Working for Hawaii

Jill is getting geared up to go to a swim camp in Hawaii this December. I'm not sure I'm ready for my 14 year old to NOT be home for Christmas. She, on the other hand, is very excited.

We have been "volunteering" at Stampeders and Dinos games. The money we earn goes to her swimming. I was doing it a while before alone as she wasn't old enough. She is now though!

What a cute kid.

Seminary

We are on Day 2 of our seminary life....only 8 years to go.

Sunday started with a fireside. Jill was excited and nervous. She got to see who her teacher will be (Michael Murray is his name). She got to see who would be in her class, and she got to hang with friends. They had a number of kids bear their testimony, and then the seminary supervisor and the stake president spoke. Both talks were really terrific. President Thomas talked about how important it was for them to invite and remind their friends to get to seminary. He talked about cows and how when you shoot one in a field the rest hardly even flinch. They look over and basically look like they're saying, "Well, talk to you later." and then they just continue on eating their grass. He said they shouldn't be like that with their friends....when they see them in danger they should all rally and help them return to where they should be.

So, now we leave the house at 6:15. Jill gets dropped off at seminary and I get dropped off at school. Man, do I get a lot done in the mornings (I'm even blogging...see!) Morning swims apparently aren't going to start for a few weeks, so daily seminary it is. It's going to be great!

Last of the Book A Day Challenge

I really should have finished this last week, but I didn't quite get to 58, so I had to keep going. It feels great to have read all these books this summer!

We had a Welcome Back Breakfast this week with all the teachers and staff from all seven schools within FFCA. One of the speakers talked about his most dreaded question: "How was your weekend". He said that when he told his parents he wanted to become a teacher, like them, they took him aside and kindly said, "Son, don't you think you'd be happier being a librarian?" He talked about how his perfect weekend involves reading a few books, or listening to a book on CD. He listens to his colleagues who talk about the wild adventures they have on the weekends. He joked about how they fly to Hawaii, swim with the dolphins, and exciting things like that.

I so relate!! This summer I would have been plenty happy to stay home and read read read all summer long. My children wouldn't be too happy with that though so I do end up on some adventures. I'm always happy to get back to the hotel, or get back home, or sneak away to my room and get in another chapter or two. And the more I do it, the more I enjoy it. Yup. I'm a total nerd. :)

Anyway, here is the last of my list!

53/58 Timeless Thomas
54/58 Ivy and Bean
55/58 How They Croaked
56/58 The Wall
57/58 Mr. Popper's Penguins
58/58 The Forgotten Garden

Definitely fitter....and maybe thinner too?

I have been limiting my time spent on my relationship with the scale. Today it said I had lost five points. My first thought was, "oh come on, you don't have to be all friendly just because I haven't visited with you this past month.....now quit lying to me." I think maybe though, just maybe it wasn't lying. Maybe.

This week I biked or walked every day except one.

Starting to believe it is time well spent!