The BEE Movie

I have had an itch to go to the movies but lately, it's all been crap out there. The girls and I saw The Game Plan a few weeks ago but other than that there have been no movies that have been acceptable for family viewing. At least with the holidays coming up, we are guaranteed some choices in movie selection again.

We had heard about the Bee Movie for the past year and quite honestly, I had no desire to see it. Then we saw Se!nfeld making the talk show circuit and I slowly became more interested in it. Now you have to understand we never watched his TV show when it was on prime time. However, with reruns being played at dinnertime we have slowly become fans of his comedy... even the kids like it. Watching him on Oprah and Jay Leno combined with a movie draught, we decided to see the BEE Movie as a family... even J went along. K1 didn't come along because he had seen it Friday night with a date.

I really liked it. I had a few problems with parts of it but overall I found myself laughing out loud at many of the jokes and scenarios. The girls liked it and thought it was funny too, although I think mom and dad enjoyed it more.

We have one movie that we saw that was gawd awful... Hoodwinked... did anyone see that one? So whenever we see a movie, we will always ask how it compares to Hoodwinked. And this one definitely passed the test. J even said he wouldn't have minded paying full movie admission (we saw it at 10:00 a.m. for $5 each)... and coming from him that is a huge compliment.

So if you're looking for a family friendly movie, I definitely recommend this one.

Halloween 2007

Another Halloween has come and gone... thank gawd! This year we didn't decorate at all. Normally, we grow these huge, ginormous pumpkins in our garden but not this year.... and it just didn't seem right buying them. So we went without.

As for trick or treatin', I told K1 he was too old to go this year which was fine because he helped out his friend's parents who turn their house into a haunted house for the night -- way too cool! He played a werewolf inside and enjoyed scaring everyone who walked thru... except for his mom (who absolutely HATES haunted houses!!) When I walked thru, he kept staring at me (no mind you, I had no idea which character he was in this place) like he was ready to pounce and then he slowly put his clawed hand towards me and said, "Meow!" in a cute little kitty tone. I love my son! He said he knew when I was coming thru when he heard K2's friend say to her, "K2, your mom is hanging on me." What can I say, at 12, K2's friend, M, is taller than I am... she seemed like she could protect me. But K1 said he heard that and knew it was us coming thru. I wish I had pics of him dressed up but the costume was provided by his friend's parents.

As for the girls, K3 was dressed as a vampiress. Very dark... She had fun wearing it to the elementary school party and trick or treatin'.


Then there was K2, who started off the season as a Vampirate... a cross between a Vampire and a Pirate. She loves a book series on these very characters and used pieces from earlier costumes and came up with her own character. She wore this when she volunteered to help out at the elementary school Halloween party.



However, when it came to the 31st and trick or treatin', she couldn't find all the pieces so she she was trying to come up with something on the fly. Her friend, M, was going as a supermodel and she toyed with that idea until she came downstairs and told me, "I am going as a mime!" She pulled clotes from her dresser and voila!




The girls are really old enough to go out by themselves but honestly, J and I have lots of fun walking thru the neighborhood and seeing all the kids out. So I doubt we will ever stop going with them... J says that when our kids are too old to go he is going to miss going out. Me? I'm not sure about that. It might be nice to just stay at home.

It Would Appear That I am Behind in Posting...

So lately it seems like all I have been doing is making excuses for why I haven't done this or that... execise, blogging, etc. It's time to take control again... again... again.

I did start exercising again last two weeks. I started up riding the stationary bike at work. I have managed 15 miles each week, not bad but I can do better if I just add one more day to the mix. Also, I started in on step aerobics again. Just me, the basement stairs and my mp3 player. I did great at the start of the week and slacked off towards the end. I just really need to push myself... something that I haven't been very good about doing. Back at it...

As for blogging, I have so much to catch up on. I was having trouble with my Kodak software for uploading pics from camera to computer. Tonight I finally sat down and found new software on-line and have been able to correct that problem. So while I am in the process of uploading pics to my on-line account, I am going to try to get caught up on updating my blog.

Finally...

I am finally feeling better. I have been knocked out by a cold(viral nothing I could get antibiotics for) for more than a week. I am not 100% yet but this is the first day where I finally feel as if I am at the end. I don't know what it was about this one... I was still functioning...going to work, getting the kids to their "stuff", etc but it certainly wasn't helping me improve any. I took a couple of days to just recuperate and get better... I think it is definitely what my body needed.

Just in time, too, because this weekend is a busy one. Tonight is the Halloween party at the elementary school. K3 is attending and K2 is volunteering to work the games with her GS troop. However, it means full Halloween dress for the two of them. K3 is going as a gothic vampire and K2 has put together her own costume as a Vampirate (she loves this book series that a friend in England has been sending to her). So she's been a pirate in the past and a vampire... she decided to combine the two and voila!... Vampirate. I will take pictures but how good they look may fall upon how well mom can do make-up.

