned in our paperwork and attended the orientation. 6 weeks later... We've been approved to take the classes!!!! Basically, our background checks came back clean (duh!) and they like what they see on the somewhat basic application. We start the classes on October 6. They are 10 weeks long and basically teach you how to help children the best you can in the situation they are in. It also involves 3 home visits - they will come in and let us know what we need to fix to make it safe for children (smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, chemicals/medicines locked up, etc...). We finish the class December 8, and then wait for the license to come through. After that, they can place kids in our home when needed. Yes, we can tell them "No." But, we're thinking we will have kids in our home by the end of January! Please pray for us through this adventure... We are nervous, but excited!!

My sleep study consult appointment is coming up - it's in 1 week! I'm hoping we can get this sleep study done quick so that I can find out why I am SO DAMN TIRED! David is going with me, and I have to do a sleep diary for the next week.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I report back to school in 11 days. EEK! Where in the world did the summer go? I've been at an early childhood training all week (optional, but paid) and have gotten quite a few good ideas. I'm excited to get back and implement the new things with my kids! I am thinking about going back a day or two early so that I can get a head start. I need to get organized, and I'm the first to admit that I'm not. I don't utilize all the materials that I have in the classroom. This is my 5th group of kids and I don't think that I even know everything that I have! So I'm changing that this year. It is going to be a great year!

5K Training

Well, we only have 15 days left! I really can't believe that the summer has gone so fast and we are so close to the race! Last night, David and I decided to go out to the lake where the race will be. We don't know the route - hopefully it is posted soon - but we picked a way and went. We went at our own pace and I made it out about 2 miles in 25 minutes. I was able to jog all but 7 minutes of the 4 miles! I got done with the entire thing in about 50 minutes. I'm happy with this time because that's almost a mile more than the actual 5K distance! One thing I found out: Zorinsky has WAY to many hills! Oh. My. Goodness!

We are going to go out a few more times before the race and try different routes. From the posted starting point, there are 3 different directions, so we want to do all 3. Hopefully the other 2 won't be so darn hilly!

Weigh In

We were back home this week and got to go to our normal meeting. I was expecting to gain, or maintain, because we had Chinese the night before. Granted, I didn't eat all too bad, but I always retain water because of the sodium. I also ate a REALLY big lunch at my district training because I was bored and there were cookies... Yes, I still fall to the trigger foods. But, yesterday, I only had 1 cookie! I didn't eat 4 like the day before!

So, I gained 3 lbs. David did amazing this week. He lost 13 lbs!!!! He got his 50 lbs charm, and we figured out that he's actually lost 70 lbs from the first time he started! I am so, so proud of him. He is melting in front of my eyes. When we hug, we can both put our arms around each other and touch our hands together. We've never been able to do that because we were both heavy. Now, I'm down 66 lbs and he's down 70!

The Green Monster

So, I'm sitting here, looking through my blogs while I wait for dinner to finish grilling, and I realize something.... I haven't dedicated a post to my new favorite breakfast! I know that I talked about it here before I had actually tried it.

Now, I've tried the Green Monster and I'm in LOVE! I even got David to try it, and he likes it too! Even he will tell you that you do NOT taste the spinach!!

The recipe I used was:
1 cup milk
1 banana
1 TBSP peanut butter
1 cup spinach (or a couple handfuls - I don't really measure, and it's 0 points, so that part doesn't matter)
A couple handfuls of ice (this took me a couple tries to get the right amount of ice to make it the right thickness)

So, I figure 6 points, and this is SO filling! The first morning, I drank it around 8:00 and wasn't hungry until almost 12:00!!! This continued pretty much every morning. I think one morning, I needed to have a small snack (yogurt), but other than that... I'm set for the day!

Tomorrow, I'm going to try it with Mango and Vanilla Whey. I love my banana and peanut butter, but I feel like changing it up a little! Plus, I'm counting the mango as an "unusual" food - I've had it before, but only in tropical fruit mixes!

Check out the website for other people's versions of the same recipe. Some use yogurt, soy milk, etc... Any fruit works - same with protein! Be creative and find what works for you! And if you try something that works well, you are REQUIRED to report back here! :-)

Weekly Update

Well, it's been another week! So much to talk about...



