Home again!

I just got back from an amazing trip to Mississippi. What made it so good? I passed my PT test!!! OK, that should be expected, but it wasn't for me. I let myself go over the past few years. I ate my pain of infertility away. I'm lazy. In June, I realized I couldn't live like this anymore. However, I had a summer of trips with the Hurricane Hunters and realized a diet over the summer wouldn't work.

So, in October I started Weight Watchers on-line. I have a great friend, Jackie, who did this last spring and lost 60 lbs. She inspired me. So, I jumped in with both feet (what a tidal wave).

I've lost 25 pounds in a little over 2 months and feel great. losing those 25 pounds has made it so much easier to run. In fact, I cut about 2 minutes off my run time (1.5 mile) and 3 inches off my waist! Yeah!!!!

I was so excited about my run time that I screamed and fell on my knees on the track. My commander was there, so I felt really stupid. However, he said it inspired him. What a HUGE compliment.

Anyway, that's what I've been doing. I'd say it's been tough but it hasn't. I love this program and I feel great! I'm going to make my weight and fitness goals and I can't wait!!!

Thanksgiving 2008

I have so many things to be thankful for this year. First, my wonderful husband, Greg! I'm also grateful for my stepsons, my family, my animals, my home, my town, having jobs, and many many more things.

A big thing to be grateful for... not having cancer. I had a mammogram last week, and they called me back the next day for more images. I went in on Wed for additional mammograms and saw what looked like a tumor on my first set of films. Well, when they do additional images, they squish you even more. So, they did and what looked like a potential tumor squished away, so NO tumor! Yeah! However, now I get to have annual mammograms. Not a bad deal.

So, what did you do today? I had 2 Thanksgiving meals to attend. Actually, we alternate dinner at one set of parents and dessert at the other. So, I had a Lufkin dinner and Emery pie. It was so much fun!

How do you avoid all the potential weight gain when trying to diet? You run in the morning! So, I did the Turkey Trot 5K in downtown Minneapolis today. It was in the 20s, but so much fun. I took a ton of pictures during the run and just relaxed. It was slow, but beautiful. I'm so glad I did it. Now, I'm ready for the Northfield Jingle Bell Run in 3 weeks! We get bells for our shoes during the 5K! I can't wait!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

What have I been doing?

Why has it taken me so long to update my blog? Greg was home for a week and a half, and we got so much done around the house. We worked in our basement, finishing the walls of the family room. We completed mudding and taping the walls. Greg had the patience to teach me how to do the mudding and taping, and it was a blast! Now, the house is full of sheetrock dust.

We then set to paint. You can see what we've chosen to do on the right. As an homage to the Minnesota Wild hockey team, we painted the walls the team colors! OK, so we're not that psycho, we just liked the colors. Since the colors are so strong, each half took 4 coats of paint. We are then going to put up a 6 inch piece of pine for the chair rail. I was holding up this piece of wood to give you the effect. We're pretty happy so far. Now, we're working on the built in bookcase on the west wall.

Today, I went for a good run. I was only going to do 2 1/2 miles, but gutted it out and did a whole 5K. This is good, because I'm going to do the Lifetime Fitness Turkey Trot 5K Run on Thanksgiving morning. I still can't believe I signed up to run outside in the winter. What was I thinking? It should be a blast though. Everyone wears the same number, 2008. There is also a kids carnival. My brother's friend, Cheryl, will be running it too. So, Bill and Scout are going to come and cheer us on.

So, while I was working out, and sweating my butt off, what were the animals doing? Sleeping! This is what my evening with them has been like. Pretty exciting in the Lufkin house!

MICE!!!!!

AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

I just got home from Mississippi today. I was happy and relaxed. I was relaxing on my couch, enjoying my day, when I heard my girl cat, Thunder, letting out a loud and low growl. Greg and Chris told me about this growl. That growl means MOUSE!

OK, I thought I'd try to ignore it. It may go away (the "mouse" sound). Then, I saw Boomer, my boy cat, head toward the growl. I looked towards the dinning room table and saw Boomer chase a little gray thing. MOUSE!!!!

