Weekend Update

I have a guilty pleasure.  Well, I might as well tell you, I have MANY guilty pleasures...one of those is the M&M Blast I'm eating right now.  Another secret pleasure is Saturday Night Live.  I still like to watch the show, even though some of the skits are beyond stupid and either way over my head...or way under it.  Ha!  But, I do enjoy it if I catch it on.  Last night, I just so happened to catch it when it was still on.  When I saw the "Weekend Update" segment that is usually pretty hilarious...I decided to do a little weekend update on my blog.  I haven't been very consistent lately, so I figured I'd do an overall update for the weekend.

So, here goes...Breaking News:

• Russ had to chase me down the hallway last night after I jumped out of bed and ran out of the bedroom freaking out and screaming about some kind of "sock thing" raising off the bed.  When I say "freaking out," I mean out of breath, nearly crying, yelling, and whining like a kid!  I had no pride at that moment.  And, obviously, no pride now that I'm sharing this event with you.  Russ ran back in the bedroom to look through all the covers.  All was clear, in case you wondered.  I was wringing wet with sweat and, quite frankly, still hesitant to get back in.  Best I can remember, I saw some kind of long sock snake-like thing raise its head off the bed down by my feet.  I must have been dreaming of such strange things and woke myself up to this chaos.  Which, in turn, woke Russ up to chaos.  Farley, however, never raised his head as he eyed this crazy woman who calls herself his mother.

• I just returned from my hometown.  I made a day trip to watch my old high school perform their musical, "Back to the 80's."  I had heard how cute it was, and I know a few of the students who performed.  Some of them, I used to babysit.  Talk about feeling old!  I always loved our high school productions!  Russ and I actually started dating after a few flirtations during rehearsals.  Ha!  Let's see...my freshman year, I played Penelope in Bye Bye Birdie.  Do you wanna guess who played Conrad Birdie?  The one and only Dr. Russ!  I had one speaking part (in addition to my tiny off-tune solo), and that was "Loop the loop!" as I held onto Russ's arm.  I was dressed as a cheerleader at that point.  I can still see that cute junior boy playing the guitar in his gold lamay jumpsuit!  Priceless!  My sophomore year, we performed Carousel.  This is the one that brought Russ and me together.  Well, I already had a crush on him.  The play just gave us extra time to see each other.  I think Russ played the part of the star gazer, and I played random parts...one included a horse on the carousel!  Ha!  Yep!  I dressed in a black leotard with a black tutu and tilted back and forth over one of the guy's knee.  That's the most I can remember about that one.  My junior and senior year, I played bigger roles.  My junior year, we performed Seven Brides for Seven Brothers...I played one of the brides.  Then, my senior year, it was Anything Goes.  I can't remember what my  name was, but I played one of the leading roles and sang several off key songs.  Oh, those were the days!  When I was quite unaware of my inability to act or sing!  Remember those days?

• I get asked about our adoption progress all the time.  I wish I had more to share, but I don't.  We are still officially waiting and have been for seven months.  We don't hear anything from our agency really.  And, we won't until we get THE CALL.  Our adoption worker calls every three months just to check in and answer any questions we may have.  So, I do know that everything has been very slow so far...as far as 2012 goes.  At our last phone call, she informed me that there had been one placement since January 1.  Since then, I know of at least one couple who has been matched.  Marcie and I are "blogger friends" (I guess you could say that), and she and her husband were just matched with TWIN baby girls.  Click here to check in on her and see those sweet faces. I don't call or email the agency every few days like I would like to sometimes!  Ha!  The reason I don't is because I am 100% positive Bethany Christian Services is taking care of us.  If you are considering adoption, the most important part of choosing an agency is TRUST.  I would be going crazy if I doubted my agency or worried that they were forgetting us.  It's impossible to know what our timeline will be.  No one knows how many birthparents will come to the agency at any given time.  But, we DO know that God has the timing perfectly planned!  

• I may not blog much about Mississippi State basketball like I do for football.  But, believe me, I am still a HUGE fan!  After a few (five to be exact) losses in a row, I was beginning to feel down about my Dawgs.  However, after an incredibly close game (leading nearly the entire game) against Kentucky, a very CLOSE call win against South Carolina in overtime, and an amazing game against Arkansas yesterday...I'm feeling pumped again!  Sadly, Russ isn't willing to make the 12 hour round trip drive to New Orleans and back to watch my Bulldogs play Georgia Thursday.  But, I WILL be watching if it's on TV.  If not, I'll watch online...as I have been doing.  I'm cheering them on!  I'm hoping we continue to play hard!  Go Dawgs!