This weekend the boys are going to help J's dad dig out some trees at his rental property so it is GIRLS WEEKEND! Woo Hoo! We love girls' weekend. However, it is interrupted by another GS event. K2's troop is going to a haunted house tomorrow night. Let me just say that, this mom will drive and chaperone but in no way is going anywhere near the place. I will either have a book in my hand and sit in my van or more likely, you may find me sitting by the snack stand downing popcorn and diet coke praying like crazy that my little girl will make it out alive. I hate those things! I hate being scared... period. The last time I was in a haunted house was in high school. We had to walk single-file thru it. I was plastered to my friend in front of me with my hooded sweatshirt pulled up over my head and held tight at the sides so I couldn't see a thing. And had another friend plastered behind me so that nothing could get me from behind. When one of the ghouls tried to do something to me, my friend in front yelled, "Leave her alone! Can't you see she's scared." (Seems to me that was probably his job but what a friend.) Finally, we made it outside, only to discover that we were now being led to the basement thru a cellar door. I was done. I was outta there. I left my group and waited by the car for them to finish.... and have never been inside one since. The only haunted house I will go into is the Disneyland version... I still am not crazy about it but I can at least tolerate it. I will give a report tomorrow after the event.

Not sure what else is in the plans for this weekend... hopefully, some rest... some movies... and some peace and quiet.

Homecoming...

I survived my first Homecoming experience... and yes, I know it was my son who actually attended but I think I had more to do than he did. Who had to worry about what he was going to wear? -- "A suit? I have to wear a suit?" Who worried about getting a corsage for his date? -- "Flowers? We're just going as friends." Who had to drive him back and forth to the football game? Drive him to and from his friend's house the day of the dance? Who chased all Saturday morning trying to find a corsage (paid $25 for one only to have it fall off the wrist band at the start of the dance)? Who had to calm him down an hour before we had to leave when he started to get panicky? Who had to calm his sisters down when he started laying into them because he was nervous? Who had to watch their little boy now not so little go to his first dance with a date and admit that he was growing up?

Me -- his mommy.

I love that kid and he is growing up into a fine young man. But no matter how tall he gets, how old he gets... he will always be my little boy... my first born.... my son.

I love you, K.




This isn't the best pic but I don't really like to post pics of my kids here... this one is still him while still a little ambiguous. Plus, all of his other pictures have friends in them and I don't feel right posting pics of other kids without permission.

And by the way, Grandma, he LOVED the vest. The suit coat came off and went into the coat check but he wore the vest the entire night. Apparently some upper classmen complemented him on it which is always cool. He looked good. Thanks!

Trying to Get the Feeling Again...

Do you remember that song from Barry Manilow? In the song, he sings about his girlfriend coming back and he doesn't feel the same as he used to. However, it seems kinda appropriate for what I've been trying to do with trying to get that feeling of exercising again and getting back into the rhythm and routine of it all...

I've been up (up), I've been down (down), and tryin' to get the feelin'
I've been up (up), I've been down (down), I've been tryin' to get
I've tried and I've tried and I've tried to get (up) the feelin' (down)
I've been trying to get the feelin' again
I wanna get that feelin'
I want to get that feelin'
I've got to get that feelin'
I've gotta get that feelin' again (up)
And again (down) and again (tryin' to get that feelin')
Tryin' to get (up) the feelin' (down)
I've been tryin' to get the feelin' again

After taking the last two days off due to tight muscles, it didn't seem like today was going to be any different. However, yesterday a Gator Patrol was posted and I had yet to post. I was going to post this a.m. when I woke up and explain about how I upped the ante and added some cardio to my routine BUT that my muscles were rebelling and I had to take a few days off. Then I started to count the days I was "resting" and figured out that today would've been Day 3. There was no way I was going on that BB and admitting to that... so I hauled my sorry a$ off the couch and did Essential Abs and even bumped it up to the Intermediate level. After that I was able to go on and post to the Gator Patrol.

After I posted however I looked at the clock and realized I still had time... enough time... before I really needed to get ready for work. Seriously, my legs were still hurting a bit so I was a tad intimidated about doing legs but I needed to do something. I pulled out my Walk Away the Pounds DVD and did the 1-Mile Morning Wake-up walk. It was always one of the easiest to do... nice, short, simple and sweet. So tell me why I had sweat pouring into my eyes by the end and my arms were burning using the ball weights. Well, regardless, I made it thru... my legs did fine and I think it even helped them loosen up a bit. I no longer walked like I just got off the horse. And, even better, it felt good! I was sweating again... I was energized... charged up and ready to go. So much so, that I even took my tennies with me to work and went down to the fitness room and rode the stationary bike for 15 min.