Infertility

We met with David's family doctor, who is also a licensed endocrinologist. The urologist had told us that we needed the help from the endo because David's estrogen was high. Well, Dr. M looks at it and says "No it's not! This guy is an idiot." Basically, his estrogen levels are slightly elevated because of his weight. Looking back from last year, his FSH and LH are in normal range, as is the "free" testosterone, which is a big improvement! So, the "treatment": Keep losing weight.



This is so frustrating to me. If you know me, or if you've been following my blog for longer than a week or two, you know how badly I want to be a mom. I want to make David a dad. We will be great parents. No, I'm not trying to be cocky about it, but after all of this... and we have it in our hearts. We WILL have a baby. We WILL be awesome parents. Our children will be spoiled, but not so spoiled that you can't stand them!



So, David is going to keep taking all of his vitamins and keep losing weight... He's going to redo the sperm analysis in October (3 1/2 months from now), and see what happens. If his numbers improve, then we can do an IUI in October or November.



Wine

Yep. More wine! David and I came down to Kansas City for mom's 61st birthday. We met some friends of mine from high school for dinner on Tuesday night, which was really nice. On Wednesday, we went to weigh in (more on that shortly...), hit lunch at California Pizza Kitchen on the suggestion of the WW leader, and then went and explored a few wineries!



David lived in KC for 5 years before we met. He worked for the 911 service down here, so he knows the area fairly well. He surprised me by taking me to Stonehaus Farms Winery. Out of all of the wines we've tried, these were seriously some of THE BEST we have ever had. He let us taste his latest vintage of the Traminette and it was to DIE FOR. I can't wait for it to be on the market in a few weeks!

Then, we drove to Knob Noster, MO and visited 2 wineries right next door to each other. Bristle Ridge and Montserrat were both excellent wineries as well!

We ended up with 6 bottles of wine, one of which was opened for Mom's birthday dinner, and we will DEFINITELY be going back to visit all 3 again!

5K Training
We are getting closer and closer! Check out that tracker on the side - August 15 is going to be here before we know it!

This week was better training wise. I'm still dealing with a major lack of energy, but David has been able to push me a little to get off my butt and go run. We went to the gym one morning and I was able to jog for 26 minutes straight. I walked for a few minutes and then jogged the last 5 before my cool down.

So, I figured... If I can do 26 min on the treadmill, I should be able to do 20 outside on the trail. So, I started with my 1/2 mile (7 minute) warmup through the neighborhood. Then, I started jogging. I kept going... and going... and going... and going! When I got to my turn around spot, I had made it 19 minutes and 40 seconds! I had been fighting a pretty good side pain for a few minutes, so I started walking a few seconds early. I walked for 3 minutes and 20 seconds and then started jogging again. I ended up jogging a little over 15 minutes before I hit the neighborhood again, which ends up being right about 3.1 miles! It ended up being 42 minutes to complete the 5K, and I only had to walk 3 minutes of it! Next week, I'm going to go 25 minutes before I stop to walk, and I'll try to cut it down to a 2 minute walk before starting up again.

Someone asked me how quickly I want to finish the 5K. My goal? To finish it! I really want to run the whole thing, and right now, I know that that's doable. I'm just praying that it won't be extremely hot or humid that morning. It starts at 8:00, so it *shouldn't* be too bad yet.

Weekly Weigh In

Granted, I weighed in first thing in the morning, without eating breakfast... But, I showed a .2 lb gain. I know that, if I had been at home, weighing in at my normal time, I would be up at least 1 lb. It was just one of those weeks... And I'm okay with that! That's what Lifetime is about, right? Making it work for me.

The leader, Ann, at this particular meeting was wonderful! I love Leah, our leader at home, and now I know when we visit Mom, we have to come see Ann! The best part? She has a blog: The Hungry Poodle. I added it to my list of blogs to follow, but feel free to check her out. She just posted a recipe for fish tacos that sounds AWESOME! She was very motivating in the meeting, and I'm excited to start reading her blog regularly!

