Beautiful Belle

Spent the evening last night with Belle... doing Parelli ground work while the sun was setting. The farm is the most wonderful place early in the morning or at dusk!

I've been doing ground work with her for the past month and it is amazing the difference in her. She responds to verbal cues, hand movements - it's wonderful. She had a bad habit of throwing her head and not letting me near her ears or letting me groom her on her face... now she is totally submissive. I can put a finger on her pole and she lowers her head and lets me do whatever I need to.

She's only four! She's basically a pre-teen in horse years - so she is going to be amazing! She's quick to learn and eager to please and I love her dearly!

It's just a wonderful thing to spend time with a 1200 pound creature that will run if you hold your arm out and make a little noise. She will come to a thundering stop at another command!

LA :)

They Didn't Plan It & We Are Done

Isn’t this a cute picture of Katie and Cassie? They didn’t even plan to dress alike! They look like sisters sometimes – now especially since Katie made a spur of the moment decision on Friday when she went in to get her bangs trimmed and instead got 9” cut off her hair.

We were all joking that in like two years – we would have all thought that they had called each other and planned to dress alike – but at the age of eight – it was just coincidence. Yesterday was Cassie’s birthday and she had her party at Walker Springs Park. That’s where Katie had her 2nd and 4th birthday parties – such a smart decision! Especially when you have 10+ kids! You rent the gazebo and it’s easy clean up. Plus – what kid doesn’t enjoy an afternoon at the park?

Cassie is one of Katie’s best friends. They live two houses down and her and her big sister Alex are just the best! They also have a little brother, Malachi – and he just adores Katie! The whole family is wonderful and we love having such great neighbors.

Cassie is Katie’s easiest friend to buy for since she is horse crazy too!! She loves horses as much as Katie and they have a horse and a mule that they board west of Farragut!

Katie had NEVER done the monkey bars before. She heard that “the other Katie” – one of Alex’s friends from church who was also at the party – had fallen twice and broken her arm twice – in the same location – on the monkey bars and Katie then says “Can I try”? *sigh* Thank goodness we were emergency room free yesterday!



It was a fun afternoon meeting some new people. A lot of my friends and people who know me have wondered if I was going to get that “baby fever” since most female WLS patients become very fertile after having the surgery and loosing so much weight… Matter of fact, you have to be EXTRA careful the first year NOT to get pregnant by using two forms of birth control… that’s how fertile women become. Well, I can definitely tell that my hormones have kicked into high gear… never in my life have I had PMS and now monthly – I feel like I’m having out of body experiences! I can see how grumpy and yucky I’m being but I truly can’t help it.

Anyway, I DO HAVE SOME NEWS!!! Cassie and Alex’s mom is four months pregnant with her FOURTH child and another family that was there had a TWO WEEK old adorable little baby boy… their FOURTH as well! NO BABY FEVER! Not a hint, not a glimpse, not an inkling… NADA!

We are good – we are done! For years, I would get a twinge of disappointment and hurt when I would hear women tell their pregnancy stories, talk about breast feeding, etc. I would feel like that even though I know I couldn’t love Katie any more than I do… I missed out on a little bit of motherhood. I always also wondered what Don and I would have done together biologically….

Well, maybe it’s because of what I went through medically in Jan & Feb with my complications… maybe I’ve just realized that the few things that I did miss out on aren’t really what’s important in the long run… not quite sure!

I just know that I never want to voluntarily put my body at risk again and a pregnancy at 40 would be risk… YES, 40!!! I will be turning 40 in 36 days! Isn’t that crazy?

It’s all good! I’m not upset about almost being 40… I’m going to be like my great aunt Gladys… each wrinkle proves I’m enjoying my life and I’m going to be thankful for every birthday I see roll around.

I’m comfortably in a size 16, squeezing into a 14… so I will come close to hitting my goal of being in a 14 by the time I hit 40. Sara Ramirez… beautiful Sara Ramirez from Grey’s Anatomy is a size 14 and she is just STUNNING! I don’t pretend to be stunning but hey – it was my “turning 40 goal” and I think I’m gonna make it.

But, we are quite thankful to have our family of three! We have a loving and supportive family and close friends… Katie’s at the age where we get to do fabulously fun things together… WE ARE GOOD! Don just has to keep me from watching Monday’s Child! *wink*

Isn't That EVERYTHING?

Okay, so it's like 10 months old... but since I haven't really been in on the country scene... I just discovered it. Katie and I love it... it's one of our new favorite songs even though it's only new to US...we should all have a little of Danielle Peck's video character in us... something to think about heading into the holiday season in a few weeks...

No Air Conditioning In The Desert?

