My week...

This week has been very trying for me. I have to say that I was definitely given the strength by God to get through it. But, I was also held up by angels here on earth. This week I made *one* of the most difficult decisions in my life by walking away from a job that I truly wanted to stay at. Unfortunately, I was forced to leave due to things I could no longer control. For years, I have felt that I needed to be strong for my family financially and hold us all together by making sure our mortgage was paid. Well, for whatever reason, Monday night I decided (Chris helped decide) that I was done. I guess God figured out how we were going to pay our mortage and I resigned from a job that was more than a job. It was my life. It was what I thought about nonstop for 7 years. I walked away on Monday and have not gone back. Don't think this was an easy decision for me. It wasn't. I agonized over it. I still am. I am sad that I will not see my kids everyday. My kids being other peoples kids. I am sad for the parents. I am sad for the teachers. But, I was carried through this week by an amazing group of friends. I could not have gotten through this without all of you. Your prayers. Your calls. Your texts. Your emails. Your thoughts. Your dropping by. Your speaking out in my behalf. Your passion. I have been blessed in the last two years with the most supportive friends I have ever had in my life. The old saying is true....you really find out who your real friends are when the chips are down....Thank you for being my true friends!! I am so blessed by each one of you individually. I will never forget what you have done for me!!

Sooo, I'm at home...cleaning and LOVING my life!!

So, everyone told me I would feel better immediately after quitting my job that had brought me such grief in the last six months. I doubted them. But, they were right!! I feel so much better. The calls from my parents have meant the world to me and my friends have rallied around me. I am going to be okay. I feel so clear headed. I hate hearing the things that are going on there. It makes me sad, but it's their reality now. Things could have been done differently. Now, it is time for the next chapter in my life....

Announcement #2

I lost.....
..........
..........


2.2 pounds this week!!

Heck yeah!! I'll take that!!

Total for two weeks.......


7 pounds....


Pray for me tomorrow. Ultrasound at the hospital....Chris is going with me for "moral" support....I think he just wants to go out to eat....

Announcement #1....

I am doing announcements "backwards." But, I can't weigh in until tonights meeting....

Sooo....My big announcement....


I QUIT MY JOB. I GAVE THEM A LETTER OF RESIGNATION THAT JUST STATED THAT EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY I WAS RESIGNING. AND I'M SAD AND KIND OF LOST, BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, STRESS FREE TODAY!!

Say a prayer for me. I'm going to need it.

P.S. I'll let you know how much I lost (hopefully lost) later....

Announcement tomorrow...well...two announcements.

First announcement will be how much weight I lost...will know tomorrow....

Second announcement will be the news I was going to tell you on April 1st...but figured February 24th would suffice. I can't wait until April 1st. In fact, I couldn't wait until February 24th. It happened today. I will update you tomorrow. I'm tired right now. Emotionally exhausted.

Say a little prayer for me....

Weight loss and "one" of the biggest decisions of my life...

Okay, so I lost 4.8 pounds. Can I just say 5? That would sound so much better!! But, it's actually 4.8. I was very pleased with that number....

AND I made one of the biggest decisions of my life today. I cannot share what it is on this very public blog that EVERYONE reads. (Sarcasm). But, just in case anyone really does read it...I'll make my announcement here April 1st. And no...I'm not pregnant and NO...it will NOT be an April Fools Joke...

Buffy...over and out!!! :)

Walking, to weigh or not to weigh and my week....

I have been walking. I overslept one day and felt completely guilty, but got up yesterday morning (YES!! On a Saturday) and walked. I felt great about it. 6:45 on a Saturday and I was out walking. It was cooolllddd. I then delivered flowers for my friend Shannon. That was fun. Took me back to my college days when that was my "real job." I was subpoenaed for two days in a child custody case that just about broke my heart. But, I got to miss two days of work for it, which you know I loved!! I go back to work tomorrow and I'm DREADING it. My computer got a nasty virus (well actually 320 of them) and our webmaster for the church had to work on it for me last night. It took him 4 1/2 hours to get it fixed. I'm so thankful for smart friends!! Sooo, I totally broke the rules this morning and weighed. I just could not take it anymore. I'm weighing food, eating fruit like crazy...no sugar and wanted to know if any of it was making a difference. So, I stepped on my scale at home that I have not set foot on in...um, probably years. AND by my scale it says I'm down 6 pounds. BUT, I did not compare the callibration of our scale to what I weighed on the WW scale on Tuesday. So, I really will need to wait until Tuesday to see what I actually weigh. But, I'm trying so hard. I'm loving the walking in the morning. I feel good....hope I stick with this!! Thank you for all your sweet comments and emails!! COREY!!! :)

And again...