The Challenge!

As a recap... The first week, we aimed for 3 different colors each day. The second week (last week), we filled half of our plate with vegetables or fruit....
And this week.....
Try at least one new fruit or vegetable every day.

David and I eat so many veggies and fruits already. We buy a big variety of things, although we have our favorites. So, if we can't find totally new things to try, we think if we do fruits or veggies that aren't "normal," we could count that. Right? David has only had rhubarb in pies, so I think that's going to be in one meal at some point this week.. And we may explore with squash, something we've both had in the past, but never prepared in a HEALTHY way!

So, how did you do this week with filling your plate up? And... What new fruit or vegetable are you going to try? Give me some ideas or suggestions!

Part 2 - Challenge

Tonight was Weigh In, so I got the 2nd part of the challenge... But, first, you have to read my ramblings! Enjoy!

Life

David's mom was in the hospital this week. Monday morning, she woke up and her heart was racing. And by racing, I mean OVER 200 beats! When the medics got there, they had trouble finding her blood pressure. They got her heart rate calmed back down, but then she started "throwing" weird rhythms. Even the ER doctor didn't know WHAT the rhythm was. So, she spent Monday, Tuesday, and today in the hospital. She had a heart cath done yesterday, which showed "normal functioning" with the same blockages she had 5 years ago - way down deep in the branches. It's safer to just leave them alone than to try to break it up. But, the overall health of her heart isn't that great.

She came home today, and boy was she ready! She's still very tired, and since nobody in her house will help her... I get the job while David is working. I took them to dinner tonight and will cook dinner tomorrow night. She should be okay lunch wise - she has a few left overs from last night and frozen pizza she can heat up if she needs to.

I had some blood work done this week because I've had no energy. I haven't even WANTED to exercise, which is unusual for me. I can usually be a little tired but still want to work out, and then have energy afterwards! The last couple weeks - nope! David has had to DRAG my butt to the gym to do even 1/2 of my normal workout. All my blood work came back normal, so my doctor wants to do a sleep study. I'm waiting for them to call and set it up.


Fertility

We got some news this week. I'm scared. David's labs came back. Basically, his testosterone and estrogen levels are reversed - he has very low testosterone and very high estrogen. His semen analysis was also not good. Good volume but low count. Also, it says that he had 0% motility, which is worse than it was last year. And, the count was so low that they could not tell how the morphology was, but we know that's off from last year's analysis.

So, he called his new urologist, the one that we had so much hope in, and he said that he can't help David at this point. Right now, his physiological needs are more important than the fertility needs. The levels of estrogen in his body are DANGEROUS for him, as is the testosterone. It may even explain some of his struggles to lose weight in the past. So, he said David need to see an Endocronologist.....

His family doctor is also a licensed Endocronologist. So, we have an appointment to see him on Tuesday. The Urologist recommended a specific drug (I can't remember the name of it) that is used in women to treat breast cancer. Basically, it should lower the estrogen, which will then raise the testosterone. We don't want David to be on an actual testosterone supplement because that will hurt the sperm that ARE there!

We'll know more on Tuesday, but we are both scared. We know that adoption is a definite option for us. We will not do donor sperm (our own personal reasons), but adoption is there... But, why do things have to be so difficult?? I'm trying not to be angry, to not blame people who aren't to blame, to still be happy for friends who are pregnant, for friends/family who have children... But, you know what? Sometimes, I just can't be! Every time we turn around, we are getting more bad news with every doctor, every month that goes by.... When will OUR miracle be here?????

Weight Loss

Onto a happier subject.... Tonight was weigh in! I lost 3.8 lbs this week! I am down to 183.4! I can't believe it!!!! I'm a stress eater, and hospital food is not exactly healthy. Yes, the salad bar is, but the pecan roll or the slice of sausage/mushroom pizza I had yesterday WERE NOT so healthy. As a running total... I am down 68.8 lbs! I keep thinking: If I carried all of my dogs all at once, I would be carrying the body weight that I had 18 months ago!