Now, I had just talked to Greg 1/2 hour before this. He was headed to bed in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and I couldn't talk to him. So, I ran upstairs to my room to call my mom. Isn't that what everyone does? My mom was very sympathetic to my misery. She gave me a pep talk and told me to call her when it was all over.

I headed down stairs with a plastic bag over my hand as protection. I stood in the living room for 5 minutes, getting up the courage to go near the mouse. The cats traded time with their prey, wearing it down. It was squeaking and exhausted. Thunder couldn't handle it much longer, she grabbed it in her mouth and took off. I got some cat treats to make a trade, I trade I wish I didn't have to make.

She dropped the tiny field mouse and I grabbed it with my bag-gloved hand. I ran for the door and flung it off the deck. Then, I started to breath again. I was sweating bullets. I was shaking. The terror was almost too much for me, but I conquered my fear and saved the house from the evil field mouse!

I HATE MICE!!!

SNOW DAY!!

It's been snowing for 3 hours now, and hasn't stopped yet. We haven't had a really hard freeze yet, so the ground is still warm. So, the snow isn't sticking. However, I can see a thin layer on the ground right now. We'll see how this ends up...

The snow was just starting to collect on Skeeter, so I took a picture of him. Right after this picture, he saw a lazy squirrel. That squirrel just got up the tree as Skeet got to him. My dog almost got his first catch!

He loves the snow so much. He's been watching it fall all morning now. He's glued to the windows. He did get tired though, so took a nap right by the sliding door so he wouldn't miss a flake. He's crazy!

So, how did Thunder and Boomer spend their snow day? Sleeping of course, just like the good cats they are. Cute aren't they? Do they look like trained killers to you? They are! Well, sort of. The other day, I saw Skeeter sticking his head in our spare room. It was odd, so I went to see what was up. There were Thunder and Boomer on either side of the desk. No one was moving. Not good. So, I calmly went downstairs to get my wonderful and manly husband. I told him I thought they'd cornered a mouse, and if he had time would he go check it out? So, he went up stairs, then came out of the room again (after closing the door) to get some gloves. Yes, they did corner a mouse. He said they wore the poor field mouse out, who was squeaking in the corner. Greg picked it up and let it free in the back yard, where it ran down the hill as fast as it could. Such killers my kittens are. Oops, not kittens any more. They are 1 now. Oh how those kids grow up.

How am I spending my snow day? I'm watching "Toughest Race on Earth"! It's a Discovery show about the 2008 Iditarod. I fell in love with the Greatest Race on Earth 2 years ago during our trip to Alaska. It is amazing what man and dog can do. This is the best show! It makes me want to get Skeeter in training. We just got a toboggan last year, so who knows...

Enjoy your snow day!

d

HOCKEY!

On Tuesday, I went to see the Minnesota Wild play the Atlanta Thrashers, in Atlanta. My very good friends, Tina and Randy, are huge Thrashers fans. We've started a tradition now of going to see our teams play each other. This was my second time seeing the 2 teams play.

They are such great friends! They put up with me cheering my team on all night long. By the way, the Wild won! It was a great game, and I can't wait for the two teams to meet in Minnesota next year!

Leaves and Relaxing

Yes, I am finally home again. We got back to Northfield last Wednesday. The weather has been BEAUTIFUL! It's been in the 60s and sunny every day. I've spent time in my garden, cutting back plants to do the fall clean up. Greg had to mow the lawn twice, due to 3 weeks without being mowed. The yard is gorgeous! I've had some quality hammock time in my back yard, and can't get over how wonderful it is. The emerald green grass, the smell of cut grass and malt-0-meal, the sight of Skeeter and Greg playing with a Frisbee... it's breathtaking!

We went and bought 5 new trees on Thursday, to be delivered this Wednesday. We bought 3 birch trees, because birches are best when they are in a group! We also bought 2 apple trees. Did you know that you need 2 different types of apple trees in order for any of them to produce apples? They need to produce fruit at two different times, so we bought a Zestar (early fruit) and a Honey Crisp (mid-season apple). I can't wait for those apples!

It's been wonderful to be home. Finally relaxing and enjoying the sights and sounds of fall!