We had a jam packed day yesterday! It was go, go, go! Especially for me - who was up at 5am PST to hit the road for the sales. It was quite an experience!! I truly do love it here - the garage and estate sales here are TOTALLY different than they are in the east and south. It was also interesting to go into these homes for the estate sales - they look like little desert bungalows from the outside but are surprisingly open and airy on the inside.

A LOT OF NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLE!!

We piled into like six cars and caravaned around Palm Desert, La Quinta and Indio. We hit like 8 sales and stopped for breakfast (Lynn's treat - thanks Lynn!!). Elizabeth and I had fun together - we are similar in nature for hitting these sales - we are strategic and competitive - it was pretty funny!

We have decided that I am going to come out to San Diego one weekend maybe late in the year or the first of the year and spend it with her and then she is going to come and visit me in August for the Hwy 127 sale. She has an amazing eye. I passed up numerous items that she got and they all turned out to be things like Staffordshire, Lennox, etc.

I did however have a pretty nice SCORE! One of the first places we went - an estate sale - it was insane. There were 50+ people (a lot of mexican's) waiting for the doors to open at 7:30am. I got an antique silver tea pot that has a patent stamp of 1868 and I paid $2... well, I also got a nice piece of pottery - it had a blank sticker on it... so I asked the lady - "since this isn't marked... is it free?" She hemmed and hawed and I convinced her to give me both items for $2 - so I did get it for free. Well, when I researched it yesterday afternoon - it is a Hosanna piece. It is communion pottery and the value is $50-60... how cool is that?

Well, I am going to be on Lynn's crazy new infomercial that will be airing in a few months. I did the interview last night at 5pm. Don will be on it too. More details on that later but filming it was quite an experience. That dog gone camera has been in my face all weekend.

We went out with Katie last night for dinner and exploring around Palm Desert and La Quinta as the sun was setting - JUST BEAUTIFUL! We actually noticed that it was much cooler - 90 degrees... well, when we got back to our room at 8pm PST... it was hotter in our room that it was outside - or so it seemed. Our room was 84 but stagnant. It took over an hour to get it fixed - they couldn't move us because they are booked! But, we were creative and got through it.

We are leaving today at 1p and get in at 10:30. It will be a fun travel day!

Happy Sunday!!
LA :)

I've regained my sanity and I still am loving the desert!!

So, I had a great day today - the stress of the past couple of weeks have subsided and I have completely fallen in love with this place. Don - not so much! He thinks it is WAY too hot. The heat isn't bothering Katie or I at all. Katie loves being anywhere with amazing scenery! I love the warmth - with the breeze - the fact that it is SO warm and you can breath. The drastic scenery is just unbelievable... and you don't sweat! It's so dry - I think it must evaporate the minute it comes from your pores...



Today was wonderful! It was packed for all three of us!! We are wide awake and wired - even Katie and it's midnight by our body clock. Katie loved the kids camp today. She was the only kid - with two adults - who doted on her the entire day. She made a backpack with butterflies and fish. She made a pot and planted a cactus. She swam!

The "bootcampers" had a field trip tonight at 5pm to a local thrift store. Lynn arranged a "private" shopping trip after hours so it was just us in the store. I purchased 28 pieces of clothing for under $42. They were all name brand, nice condition items like Liz Claiborne, GAP, Ann Taylor, etc. Clothes aren't my favorite to list - but since we are flying - it was much better than china and other breakables... even though I came with an empty suitcase full of bubblewrap.

Tonight - Lynn bought us all dinner at a local restaurant "The Crab Pot". We took up three long tables - and had a lot of fun. We were seated on the patio with fans and misters - in the valley - sunset against the mountains - AMAZING! The shrimp was yummy too! It was fun meeting some new people - and catching up with Elizabeth and Kim from LAX Bootcamp.



Katie has discovered Webkinz. I think that's how you spell it... it's the modern day "beanie baby" only with Webkinz - you can open the sealed tag thingy and go online and create a virtual version of your new pet. She will be in the kids camp tomorrow with Lynn's daughter and son and Lynn's daughter, Indy - big Webkinz collector. Katie is excited to meet her.

When we got back from dinner tonight - we went swimming in the pool. The breeze had really kicked up and it was a breezy 97 degrees. The water was COLD... which made me wander... do they "air condition" pools in the desert like we heat pools in milder climates... We were actually chilled when we got out of the pool and walked quickly back to our villa. This resort is beautiful! I want to come back here again!

We are off to go "buying" at garage and estate sales in Palm Desert in the morning. I'm riding with Elizabeth... hopefully, we will have better luck getting around tomorrow than we did tonight - because we got lost twice tonight!