It felt good today! And I have the Gator Patrol posts to thank for it. I love hearing from others... those who are struggling and need encouragement (Hello? Been there, done that, am there). ... those who are having great success (gives me hope that someday I too will get there)... I love hearing what works for others (gives me ideas to try)... and most of all, I love seeing the support that everyone offers up to each other.

I am feeling good and just a tad proud of myself... I have renewed hope that I can do this again. So I am doing what I can... bending down low and reaching up high... trying to get that feeling again.

And the Couch Wins...

So this morning I gave in to the call of the couch... I still woke up at 5:30 but spent most of the time after on the couch. I am completely whipped this a.m. Not only is my body protesting the increased exercise (I walk like I just got off a 3 day trail ride), but I am exhausted! This was Homecoming weekend and I never knew how much of my own time would be spent on it. I will do a separate post from Friday's football game (marching band video to come) and pics of getting ready for the Big Dance. But I need to be more coherent than I am now plus my computer is not letting me grab the pics and video from my camera... now that J is home maybe he can look into it for me. But I just wanted to post, since I have been commended for my honesty... I was a couch slug this a.m. :)

Sounds Like the Little Red Hen

The baker's hat in the house will now be worn by K1. The girls and I came home from a study session at B&N (the library wasn't open today) to the smell of Peanut Butter cookies. When I asked him he told him to bake cookies (figuring that J had twisted his arm to do it), he said no one... he just wanted to do it.

Now PB cookies are not my favorite, in fact, I don't like them except for the flourless ones. But I have to tell you... these were the best... the absolute BEST... PB cookies I have ever eaten. They were soft and chewy and damn near melted in your mouth. He did make them rather large so we only got 23 cookies from the batch of dough. But did I mention how yummy they were??

When I tried one and loved it, I was worried because I thought I was done for... lawd knows how many calories I would be consuming. However, I worried for nothing... it seems K1 thinks that since he made them, he is the one who gets to eat them. Hmmm... I did remind him that I was the one who had bought all the ingredients. He let me have an extra one.

So now the the truth is known and K1 is to become the family baker... maybe I can go sneak another one since he's in bed.

But It's a Dry Heat...

Surely you've heard that phrase before. My mom used to say it all the time when she would talk about moving to Arizona. People would always comment on the heat... to which my mom always replied, "But it's a DRY heat." Honestly, I don't see it... hot is HOT... dry or wet. Well, I can honestly say that I sound like my mom or at least am trying to. Nah, not about the heat but about the PAIN.

Yep, that's right... I said Pain. Remember my post from yesterday when I mentioned that my calves had woken up and we're firm and saying, "Hello, we're awake." Yeah, well about that... my legs are screaming today. Apparently doing step aerobics 3 days in a row after a summer of none was a bit too much. Then consider that I added BodyRev legs to the mix this morning, my legs are burning. It's not nearly as bad as when I first started exercising a year ago... then I couldn't even bend over far enough to tie my own shoes. No, I am not quite that bad (yet?). However, every move I made today... every step... was felt. And, lawd, going up and down stairs... all I can say is "Ouch!"

Today was a good day though despite the pain. Rather than sleep in I set the alarm and woke up at 6:30 (hey, whaddya know, that was sleeping in for me). I started with abs and moved onto step aerobics and after 20 minutes, BodyRev Legs was on the agenda. I had put it off for far too long.

I was thinking about what Alden said on the BB this week... specifically, the routine and enjoying it. Why is it so easy to do stairs? Simply said, it's the music. I am able to lose myself in the music for 5, 10, 15 minutes... the next thing I know is 30 minutes have passed. I began to think about what other things used to help me enjoy the routine. Of course, music, so I made sure to have my exercise playlist pumping out of the computer. I also burned some candles. I remember on those deep breathing techniques, inhaling the sweet scents of vanilla, cinnamon or citrus was so much better than the smell of my own sweat.

After I was done (which in total took less than an hour), I could feel my legs tightening up and started to think about why I am doing this and what I am getting out of it. Not long term as that is too easy... but what am I getting from it now... right this moment. First and foremost, is the energy increase. I am not a morning person and the couch calls to me. There are many days where I start the day as a slug. I move in slow motion and the brain processes are slow. But after exercising, I am jazzed up and ready to go and face the day. The couch no longer looks like a comfy place to finish sleeping. Now, I will take care of dishes or do some laundry before I head out the door (after a shower, of course). So you can also add the feeling of accomplishment to the immediate results. (There are other immediate results but I will save them for a later post.)

So yes, I may be hurting right now... "But it's a good hurt."

Exercise is Fun...

Exercise is my friend.

This is my new mantra... and it's worked for two days. Yesterday and today, this is the attitude that I have tried to wake up with. Normally, I would stay in my pj's for a bit, hit the computer and be around for whatever cries of help came from the kids as they got ready for school. Yesterday, I started to make some changes.