David was up a little. He realized something this week: How important tracking is. His phone died a few days ago, and that's how he tracks what he eats. He hasn't had it for a week, so hasn't tracked his points. He's not a "writer," so he was keeping points mentally. Well, mental points + your mom in the hospital + your wife being crazy psycho for a few days + overal, general stress = a gain. He got his phone back yesterday, so things will be better next week!

This Week's Challenge

Last week's veggie & fruit challenge was to get 3 different colors each day. How did you do?? Writing down, I realize I stick to "comfortable" colors, or maybe just "comfortable" fruits/veggies. But, I did throw some different colors in throughout the week.

So, this week, we are building on that... Get 3 different colors a day (or even shoot for each meal!) AND fill half of our plate with fruits and veggies EVERY SINGLE MEAL. Not just once a day, or once this week - but every meal. Can you do it??? We talked about the proportions of a plate - 1/4 should be your protein; 1/4 grains; 1/2 veggies/fruits. This is how it should ALWAYS be. Not just for our challenge. But, that is what Weight Watchers is doing - teaching us to incorporate more fruits and veggies into our lives!

I went to farmer's market today and picked up tons of veggies and it only cost me $19! I got corn, green beans, blueberries, new potatoes, yellow and green zucchini, and cucumbers. Yummy! Tomorrow I'm going to try a Green Monster smoothie for breakfast. I'm using peanut butter for protein (and an oil!) and a banana for my fruit. I figured out it will be 6 points if I drink the entire thing. BUT it should keep me satisfied for most - if not all - of the morning!

Well... I guess that's about it for my update. I know.. lots of random stuff but things that I needed to get off of my chest. Thanks for listening. Let me know how you are doing with the fruits & veggies challenge!

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

This was another recipe I got from the Recipe Review board on WW. It's definitely a "comfort food" recipe, and super easy. We used regular spaghetti noodles, but you could use other shapes for different textures/variety. The picky eaters? Loved it! David's dad was told the "brown specks" (mushrooms) were black olives (he thinks he doesn't like many vegetables; if only he knew!), and his nephew didn't even question what it was. We also made garlic cheese bread with hamburger buns, a little melted butter, garlic salt, and just a touch of mozzarella cheese!

POINTS® Value: 6
Servings: 6

Ingredients

8 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta
1/2 pound(s) Kraft Velveeta Light Reduced-Fat Pasteurized Processed Cheese Product
6 oz uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
10 3/4 fl oz canned cream of chicken soup made with fat-free milk, undiluted
4 oz mushroom(s), sliced or diced
10 oz canned tomatoes with green chilies, drained
2 tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cook and drain pasta. Cook chicken, and cut into bite-sized pieces (We're going to try shredding it next time, just for something different!)
Mix velveeta, soup, chicken, mushrooms, and Rotel. Stir to combine and melt over low heat. Add spaghetti.
Pour into a casserole dish (sprayed with PAM. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese.
Cook at 350* for 30 min or until bubbly. (It only took 10-15 minutes for me)

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

I got this recipe on WW's chat boards. It was super yummy! Just the right level of "kick" but if you're with someone who doesn't like spice you can easily take it out!

POINTS® Value: 6
Servings: 4

Ingredients
1/2 cup(s) fat-free blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream
1 tbsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
8 oz uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tsp olive oil
6 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta (I used Ronzoni's Healthy Harvest)

Directions
Season and cook chicken breast in olive oil. (I left the olive oil out and just did it on the George Foreman)Cook pasta according to package directions ad drain.
Place all ingredients together and heat thoroughly.

Adventures in Wine Land

Welcome to Adventures in Wine Land! David and I were lucky enough to both have today off, so we took a little trip.... They were doing a Grillin' with Iowa Wines weekend. We got lots of food and gifts along the way, and had a blast! We made it to all 7 wineries and bought several bottles of wine.

If you are a "local" reading my blog - you HAVE to check out these wineries. They are awesome! All of the people are so friendly and love to talk. And in Iowa, the tastings are free! :-)

Sugar Clay
They served a blackberry cobbler and ice cream with their Blackberry Mead. Yummy! We sampled their III Vines and brought a bottle of that home.