Have a happy Saturday!
LA :)

I don't know how I'm still sane and we may move to the desert!

 

















NOT! But it is turning out to be a nice place to have run away to! :) It was just absolutely CRAZY to get out of town - it's never been that bad. I was so overwhelmed with work, pressure and deadlines. Work with this man is getting to be more than a full-time job! But, once those wheels lifted off the runway at the Knoxville airport - I sighed a big sigh of relief and we were on our way.

Katie is just the best little traveler. She is so polite to EVERYONE! So well mannered! She loves flying! She is a PRO getting through security. Yesterday - Don got pulled, scanned, wanded, etc. and it caused us to get a little flustered - but not Katie. She jumped right in grabbing our carryon items off the security belt and helping to compensate for the fact that we temporarily lost Don.

I think she thrives on the stimulation she gets when we are on the go. Travel has seriously become our favorite thing to do as a family - well, second to time on the farm.

Anyway - it was 84 in Dallas and it felt hotter than the 100 degrees when we landed in Palm Springs - at 8pm PST. It was beautiful flying in though - the sun was starting to set and I actually - from the air - think that the desert is amazingly beautiful. This is a picture I took through the dirty window on the plane as we were coming into Palm Springs.















It will be just like last year though - I will be in awe and amazment of the beauitful scenery - like I was driving down the PCH from San Fransico to LA - but then I will get tears in my eyes as we fly back into the beautiful setting of East Tennessee. It's fun to go new places but there's no place like home!

Oh, the airport in Palm Springs was an open air airport. It was beautiful and so different than anywhere we've ever been before. Also, this is far different than anywhere we've been in California. It was a 45 minute drive to La Quinta and the roads where nice and well marked - everything seems new too which I thought was odd.

Well, we are off for our jam packed day. Hopefully, we can take in some local sites tonight!

More later!
LA :)

It's Football Time In Tennessee!!

Well it was an amazing experience to say the least!!! We've always loved going to UT games. I remember when we first moved to Knoxville and Don was a big Florida State fan - I told him it would only take one home game to convert him - and I was right!!! We've been to a few games separately since we adopted Katie but she had never been.



Well, it was definitely one of those experiences where we fell in love with it all again seeing it through her eyes! It was such a great day!! Katie's eyes were bright and she was taking it ALL IN!! All day long! Everything she could. She didn't even let the heat slow her down - we just kept her well hydrated!

Most of you know that Katie doesn't have a normal body temperature gauge so when it's really hot or really cold - we have to be pretty careful that she doesn't get overheated, etc. She doesn't sweat like a typical person - so she is prone to have a heat stroke much easier than most - but keeping her well hydrated is the key.



We parked at Fort Sanders School. The cost for parking there goes directly to benefit the school and you know we are all about that since Katie benefited so much from her three years there in pre-school.



We took the time to go up to the top level of the parking garage at Fort Sanders hospital so that Katie could see the view - nothing but an orange sea. She was READY!! Dad was enjoying every minute of this as well - for both himself and he was loving doing this wall ith Katie.

It was HOT though! We walked down to the strip and when Katie saw the UT Bookstore - she said "can we go shopping"? She's definitely a shopper! We enjoyed the brief reprieve from the heat - got her some weapons - I mean pom pom's and headed for the vol walk.

Oh, and with Katie being the animal magnet that she is - she got to get up close and personal with Smokey. She was concerned tfor his welfare though - that he was too hot in his UT garb... we assured her that they were keeping him hydrated...lol!

We got our spot for the vol walk and thank goodness for ice cold bottled water and a wonderful husband who is willing to make multiple water runs because it was so darn HOT!





I think wearing orange is a magnet for the sun...lol! I know Don had to be sweltering in his black UT golf shirt

We had about a 30 minute wait but it was worth it. Well, except when Coach Fulmer came walking down the sidewalk and Katie wacked him in the head accidentally with her pom pom... oops! She apologized but he just kept going. I'm sure he had much more important things on his mind.



Then of course we had to do the band parade. We got a great spot! In the shade!! Then life was much nicer for the 30 minute wait for the parade. Katie was having so much fun - we were talking with all kinds of people - it was the best afternoon! The atmosphere was great - everyone was happy and excited!!!



Katie found another little girl to chat with



while we were waiting for the parade. She started talking about what it would be like to go to UT one day with us. She decided that she wanted to be in the marching band even before she even saw the band. We knew she was in for a treat! You just can't help but fall in love with it all!