First thing I did when I woke up was get dressed... off came the pj's and on went the exercise clothes. I tried to figure out at which points I would have enough time to get some exercise in with the least amount of interruptions and then planned my exercises accordingly. BodyRev abs at only 15 min is easy to fit in first... this is when K2 has showered and is getting ready and K1 has just woken up (Beware of Grizzly signs should be posted in my house during this time.) By picking the right time, I can work out and still be done with enough time to help K2 with any last minute aid. Then right after K2 leaves the house, I wake K3 up, grab my mp3 player and hit the basement stairs. Yesterday I told myself just do 15 minutes but once I had the music going, I couldn't help but keep on going. I made it 30 minutes before K1 was asking for help because he had only 5 minutes left before he had to catch the bus.

I still need to work on adding more Revving to the mix. My intentions were to do some at night but that didn't work last night. My kids used to have an 8:00 bedtime (at least, be in bed at 8:00 and they could read for awhile). Now however, no one is in bed before 9:00 mostly because of homework and practicing their instruments. Two nights this week we spent at the library. K2 had a paper due and finds that she gets so much more done using the study rooms at the library. No TV interuptions... no sibling interruptions. And to be quite honest I am pooped by that time of night. Since my alarm goes off at 5:30, I have been trying to be in bed by 10:30 so I can read for a bit. Lights out by 11:30 and time for 6 hours of sleep.

So I need to figure out how to fit more time in... maybe I will try for after work. I am home by 3:30 and should easily be able to fit 15 or 30 minutes in then. Maybe I should... No. What I need to do is sit down and write out a schedule and then just stick to it. Right now I am still being too wishy-washy with what I want to do and when I am going to do it.

But as for Alden's words...

make sure you remember and appreciate how you feel after completing a REV workout whether it be ABS, Legs, Arms or Cardio

This has been so true. I have always LOVED abs... even when I am straining to keep my legs up in the air and pull my hips off the floor while counting one alligator, two alligator... I am loving the feeling of calm and relaxation that completely overtakes my body. I sometimes even find myself yawning... not from boredom but relaxation.

And yesterday when I was walking up to the house after work, my calves were tight... not cramping or in pain but just nice and tight... as if to say, "Hello? Remember us? We are finally waking up again." At that point, I just needed to "put a smile on my face."

So here's to two days of changing my attitude... to waking up my brain and body... to remembering the good stuff.

Alden's Words of Inspiration...

Earlier this week, Janet started a Gator Patrol thread on the BB. It actually got a lot of responses. I guess there were more than just a few of us who missed them. In the past, Alden usually tried to post at the top of the thread after everyone had posted only this time THE MAN posted to quite a few individually. What a guy!

He is always right on the money with the right amount of praise, encouragement, advice and butt-kicking. And his one-liners aren't bad either... maybe not up to par with his swim buddy T but close. :)

For me this week, his advice was perfect...

CARRIE - love your honestly and your motivation! You know the drill now - it's all about routine and ENJOYING the routine - so as you start to get back into the REV swing of things, make sure you remember and appreciate how you feel after completing a REV workout whether it be ABS, Legs, Arms or Cardio...by remembering the positive you'll create an anchor that will only help you turn your single workout into a daily FIRED UP routine that you'll never want to miss...remember anyone, anytime can form a new habit - it just takes a little time and a whole lot of persistence.

Also - the one of the best things you mentioned is that you and your hubby are enjoying exercise TOGETHER - HOOYAH!

CHARLIE MIKE - ALDEN

And he was exactly right, too. It used to be FUN! I got such a high from exercising. I remember doing the stairs for my cardio and I would tell myself that I would start cooling down... only another great song would come on and I would have to do just one more. And revving... doing two or three (abs, arms, legs) was like nothing... the time passed so fast. And when DVD Alden would say, "Put a smile on your face" I couldn't help grinning like a damned Cheshire cat.

I need to get back to that point again. Right now it is still like work... where I have to PUSH myself to do it. And we all know that work is never any fun... time to change my attitude and start fresh.

I Finished It...

I finally sat down and read Force of Nature. I still don't know why it took me so long to delve into this book. I did enjoy it... was it one of my favorites, no. But it definitely wasn't near the bottom either. I liked Ric and Annie together. I liked that they were not perfect people. He wasn't this perfect action hero, in fact, Annie with no training could out-shoot him. And she was a big girl... the evil drug lord, Jr., kept referring to her as "double-wide". So I love this about Suz that she writes about real-looking people. They aren't all Barbie doll perfect and even her SEAL heroes are human with real emotions -- hello, does anyone remember Wildcard crying in the men's room over a girl?

