Enjoying summer

Vacation has been relaxing so far and I'm loving it.  We've just been hanging out with very few planned events and activities.  That's the way I like it. 

Mom and Dad finally opened the pool a few days ago, but it's been so rainy that we haven't been able to use it.  We did go down to the lake last weekend with the Atwaters after Joseph's piano lesson.  Kristen and Scott met us down there with the girls and after they went swimming we kept Maddi and Sydney overnight.  They are such fun, cute girls.  I love having them over.  Megan was here, too, and she loves to do things with them.  She's such a mother hen.

Megan and Dan went on a temple trip on Friday.  I'm so glad Megan got to go.  With only going to church every couple of weeks she needs all the spiritual experiences she can. 

I've lost 25 1/2 pounds so far!  I'm so excited!  I lost three and a half pounds on my own, then I started the bodiPath program.  It's a 40 day program and I'm on day 22.  I've lost 22 pounds during that time!  I'm hoping to lose another 14 and a half during the next 18 days.  I'll feel so much better for our Florida trip.  After I do this first 40 days I'm going to try to lose the next 80 by counting Weight Watcher points and excercising.  I love that I'm losing weight fast, but the diet is really restrictive.  There is not much that is allowed, so when we go anywhere I can't eat anything.   The hardest part has been going to dinner at Mom and Dad's and even cooking meals for the family.  I hate having to cook stuff that I know I can't eat.  It's so hard.   There have been days so far that were so hard that I would have given up if it wasn't for the fact that I didn't want to waste my money.  The program is so expensive that I didn't want to waste the money I spent.  It wasn't cheap.  I've never been tempted so badly in my life without giving in.  The other day I cooked lunch for the family, told Dan it was ready and that he needed to serve it because I couldn't handle looking at it, and then went in my room and just cried and cried.  I couldn't handle it that day.  But,  I didn't give in.  I kept going, which is an amazing accomplishment for me.  I think this is just what I needed to get me going.

The other day Emily called me from Mom's and said she had just given Mom a pedicure and foot rub and asked me if I wanted one.  Heck, yeah!  I went right down to Mom's and Emily had everything all set up.  What girl at that age does stuff like that for her family?  She's so awesome.  She also gave Gram one and Nathan.  She is just so sweet.  Last week we got together and did her last few assignments for seminary so she could get credit for this year.  She had nine days to make up, so we sat on the couch and did nine days worth of assignments.  I'm so proud of her for doing three years of seminary so far.  She's basically done it with no support from her family, other than my mom.  Also, I think her sisters might have brought her a couple of times, but seriously, when a girl is from an inactive family, there's not much chance of going to seminary.  But, she did it!  And for a long time she was the only student going, which would make it even harder.  She's so awesome!

My hip has been bothering me so much lately.   If I sit down, especially on hard surfaces, it starts hurting really badly.  The other day I was so sick of it, I called my doctor's office.  He wasn't in, but I got to see the nurse practitioner.  She thinks it might be arthritis.  Ugh!  That would be horrible because there is basically no cure for that.  Anyway, I have to start physical therapy and see if that helps.  I thought losing weight might help, but it hasn't so far.   Hopefully it will get better because the end of the school year was really difficult. 

School's Out!

School's out!  I'm so excited!  Nathan is, too.  I'm looking forward to many relaxing days with no plans.  Also, the last half of the year was very stressful, for a variety of reasons.  I'm disappointed and disillusioned.  I used to love my job.  Now, I'm not so happy with it.  Just thinking about the fall makes my stomach twist a little.  Hopefully, the break will do me enough good so that I can handle it in the fall. 

Well, the last week of school was kind of crazy with all the field trips goin on.   I chaperoned a trip to the West Auburn Schoolhouse with Nathan.  That was a really fun day.  The kids got to experience an authentic morning of school in the 1850's.  Nathan's favorite part was writing with a quill pen.  I tried it, too, and it was actually quite hard.  I also chaperoned a day at Range Pond for the 4-6 kids. 

Dan wasn't able to go to the annual Donuts for Dad at school with Nathan this year.  His boss was on vacation, and he can't take time off if his boss is out.  He was going to chaperone Nathan's field trip to Roberts Farm, but it got rained out.  So he just spent a day at school with Nathan, too.  His classmates loved it, and so did Mrs. Stevens.  She thought it was really helpful having another adult in the room.  Dan brought them donuts, which the kids loved.  He's such a good dad to spend the whole day in a second grade classroom.  Nathan was in heaven.

I've lost almost twenty pounds now.  I'm so excited!  I started a program called bodiPath 12 days ago.  It's working great.  I've already lost 16 pounds in only 12 days and I had lost about 3 1/2 before that.  I have 31 more days of the really limited diet, and then it gets a little more lax.  I'm feeling so much better, but it's really hard making food for the family without eating it myself.  It's also super hard when I see food like brownies, Fritos, ice cream, candy, etc.  because I want to eat it so badly!  I'm determined to get healthy, though.  I'll feel so much better if I can just do this.

Dan picked up Megan on Friday.  We hadn't seen her in three weeks.  We've caught up on all the Dance Moms episodes she missed, watched a movie, gone to Range Pond yesterday, and went to Walmart (she got nail polish and a hair straightener because the one we had was just too old:-).   Today, we're celebrating Father's Day with Dan and my dad.

Nathan won a bike at school on Friday.  I was so excited for him.  TD Bank and the PTA got together to do this.  The kids had to read 10 books and if they did, they could bring the form to the bank and open an account.  The bank would put $10 in their account, plus their name would be entered in a drawing for a free bike.  Unfortunately, Nathan didn't hear his name called so it was a while before he came down to the gym.  By the time he got there, most kids had already chosen their bike.  He had to take a little preschool sized bike, and exchange it at Walmart.  It worked out great, though, because he picked out one that he really liked. 

 I had to give a talk today in church.  It actually turned out better than I originally thought it would.  I read a couple of stories that were really touching.   I always feel so relieved when it's done, though.

        

Nathan's baptism

Last Sunday, May 27th, Nathan was baptized!  All the family came from Auburn, plus Grammy & Grampa Record, Great-Gram, Felicia and Emily came from my side.  There were also several ward members who came.  Logan Reynolds was baptized, too, so both of the boys picked one song, one prayer, and one speaker.  Nathan chose "I Am a Child of God" for the song, Uncle Steve for the prayer, and Grammy for a speaker.  A few days before the baptism, we went over to Crystal's and she took pictures of Nathan and Logan together for the program.  She got some great pictures.  I lvoe how the program turned out.  Nathan did a great job, and looked so proud to be getting baptized.  Logan had a hard time because he's scared of getting water on his face, but eventually he did it, and he looked so happy, too.  It was neat to share the baptism with them because Nathan and Logan were born only 2 days apart.  We were in the hospital at the same time.     

 I'm so proud of my boy!

 Afterwards, we had all the family come over to our house and celebrate Nathan's and Mom Cooper's birthdays.  I spent the day before making this cake.  It has little candy Lego men all along the side and some on top shaped like an N.  I made each of the little men with a mold.

  

 I also made this plate of cookies.  Between the Lego men and these cookies, it took hours and hours!  It was worth it, though, for my little boy.