• I have had a few emails and several people asking me in person about losing weight.  I am extremely self-conscious about sharing this information.  Mainly because I know that if I ever gain the weight back, you will notice it even more.  But, the easiest way to share the information with everyone is to just post it.  So, for those of you who are wondering...I have lost about 30 pounds.  I never really considered myself "fat," although my dear sweet grandmother did inform me this past summer that I looked "bigger than [I've] ever been."  Yes, I did smile.  Laughed even.  And tried to smart back...to which she just reassured me that I was, in fact, bigger than she'd ever seen me.  You gotta love the honesty of old people, right?  It's like kids.  They just say what they feel!  Ha!  That is NOT the reason I decided to try to lose it.  I just wanted to fit more comfortably in my clothes.  So, I began counting my calories at the end of July.  I had gotten to my goal weight around Thanksgiving.  So, I guess that makes the total time...4 months.  How do you count calories?  Well, I'm sure there are lots of ways to do this.  I didn't have the funds to join any kind of group or take any kind of shake.  I simply uploaded the Lose It! app on my iPhone.  I entered my information (age, height, weight, goal, how many pounds a week I wanted to lose, etc.) and the app told me how many calories I could eat daily.  I logged and measured every single thing I ate or drank.  I also quit drinking regular cokes.  That was HUGE for me!  I haven't had one since.  I really haven't craved it either.  Over time, you learn what's better to eat and what needs to be thrown out.  I also realized that my favorite thing on the menu at Olive Garden was nearly 500 calories OVER my DAILY limit!  Guess I won't be getting that again.  Ha!  I don't really count my calories anymore, but I do pay attention to what I'm putting in my mouth.  I also realized that I don't have to have that cookie or piece of cake.  I can do without those things and still live.  If I do splurge, like I do on vacation and over the holidays, I pay close attention to what I eat the following days or week.  I have not done the slightest bit of exercise.  I know that I should, and I know that I would be happier with my body if I did simply for the fact that it would help me tone up.  Maybe I'll get to that soon.  Ha!  My mom gave my sister and I a Hungry Girl cookbook.  All the recipes in the cookbook are under 300 calories.  Perfect!  My sister, the cook of the family, has used the cookbook several times and has loved everything she has made.  Including the red velvet pancakes with icing.  OH MY!  I have not cooked anything yet, but I have gone through and marked pages of things I want to try first.  I'll let you know how it goes.  I know that watching our caloric intake will help keep us healthier, so we intend to continue to "watch it."  

• We have started planning our TEN year reunion!  Wow!  It's hard to believe it has been 10 years since high school.  However, while I was looking through my old yearbooks trying to get things together for our class blog and Facebook page, I realized just how long ago it was.  I sure wish I had chosen a different hairstyle for that senior portrait.  Hmmm...

• As many of you have seen on Facebook, I have shared a link to my sister-in-law's blog.  Roan, my dear friend and sister-in-law, has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Thankfully, the doctors are extremely optimistic about her recovery.  She will have a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction on Wednesday.  The reconstruction process will take a few months to complete.  I am asking you to remember her and her family in your prayers this week especially.  Roan has been such an inspiration through this whole ordeal.  I won't share details here, but I will tell you that her positive disposition and her complete trust in the Lord and His plan is incredible...overwhelming even.  I'm still having trouble facing the reality of the situation myself, so I can't imagine her feelings.  I have felt so helpless as we have talked (Well, we mostly text and email!  Ha!) each day.  Roan has prayed me through and pep talked me through the last four years of our infertility and adoption process.  She has cried with me and for me.  She has let me vent to her and share things with her just because I needed to get it out.  I am so thankful for her friendship, and I want to and hope I can be there for her in the same way.  You can hop over to her blog to get details of her prognosis and surgical plan...I feel that it is her story to tell, so it's best for you to learn more there.  I know my blog readers are the best prayer warriors ever, and I know she would be humbled by your prayers this week.  Thank you, sweet friends!

I think I've given you enough updates for one weekend.  I hope you all have had a good week!  In case I haven't told you lately, THANK YOU to all of you who continue "praying for more."  I never forget about you!  I am thankful for you!  And, we can't wait to show you your answered prayers one day!