As for Jules and Robin, I loved where she took this storyline. I never thought that I would like Robin. He was just a whiny sleaze in the previous book. How could Suz put him with someone strong like Jules. But Suz made it work and even more, she made me like Robin. Some people may be "sickened", "grossed out", "disgusted" by two men kissing and the alluding to them having sex... to them all I have to say is, get over your prejudices and deal with it. Suz writes about them in such a way that you don't focus on the fact that these are GAY men... you just see them as two men who happen to be in love... with each other.

Someone replied in my comments section on an earlier FON post that Suz picked Ric because while he had been introduced to the readers before he wasn't this major player. We didn't really know him and LOVE him. While he would be the primary storyline in FON, he wouldn't mind sharing the spotlight with Jules. I remember after reading Hot Target, that I was left disappointed. It was supposed to be Cosmo's book yet after reading it, there was too much going on with the storylines and the build-up for Jules that it felt like Cosmo got cheated (at least for me). This one had two involved, intertwined storylines and it worked for both of them and you didn't feel like this was a build-up to Ric and Annie's story that left you wanting more. All in all, another great read by Suz.

Now what to read next...

Our Weekend...

First to update, K3 was feeling much better although K1 came home from school on Friday and wasn't feeling good. He was passed out on the couch by 6:30p.m. and after a brief period of semi-alertness to get him to move to his bed continued to sleep until 7:00 a.m. the following morning. K2 also proved to be rather emotional and whiny Saturday evening which was justified when she woke up Sunday a.m. with the same thing. Now all 3 kids have had this 24 hour bug... that leaves just J and myself... oh joy!

Saturday afternoon we ended up driving to visit the in-laws. On Thursday I had put out an SOS to my MIL for clothing help. I still am not sure what K1 will be wearing to Homecoming but I know that I am NOT buying him a suit coat for $150-$225 (before sale price). Insane! Yes, Kohl's had them on sale for 50% off but that is still way too much too spend on a boy who is GROWING at an alarming rate. So we have all learned that if you want something bought and you don't mind if it is used call Mom. She has an uncanny knack for finding the best items at ridiculous prices at St. Vinnie's and Goodwill. When I go to Goodwill, it's all crap. However, she can walk out with the best pieces. She did not fail us this time either. She had called on Friday to say that she had found not 1, not 2 BUT 4 suit coats PLUS a suit. And all of this was done with just having K1's measurements. We had decided that it was worth our time and gas to drive up to see them and check out the treasures she had found.

Out of all that she bought only one item didn't fit... a black blazer that we were hoping for because K1 needs it for concert band performances this winter. As for the other items, there was only one that he didn't like... a black houndstooth blazer. The suit was a dark green and his first thought was "Green?" But once he tried it on, it looked rather sharp on him so he changed his mind about that one. The pants need to be let out just a bit which thankfully my MIL is a fantastic seamstress as well so that will be taken care of (just not in time for Homecoming). K1 ended up coming home with a navy suit coat and vest and a taupe one as well. Two to choose from for Homecoming. And the grand total for 3 items we took... $25!! I told you she has an uncanny talent for thrift shopping.

We spent Saturday night exchanging pics with my SIL. She got to see ours from Yellowstone and we finally got to sit and view hers from her trip to Europe when she met her hubby who is stationed overseas. Very cool pictures. Someday I would love to visit Europe but probably not with J. :) My SIL did so much in such the time they had and admitted to running through some stuff just in order to see it all. J is the type of person who has to stop and READ everything and examine it all. It would take us a week just to do one of the cities she visited. Maybe I will get my chance with the kids. K1 and K2 are both taking Latin. Their high school trip travels to Rome... maybe I will offer my chaperone services and at least get to see that small part of the world. Actually, if the kids do it in separate trips then J could chaperone one trip and I, the other. However, it could be K1 and K2 going together their senior and sophmore years respectively; in which case, J is screwed because I will be going.

Other than going to a vintage car show, we spent Sunday being completely lazy. Along with K2 who wasn't feeling well, I had a major headache and just wanted to lay down all day. We waited for mom to wake up (a 3rd shift worker), enjoyed another slice of her apple pie and then came home.

First Missed School Day...

My poor baby, K3, is home from school today... against her wishes. She was up most the night with a fever and a cough yet she still thought she could go to school today. Don't misunderstand... it's not that she loves school but she finally found one part of it to be excited about - BAND.

On Wednesday she received her instrument, the trombone. I don't think I will forget that day for awhile. Her bus pulled up in front of the house and didn't pull away right away like it normally does. I wondered what was taking so long so I peeked out. There was K3 trying to get down the bus steps with her backpack, her lunch bag and a HUGE black instrument case. I hurried outside thinking she would need help. When I called out, she lifted her head and had an enormous smile light up her face...eyes were sparkling... "No, that's okay. I have it."