I walked again this morning. We agreed not to walk on Saturday and Sunday. So, 5 days a week we will go. AND I did join Weight Watchers. AND I do weigh more than I did at 9 months pregnant with all my children. So depressing. And I did find out that my little coffee every morning is 9 points. But, you know what? I'm going to continue to drink it. Because as giving and unselfish as I attempt to be, there is a little part of me that thinks...I DESERVE THAT COFFEE!! So, until I deem it otherwise unfit...I will continue to drink my breakfast and obviously 1/2 my lunch. Because that's just how I roll....

I did it!!

Today, I got out of bed at 4:45...and met a friend at our local elementary school and WALKED!! Now, granted it was only a mile...but I did it. It only took us 24 minutes. (Probably less). But, we walked around our neighborhood. I was back home and in my house by 5:30. So, I'm going to take a shower and gear up for a BIG day. I have a meeting with my boss, a haircut and color scheduled, I'm going to join Weight Watchers today and I have my Key Learning Center Board Meeting tonight. UGH. Such joy in my life. I won't be back home until after 8 tonight, I'm sure. The state came for another unannounced visit yesterday. We passed with flying colors. Only one minor thing. Not a big deal at all. So, I did survive my Monday. Things to look forward to this week...OH, I got subpoenaed on a child custody case...Lucky me.

Mason Zane Hanson

Today Mason is 5! It's really so hard to believe. He was just a baby yesterday. He was so tiny when he was born and now he's a big man!! He's very tall! Mason was born about six weeks premature. He was born on the day that was to be my baby shower. I had been in and out of the hospital for about a month and they finally kept me there because of kidney stones. I would fall asleep in L&D and wake up in post-partum and wonder...did I have a baby? But, sometimes they would just move me over there to make room for mommies who were really having babies. He was so little I was afraid we needed a different car seat for him.

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I never thought I would be a "boy" mom. But, I am. I love him so much. I think I tend to talk to him a little sweeter than the girls sometimes. I baby him too much. This past fall when we had the scare that he may have cancer I just couldn't even imagine my day without him. He's a good kid. I can't believe that he'll be in kindergarten this year. I love him so much. Here are some pictures of him through the past year. Some people say he looks JUST LIKE ME and others think he looks just like his Dad. I like to think he favors me just a smidge!! I'll scan a picture of me from this age and you can compare and tell me what you think. It's pretty funny.

It's February?

Is it seriously February already??? Where exactly did January go? Mason turns 5 this week. Five years ago I was laying in the hospital awaiting his arrival. He came waaaayy too early, but was really okay. I had to have surgery for kidney stones and was living a pretty miserable existence in that hospital bed. But, believing that was five years ago is hard.... Now he can write his name, run really, really fast and make me laugh. He gives the best hugs and I love him so, so, so much. He's my little man. He loves legos, hot wheels and his train track. He also loves soccer. (Too bad he can't play this season--doctors orders).

So, we're doing the big party at Chuck E. Cheese. ICK. It's a recipe for disaster for me. Saturday, Noon, Crowds, Chuck E. Cheese. UGH. But, that's what he wanted and that's what we're doing for him. I hope my Mom can make it. She's still sick with the flu. He invited quite a few friends from school. He is very excited about his party. I am going to commit the ultimate sin again and order his cake. I'm just too busy this week to bake and decorate one for him.

February is a special month to me because of his birth. Otherwise, I'm not a fan of Valentines. We are going to help our friend Shannon deliver flowers for Valentine's Day, but other than that...not a big day for us.

I found out tonight I was elected back onto the PTO board for next year. Yippee. Woo Hoo. Not really. But, I did it for Macy and so I will do it for Mason. It's hard to believe that next year Macy leaves the elementary campus at the same time that Mason joins it. I'll have one at two campuses. Maddy won't be able to start for a couple years. I'm trying to figure it out in my head, but I think that for a short period I will have one at every campus...wait...maybe not. I don't know.

Have a great week. Monday through Thursday really suck for me. I feel like I'm living each week waiting for the weekend...Friday I do okay because I know the next day is Saturday. I live paycheck to paycheck and Friday to Friday...that's pretty sad, huh? I need some meaning...A reason.