The minute she heard the band in the distance she was pumped. She was like the cutest lil vol fan ever!! I just can't say enough what it was like to experience this all through her eyes. She was telling me - I can feel the music right here - pounding her chest! She thought it was the neatest thing ever!



I don't know why - but she got all excited about the clarinet line. "That's what I want to play!! That's what I want to play!!" I'm still taking it all in while also thinking "Thank goodness it wasn't the drums that stood out to her!!!"






Katie and I immediately fell in line at the back of the parade and Dad and Don were right behind us. According to Don - we took off and left them. *sigh* But, I wanted to keep Katie as close to the band as I could because she was loving it! She was singing Rocky Top with all her might!! I knew she was going to love it but I didn't know how much!!



When we turned the corner to head to the stadium - I knew we had to get her on Don's shoulders. She had to see that sight! I wish I'd had a monopod so that I could have gotten my camera high enough in the air to capture the scene... I'd been there many times before but I swear it had never been quite like that. Hundreds of thousands of people in orange - it was literally a sea of orange.

Sometimes, you have to give up trying to capture it all in pictures and just enjoy the moment and even though I took over 300 pictures yesterday - I still stood back and just enjoyed watching Katie. The expression on her face when she first went up in the air onto Don's shoulders and saw the sight of all that orange - it was just priceless.

The expression on her face when she asked "where is the stadium?" and Don turned her toward it and said "there it is"!!! She was amazed at how big. The only sporting event she's been to were Smokies games this summer... in comparison - it was nothing... it was prep for this day!



The seats that Mary got for Katie and I were row two in section V, I think. We were right on the field. Which was fantastic for Katie. We had gotten her little binoculars which she immediately started using. Dad and Don were in section V - row 32. Which was good for them because they could see more of the game.



Katie was pretty excited that we were so close to the cheerleaders! She was really enjoying watching all the pre-game activity - the players warming up, the cheerleaders, even the photographers lugging around all their equipment.

Katie started asking me a TON of questions. She literally became a question machine... one after another. We were laughing and cutting up and having a lot of fun watching all the pre-game activity on the field and all of a sudden - she said "I wish Daddy was here - he's good at explaining sports stuff to me". *ouch*

So, I text msg'd Don and we swapped places. I had fun sitting with Dad and Don had so much fun sitting with Katie. She was the hit of the section according to Don. She was high fiving people and these two big burly muscle guys sat right in front of Katie and Don said that she turned them into putty! They had a lot of fun with Katie - getting the biggest kick out of her spirit and enthusiasm! Everyone was cracking up at all the questions she was bombarding Don with.



As painful as some of the moments were during the game itself - it couldn't have been a more awesome experience for us as a family yesterday. Well, I take it back - it would have been a tiny bit more awesome if the VOLS had played better. They are in for a tough season. I think they are going to struggle against Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina (who beat Georgia yesterday), Arkansas and Kentucky - and the obvious - Florida is laying in wait to eat us for lunch next Saturday.

Anyhow - the good news on that front - we can probably pick up three tickets for another home game later in the season to just to enjoy Katie enjoying it so much! :) What a strategy, huh?

We are going this afternoon to find exactly where my two classes are going to be starting this week. Isn't that terrible, I have to go ahead of time to map out where to go - I think that's a sign of the fact that I'm fixing to turn 40. *sigh* Anyhow, we are going to take Gran with us and then eat dinner at Calhoun's on the River as a family tonight!

That's of course after I spend the next 7 hours on TAXES!

Help me!
More later!
LA :)

Self Imposed Craziness!!

Okay - had a little bit of a overstressed meltdown yesterday but it's all good now!!! I just got a little overwhelmed because I'm a list, schedule and calendar person and I use to be so organized - key words "use to be".

We leave for Palm Springs on Thursday! I have much to do to prepare for that trip and the class. Lynn has gotten us a private viewing of an estate sale in Palm Springs on Friday evening! How cool is that? I told Don we may have to drive home... I'm definitely taking an extra suitcase. Although - I have boxes of stuff I collected over the summer to list on eBay... I just have had NO TIME!

I have hit a very crazy patch with my work - tax crunch - moved back a little due to financing for a huge project. Normally - this crazy tax crunch doesn't happen until late September - last minute of course. Well, now - I'm spending hours trying to get his excel workbook updated for the CPA's. I export his general ledger to a pre-formated workbook in excel that has tax schedules. Then, I litterally have to go line by line on this 100 page general ledger and move each tax related item to a schedule and then note which schedule it was moved to... this is to ensure that he doesn't have anything over looked. I never thought the CPA even used this until last year and he told me that it actually does save them hours or work... and my rates are definitely cheaper than the CPA... so onward! *ugh*

My dad is in town for two weeks to help out with Gran - but then what happens is - I end up helping Dad. AND, his life is crazy right now too because he and Marilyn are juggling real estate transactions!!! *ugh*

I've been trying hard to at least go to the farm 3x a week. I have two standing lessons with Mary - Don sometimes takes one. Then I try to just go once to practice things I have learned in the lessons or just spend time. Sometimes just spending time out there - unstructured is so relaxing! Belle is coming along so well. She is such a quick learner!!