Everyday since she has put it together multiple times and asked if she could practice... nevermind that she doesn't even know how to read a note or if she is holding it correctly. She loves her instrument and can't wait to start playing. This is why she is heartbroken at not being able to go to school today. Today was supposed to be her FIRST lesson... Wednesdays are full band rehearsals and Fridays are lesson days. I had to promise her to email her band teacher and ask if she can meet with him either before or after school or during recess on Monday or Tuesday.

Maybe now she will get some sleep... and mom, too.

First Year Reflections...

It has now been one year since I made the move to try to improve my health and weight. And while I had some success, I found myself reflecting back on my summer and its failures. While my summer was busy, hectic and yes, lots of fun (I can't forget that) it was also a step back on my road to fitness. I did good up until the beginning of July. Then it all seemed to fall apart from that point. I basically stopped exercising (my new bike sat in the garage unused). While I didn't resort back to my old eating habits, I wasn't as good as I should've been. I started drinking regular soda at restaurants. I was visiting Starbucks everyday which in itself isn't horrible except that along with my iced tea I was also getting bakery to go with it. Do you know how many calories are in a lemon bar? 440!! With 22g of fat!! I can't even admit to how many of those I ate in the month of July. So the fact that I put 10 lbs on this summer should really be no surprise. Actually it's surprising that I didn't put more back on.

However, another factor that I never really thought about until I was reading the Gator Patrol posts yesterday was the loss of computer time that I dealt with. You might think that spending less time on the computer might be a good thing, right? Less time sitting on your backside. BUT by not being on the computer I lost the support and encouragement of so many people. I was no longer posting on Gator Patrols (did they still do them this summer?) By being on the BB, I no longer had access to Alden's Fire Up speeches. I was no longer posting on the Revving for Life SparkTeam (which I am team leader of, I might add!) All of these things help in so many ways but I never realized their true impact.

I have tried (half-hearted) for so many years to lose weight --- really, it was more like talking about losing weight. It wasn't until I bought my bodyrev that I actually thought maybe this time I would do it. Then so many people on the BB had one and were using it (or saying they were using it). I was so terrified at first to even try it. What if I post that I am using it, going all out and then like everything else I tried, gave up and quit. How embarrassing would that be? So it was easier to NOT use it. But I had friends (bookpimp) who knew I owned it and would send me emails asking how it was going... or would get Mr. Bodyrev himself to do a shout out on the BB ("Congrats to Carrie for winning a Bodyrev at the silent auction in Atlanta.") This was even more embarrassing. People knew I had one and hadn't even tried it. So I bit the bullet and pulled it out of the box. Yep, it sat in the box for 2 months after I brought it home -- 2 months!

After I started using my BR, I had some other insecurity issues to overcome... mainly my embarrassment of exercising in front of my family. But they were the most supportive especially my girls (I think J was still waiting for me to quit like I had everything else). But the girls would comment on the changes (I can get my arms all the way around you for a hug.) or would ask me flat out... "Aren't you going to Bodyrev today? (That was K3, aka the Drill Sargent). And then the kicker... "I am so proud of you mama." My family was and has continued to be supportive.

But it was that other family... that family that I met on the BB that consisted of other bodyrevvers and fitness seekers. Every week, someone either Alden or one of the ladies would post a Fire Up or How are you Doin'? And people would post... successes, failures, strengths and weaknesses. If you had an awful crappy week, there were people in the same boat who encouraged you. If you had an awesome week, there were others there to cheer you on. No matter what the situation, support was there.

By spring the gator patrols were becoming less.... I mean after all this was an author's message board... did it bother others to have to read these posts. I don't know. But by this time I had found Sparkpeople. I was slowly getting into it... logging my food, my exercise, posting on message boards, joining Sparkteams. It was then that I decided to start a Bodyrev team on there to maybe lessen some of the posts from the BB. A few people joined and came over. And for awhile we were doing the same thing there that we did at the BB.... weekly encouragements... support... cheerleading.

But then I went AWOL from the computer (trying to fight 3 kids for the computer wasn't much fun and I gave in). It didn't seem to matter at the time... I was busy doing other things. But when I stopped logging my food, I stopped watching so closely what I was eating. When I stopped visiting SP and the BB and I stopped reading those weekly support sessions, it was too easy to give up on exercise. I didn't have to think about it... there was no one to remind me about it.

For awhile I was calling this summer a waste - hello, 10 lbs?!? After losing a total of 35 lbs? That was more than two steps back. But after reading a post on the Revving for Life team, I realized just how much that lack of support... those weekly check-ins... those people saying "I need some help."... had an effect on me. I could probably do this alone if I absolutely had to. But it would be so hard and seriously, in all honesty, I don't know that I would succeed. But with the support and encouragement of others who are going thru the exact same thing that you are... are having the same good days, bad days (weeks?)... it is so much easier. Just the fact that you are not alone has the power to help carry you along.