King's Crossing
We have been to King's Crossing before and loved it. They were serving a BBQ chicken leg, paired with their new Edelweiss. They also served a brownie with fresh strawberries, paired with their White St. Croix. We didn't get a bottle of wine because we go see them fairly often. :-)

Prairie Crossing
We have had several of their wines, but never been to the winery. Their facilities are really nice and the people are great! They served a BBQ beef sandwich with the Frontenac. They also had sharp cheddar cheese, served with Windswept White. We also tasted the Wagon Trail Red (a little dry for me, but good), Kit Cat (have a bottle but haven't tried it yet - yum!), and Cardinal Red (YUM!). We took a bottle of the Cardinal Red home.

Whispering Hills
The people at Whispering Hills were AWESOME! It almost felt like "home" when we walked in. They had smoked turkey and glazed corn on the cob with their brand new Skinny Dippin'. #1 - LOVE the name of the wine! #2 - the corn was marinated in honey and a little hot sauce. We are doing this the next time we get corn! They also made an apple crumble with pomegranate glaze that they served with their Edelweiss - and we got the recipe for this! We tried their Concord, Catawba, Traminette, Moondance (which we've had before), and Serendipity. They also made a Sangria with the Concord, lemon, lime, orange, and Sierra Mist. Yummy! We took home a bottle of Catawba.

Side note: if you are counting, that's 3 bottles of wine so far. David said "maybe we'll get 1 from somewhere." Hee hee hee :-)

Back to the regularly scheduled program....

Breezy Hills
We were served stuffed pork and a chocolate chip cookie. They served it with St. Croix. We also tried the LaCrosse, Tres Hermanas, Misbehavin', Vignoles, and Edelweiss. We took home a bottle of Misbehavin' and something fun for me:


Yep! David got me this super cool shirt! I mentioned when I came in that it was very "me." When he got the bottle of Misbehavin', he got me my shirt also! Love it!

Danish Countryside
This was the farthest out winery... It took us about 30 minutes to get there, but it was very worth it! They served BBQ Beef and let us choose which red we paired it with. I tried the Sweet Caroline and David had the Countryside Red. I loved, loved, loved the Sweet Caroline! David liked it okay, but he liked the Countryside Red (I didn't like it as much). They also made pineapple upside down cake and served it with Twilight White, which was good. We tried several of their wines also. The Maid of the Harbor was similar to a riesling, and good. David and I both really liked the Classy Lady and their fruit wine, Pretty Belle Peach. Those BOTH got to come home with us. Current bottle count: 6!


Loess Hills
This was the last stop on our tour.. I had been here a few years ago, but David had never been. We went in and tried a few wines first, and then had the food. We tried the Rivers Mist (dryer), Sunset Blush, Blonzy Bell Blush, Edelweiss, September Sweet, and Vignoles. Their Vignoles was AWESOME, so we got a bottle of that.

They served pulled pork and italian sausage with SBR (Sneaky Bastard Red). A little dry, but paired VERY well with the pork. They also had really AWESOME watermelon with their Loess Hills Blanc.

We had a BLAST today! We ended up with 7 - yes 7 - bottles of wine! We came home, made Buffalo Chicken Pasta (recipe to come), peach cobbler, and opened the bottle of the Pretty Belle Peach from Danish Countryside!

Now we're relaxing, watching Mall Cop. Hillarious movie! Anyways... That recipe will be on here tomorrow. Tonight, I'm relaxing with the hubby. I'm also trying to get my MP3 player charged so I can go for a run in the morning.

Challenge Update

2 days into the challenge... How are YOU doing?

David and I have been inspired to totally revamp our veggies and fruits. Instead of always having a banana, apple, or carrots, we are expanding! Honey dew, blueberries, blackberries, zucchini (common, but not a staple), corn on the cob (another common, but not staple), and brussel sprouts....

So, here's what I've done so far:
Thursday:
Yellow: Banana
Green: Honey Dew
Orange: Carrots
Variety: tons of veggies from Noodles and Company (mushrooms, red pepper, red onion, tomato, sprouts....)

Friday:
Brown: Mushrooms
Green: Honey Dew
Purple: Blackberries
For dinner, I'm making Tortilla Pizza because it's easy and quick.