Katie wants to join Girl Scouts and they want me to be a troup co-leader. I guess because of my schedule - that scares me. But I can't not do it...

I start my evening classes at UT this week. So excited about that! I've been getting the pre-class homework and emails from the instructors. I think it's going to be great!!

Speaking of UT - Mary, one of my dad's old friends from high school got us all tickets for today's game - the home opener against Southern Miss. Katie is so excited. She has never been to a game before. We are going down early to tailgate - go to the Vol walk and the parade. She can't wait! She has all her UT garb lined up to wear - she will be quite the little "vol fan".

I've started working out at the Y this week. We don't have our issues completely settled with "the bad gym" yet but the Y is month to month - so no long term high pressured commitment. Plus, the cost of the Y is less monthly than one nice dinner out - that's so reasonable. ANOTHER PLUS - I have met the nicest people this week at the Y! REALLY NICE! Such a nicer atmosphere than "the bad gym". I did water aerobics 4 times this week. Loved it! I'm starting personal training sessions with Anna on Monday the 17th when we get back from California. I'll be working with two other girls which will help keep the cost down of having a "semi-private" session 2x weekly.

I got fussed at BADLY when I saw Dr. Boyce and Kelly (exercise physiologist) - they told me that if I didn't start making exercise a top priority CONSISTENTLY in my life - that I would regain weight! So - it's going to be a top priority. Oh but get this - the hard physical labor that we do at the farm doesn't count as exercise - that was figured into my lifestyle to bump it from sedentary (because of all the computer work I do) to moderate. *sigh* So even on farm days - I need to walk two miles, do resistance or water aerobics. I HAVE to exercise for minimum 45 minutes daily SIX days a week. I'm looking forward to cooler weather so I can do some outdoor walking with Sophie and Hogan again in the park. I walk faster in the park than I do on the treadmill.

Spent the morning on Friday with my new good friend Sheila. She's truly one of the nicest people I've ever met. Such a happy upbeat person - I love it when our girls have sessions together at at STAR - that's where I met her - at STAR. She has two beautiful girls. I've been talking to her about Mary Kay since December before my surgery. We'd been trying to get together for months to play with makeup and her do a makeover on me! It was so much fun and I'd been putting off buying my usual Estee Lauder for months to give Mary Kay a try. I loved how some of the skin care stuff made my skin feel - better than Estee Lauder and not quite as $$$ - almost but not quite. I think I'm really gonna like it!

Don starts his boot camp on Monday! Big day! 5am wake up call. Is it really legal to get up at 5am for exercise???? I may do the Leslie Sansone videos while he goes to boot camp since I will be awake. I do like exercising first thing in the morning because then "things" can't interfere during the course of the day. Then, if I do water aerobics or work with Anna - it's just extra bonus exercise, right? He got the diet plan from the boot camp the other day and we have to go to the grocery store tomorrow to get ready. Not too big of a change other than what we already have - except now he can't have diet soda either. I have been drinking it some - but just occasionally. If it works well for Don during September - he may do it in October as well. Sandra and Brian may join him. It's cheaper than weight loss surgery.

Also, speaking of WLS... we know of a couple in California that had the surgery 3 weeks apart - they both had it. The husband experienced the same complication during surgery with his small intestines being shorter than the average person which made it a hard "reconnection" and then the same thing happened with him developing and abscess like I did four days post op - he died. He did not make it! I am so blessed and have so much to be thankful for. WLS is definitely not the EASY WAY OUT. I keep telling people that I didn't have brain transplant surgery - it's going to be an ongoing struggle emotionally and physically for the rest of my life.

We couldn't get Tina to house-sit/pet-sit for this trip because Sandra and Brian are going to San Francisco for a wedding. Man, did that make us appreciate her SO VERY MUCH! We've had to scramble to come up with an alternative solution and I do mean scramble.



Off to STAR, Oak Ridge WLS support group and then the big game! Then, tomorrow I will be in front of this laptop ALL DAY LONG! My client will loose his ever loving mind if I don't have this tax workbook done before I get on that plane Thursday!

No worries! Right! LOL!
Have a happy and blessed September Saturday!! GO VOLS!!!!
LA :)