So know this... to those who during this past year who have offered support, encouragement, cheers... I thank you deeply from the bottom of my heart. I hope you know how much it has all meant to me... I realize that now even more. And to those of you who need help, who want to join me on this road to better health and feeling fit, know that I will be here for you. Just give a shout and I will be there.

We can do this together.

Speaking of Books...

Can I just put a plug in for a great book, Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. This book was one of the "in" books for bookclubs. I had noticed it a few times and thought it might be interesting but I was in no hurry to read it. I placed it on my wishlist on paperbackswap (I think I am 5oo and something in line to get it) and continued working my way thru other books.

It wasn't until one of the internet bookclubs I belong to on SP chose it as the September book that I really started to look for a copy. My position at the library was 85... definitely wouldn't have it this month. I decided to get it from Audible then I could listen to and from work each day. The only problem is that this book grabbed my attention (mainly due to the two narrators) and I found myself walking around the house with my mp3 player on.

I found myself absorbed in the story. I am not sure if it was the words or the readers who took me straight to circus grounds. I could smell the horses as the train raced down the track headed to its next destination. The sounds of organized chaos surrounded me as the tents were being set up in anticipation for that night's show. And I could feel Jacob's heartache, confusion and anger as he tries to figure it all out that summer spent with the circus. As for Jacob at 93, it made me think about our families that we dump in nursing homes and honor them with our Sunday visits. Isn't that wonderful of us? What is their life like those other 6 days while we are so busy living our lives? Jacob at 93 made me laugh, cry and cheer him on.

I really loved this book...

From the Publisher:
An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of Riding Lessons.

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.

Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

I Finally Started It...

Suzanne Brockmann's latest book, Force of Nature, was due to be released while we would be on vacation. How was I supposed to find the book in tiny little West Yellowstone, MT (pop. 1100). Did the town even have a bookstore. Actually, it did... a quaint little one with a coffee bar in the back. If I couldn't buy the book on its release date then the only alternative was to have it waiting for me when I came home. I ordered it thru Suz's virutal signing and resigned myself to waiting til I got home.

We arrived home on the 19th and when I went to the post office to grab our mail... there it was... my very own - autographed - copy of Force of Nature... complete with Reader's Guide. It was tempting but I was in the middle of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series so I decided to finish that off before starting FON. Within a week I had completed that series but instead of picking up FON I started in on a different book... then another... and yet another. I'm not sure why but I just couldn't seem to pick FON up and start it.

I didn't read any of the posts on the BB about the book... primarily to avoid spoilers (though it never seemed to bother me before) and also I was rarely on the BB this summer. Because of my avoidance, I had no preconceived ideas about it... I didn't know who liked, who loved it, who hated it (is there anybody?) More recently I've picked up little tidbits here and there from posts on the BB.

But still, I just couldn't seem to pick it up and read it. The only thing that I can think of that made me hesitate each time I went to pick it up is the fact that I didn't know either of these characters (yes, yes, I know.... we've met Ric before... for about 5 minutes many books ago). And anyone reading this post and who has never read Suz is probably thinking... "So what? Do you always know the characters before reading a book?" Normally, no. However, this is Suz... she writes an on-going series involving US Navy SEALs, an FBI Counter-Terrorism group and Troubleshooters, a private security contractor. There is almost always a build-up to someone before they get their HEA (Happily Ever After)... gawd, some of these guys have to wait up to 6 books before getting their story. So with all the characters Suz has running around in her head, why - WHY - did she pick two virutally unknown characters to base her book on? I'm not sure... maybe I will know more after actually reading the book.

Now just because the two main characters are unknowns doesn't mean that we don't get to see familiar faces. Jules, the FBI agent, has a secondary (?) storyline. And other well known characters make appearances. So it's not like going to a party where I won't know anyone... there will be familiar faces to catch up with.

After reading about 6 pages the other night, I forced myself to start in on it today. K2 and I stopped at Starbucks on our way to the library and spent 45 minutes drinking Iced Vanilla Chai lattes and reading (she has started in on The Silenced and is LOVING it!). I am slowly getting into the story... although it has that "we need to pretend we're a couple to infiltrate the evil mobster's compound" (I should've posted that on the BB today under the discussion of storylines that turn us off.) Maybe this is another reason that I have been hesitant to pick it up.

Well, whatever the reason for my delayed start, I have finally begun and will continue reading it til it is done. Normally, it would take me a day (at most 2 days) to read a Suz book... this one I am not so sure how long it will take.

But shhhh! Don't tell anyone from the BB... they may take away my posting privileges. I am probably one of the few - the only? - who has not read the book. I am off to read....

How Far Would You go to Acheive Your Dream?

This one is for K2 who posted this on her Yahoo 360 page...