So... how are YOU doing???

A Weight Watcher Challenge!

That's right: another challenge. A couple months ago, it was the Momentum Walk It Challenge, which David and I signed up for. Now, a different kind of challenge - one that NOBODY can avoid, and one that NOBODY can fail.

What did the lettuce say to the celery? Quit stalking me!


Can you guess what the challenge is? Fruits and vegetables!!! This week is the kick off week to their Fruits and Vegetables challenge! Over the next 4 weeks, we will add color, quantity, and variety to our daily 5 servings. Of course, we can always do more than 5, but they are encouraging us to increase to at least 5!

A faucet, lettuce, and tomato were in a race. What do you think happened? Well, the faucet kept running, the lettuce tried to get ahead, and the tomato had to catch up!

I sometimes struggle with fruits and veggies... Yeah, I get something in for breakfast and usually for dinner. But the rest of the day really depends on my mood. So I'm taking this challenge to heart. I know that I can easily get the servings in - it's just a matter of planning and trying new things! What keeps me full the longest? What do I like the best? I know that I can't have an apple for a snack because I will be hungry 20 minutes later. Lettuce is boring, so my salads are always FULL of veggies, but always the same ones...

The challenge for the first week:
Add color! Include 3 different colors of fruits or veggies into the daily plan.

My challenge to YOU - "all" of my "loyal" readers - do the challenge with me! Everday, write down 3 different colors of fruits or veggies that you ate. Together, we can get our 5 servings a day!

What are your favorite colors/fruits? Do you rely on the basics like bananas, carrots, and lettuce? Or do you venture out and have strawberries, peppers, and jicama? Tell me your favorite fruit/vegetable and the color! Help me get inspired for the week's challenge!

As for weigh in tonight... It didn't go so hot. I'm up 1.2, putting me at 187.2. I don't know if my body is trying to maintain 186-190, or if something is going on... I have a dr's appt Friday to see if there is a cause between my lack of energy. I'm taking my points down a little more - still 1 above where I was when I was in "losing mode." I'd really like to get down to my personal goal of 180. If my body can't handle it, that's fine. But, I want to give it my best shot!

Oh, and the jokes were compliments of my leader. She was really on a roll tonight!

Weekend Recap and Randomness

4th of July Weekend! Can you believe we're already into July?? I report back to work on August 11 - EEK!!

Anyways... The weekend recap...

Friday - I worked at the flower shop. We thought we'd get out early, but Pam had a late bridal appointment. She let the 2 designer's go home and had me stay. We were going to leave at 4:00, after the appointment. All of a sudden we got BUSY! WTF?? So, we were there until 5:00.

I babysat for one of our "old" designer's - she just recently "retired" so that she can have days with her boyfriend and his daughter. Sharon is such a sweet girl. David's parents wanted to take us to dinner, so she got to go with us. It was amazing to watch David with her. He is such a natural - encouraged her to eat, stay in her chair, etc.. She's pretty shy, and by the end of the night she was talking to him and laughing with him.

Saturday, we went down to my mom's. She belongs to a LARGE church. I've been here before, but I seriously feel like I'm in a high school gymnasium or college lecture hall - not a church. The band is really loud, and for a while, I felt like I was at a freaking concert! It didn't feel like a church to me. But, whatever...

Mom took us to Mexican afterwards. I was a little upset about this because David's stomach is still iffy - some things bother him, and others don't. We tried to look at the menu before leaving for church and she got upset. "We need to go! What are you doing? I told you there are healthy options here." Okay, but I want to see them. I want to know what I'm going to have. I want to prepare - one of the big Weight Watcher principles!

I think I did pretty well. We did get cheese dip, but I didn't eat too many. I had 2 shrimp tacos, about 1/2 the black beans that was served, and maybe 1/4 of the rice. I was full! When we got back, David and I decided we wanted to go for a walk. Mom has a nature trail that runs behind her house. Again, she got annoyed because we wanted to go run - she wanted to go for a nice, leisurely walk. It was my day to run anyways, so we just told her we're going.

I took David's pace because I was in unfamiliar territory and we had an awesome time! I am so proud of him - he is working so hard to make up for lost time from his surgery. He's still planning on doing the 5K in August, and is working so hard for it! We watched fireworks for a little bit and then headed to bed.

Sunday, we had to go to a family reunion. I wasn't too excited about the reunion, but Mom really wanted us to come down and David thought it would be fun to meet family. Well, there were 5 younger mom's there. It was really tough. Then, mom started ooh-ing and ahh-ing over my cousin who had the first biological grandchild 7 months ago. She talked more about the California relatives than she did my sister or I. I don't think I heard her say my niece, Emma's, name once. She talked about David and I like we weren't in the room, and when people tried to talk to us, she jumped in and interrupted.

David has a new mission: to get me knocked up! He's taking tons of vitamins to try to bring all the numbers up. He's having some blood work done as a baseline... He needs to talk to the urologist to see if he can take Clomid with the vitamins he's taking. We're hoping to do an IUI in October. I'm also going to see my OB next week for my yearly (whoopee!) and discuss a few things. I'm wondering if my progesterone levels are low, so I'm going to see about getting that tested.

I'm setting up a new workout plan to make sure I meet my goals this month. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are my running day. I'll either go on the trail, the track, or the gym depending on how hot it is (and what time of day I'm going). Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday I'm going to do toning or strength training. I'll be doing videos at home or going the gym for circuit/ab work... Saturdays are my day off because I'm always exhausted after the shop!

If you've read through this, kudos to you! I know it's probably long, but you know me and my rambling! I hope you all have a wonderful week! I'm working at the shop a few days and still working on deep cleaning the house!

Changing of the Goals

Have you ever been to Washington DC and watched the changing of the guards by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? It is seriously one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. It's completely silent, just an occasional click from a camera - and you aren't allowed to use your flash. It takes 10-15 minutes for the whole thing to go down!

Anyways... It is now time for the Changing of the Goals! That's right, June goals are no more! It's time for July!
But first.. a recap of June:
Weight Loss: My goal was to lose 4 lbs. I met this goal on June 17th. So, then, I had to keep it off. Well, last week, I had a big gain (thanks in part to emotional eating). Yesterday, I lost the exact same, so I'm back to 186. David said even though it is *technically* the 1st of July, he'll give it to me because "Well, if you had weighed in yesterday, it would have been the same!" Works for me. My Reward.... Movie Night!
Exercise: I had 2 parts to this goal. Training for my 5K, I wanted to get it done in under 45 minutes. I also wanted to tone 2 times a week. I didn't do so hot with this goal... I did get under 45 minutes on my 5K. In fact, I got 42 minutes on June 21! But I didn't do so good with the toning... So, no reward for exercising.

So, July.... What are my plans?
Weight Loss: I want to lose another 3 lbs, putting me at 183. Remember, my ultimate personal goal is 180. I'm expecting, but not hoping for, a plateau at some point. I mean, really... it's the last 6 lbs! How often do you see someone blow through that? Not very! I'm not sure yet what my reward will be. I'll keep you posted on that!
Exercise: I want to be able to run 2 miles without stopping. It doesn't have to be fast, I just want to do it! And I want to tone 2 times a week. This is a MUST! I am SO sick of my bat-wings and my flabby abs... Not sure on this goal either, but it will be something DAMN good to keep me motivated!

I can't believe it is already July! Really? It feels like yesterday I was saying goodbye to my students for the summer, and now I report back in 6 weeks! EEK! July is going to be full of lifestyle challenges:
* 4th of July/Family Reunion - BUT supposedly several family members are diabetic, so there will be some slightly healthier options.
* July 12th - a Wine tasting weekend on the Western Iowa Wine Trail. I've been planning this for a month!
* July 18th - a coworker is getting married. I love wedding cake!
* July 22nd - my mom's birthday. I love birthday cake almost as much as I love wedding cake!

No news on the Foster Care front. We are still waiting to hear back about our background checks. Obviously we know they will come back clean, but we still have to wait... Waiting, waiting, waiting...

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe, exciting 4th of July! "See" you next week!