K2 desperately wanted me to watch this video on YouTube. She said it is bittersweet. I have to admit... I watched it the first time and didn't get it... maybe I was just tired (yeah, right). A 12 year old took pity on her old mom and explained it to me... Kiwi wants to fly but can't. So he nails trees to the side of the cliff and when he feels like he has enough, he jumps off the cliff and freefalls. What's with the trees? According to K2, they are there so it feels like he is really flying thru the trees. But eventually he will go SPLAT, right? Yes, but first he will have flown. You're happy for him but at the same time you're sad because he dies.

A little extreme? Maybe but what she got out of it... is that if you don't try, you won't acheive.

So how far are you willing to go?

Fall and football... a new experience...

So we are not big sports fans in this house.

I have friends who can probably list the entire team roster of their football teams professional and college. I have to read their football lingo emails numerous times to figure out what the heck they are saying.

However, now that we have a child in high school we have been introduced to the high school football scene. Friday night K1 informed me an hour before kick-off and 10 minutes before we were to sit down for dinner that he was going to the game... B'East was playing Central, a famous town rivalry. He said the it was a "red out" and needed to dress in all red. The kid came out of his room in a red t-shirt and dark red shorts... not exactly a fashion plate but it was 50 degrees out! I kept asking... "Are you sure you don't want a sweatshirt? Or at least wear jeans." His reply, "It's okay, mom. I'll probably have my shirt off after awhile anyway." Well, at least he would still be colorcoded... because his chest would be red from the cold weather. K1 had a great time at the game despite a huge loss.

The main thing that will drive me to the football games this year however the marching band. While K1 has been in band since the 4th grade, this is his first year in real marching band (the middle school had 1 performance a year at the Memorial Day parade). K1 has had a renewed interest in band since school started. Hell, I have even seen him practice his instrument. I hadn't seen K1 practice in 3 years. He hated band in middle school... primarily because of the band teacher. We had begged and pleaded for him to stay with it... his dad, a former marching band brat, told him how much fun marching band and pep band would be. He listened to us... reluctantly. And look at that... his parents were actually right for once. ;)

His first performance will come at the end of the month when hopefully our football team will be back at their home field. At the end of August, the day before the first football game, some idiots took an SUV and did donuts in from one end of the field to the other. And as if this wasn't bad enough, it had rained for days beforehand so the field was wet making it easier to dig 10 inch ruts into it.


The damage was so extensive that it could not be fixed by our normal grounds crew and professionals had to be called in. It is hoped that the field will be ready for the next game set for September 28th, which just happens to be Homecoming.... seems kinda appropriate.

So even though I haven't seen any marching band performances yet, a friend sent links to her son's marching band. They are awesome and I thought I would share them. It is getting me "in the mood".

Are you ready for some football?

When the Weather Turns Cold...

BAKE!

I am not normally a baker... never enjoyed it much. Well, it was more or less the cleaning up afterward that I hated. However, it turned a bit fall-like this weekend and I will NOT turn the funace on in September. So the girls and I did some baking... much to J's amazement (they were real, from scratch... not "plastic" cookies).

K3 made flourless peanut butter cookies. This was my suggestion because I HATE cookies that are hard and PB cookies almost always seem that way. However, years ago I had found a flourless PB cookie recipe that was so incredibly soft... they were yummy! The recipe we used today wasn't quite it but they were still good! (Not that I really need to be eating any!) Then while K3 and I ran to the grocery store for more supplies, K2 made a pan of brownies. Then while I had a pot roast in the oven, K2 and I mixed up a batch of Ranger cookie dough, which then got baked during dinner.

So now after trying to be so good.. I have cookies, brownies and more cookies in the house!

Oh, and just a side note... the comment from the girls regarding the Ranger cookies... "They're good... not as good as Grandma's, but still good." :)


Recipes came from allrecipes.com...

**************************************************


Ranger Cookies

SUBMITTED BY: Karen Davenport

"This is an old recipe from the 20's and 30's."

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 eggs (changed to 3) *
  
• 2 cups crisp rice cereal
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 C. milk *

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Cream shortening, add sugar gradually. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy.
3. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder together and mix with the first mixture. Add oatmeal, rice cereal, and coconut. Mix well.
4. Drop by tablespoons on slightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes.

** The ingredients with (*) were not in the original recipe but were added due to comments placed on the recipe page. **

***********************************************************


Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

SUBMITTED BY: Stephanie T.

"Heavy, yummy, and very peanut-buttery. You'll need lots of milk to eat these!! "

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar * (altered to 1/2 white, 1/2 brown)
  
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla *
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Combine ingredients and drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool. Recipe doesn't make very many, so you could double recipe as you desire.

** The ingredients with (*) were not in the original recipe but were added due to comments placed on the recipe page. **

And Because I've Did Good This Week....

Okay... I didn't have the chocolate ice cream but I figured I deserved some dessert... so here it is...

Back on Track...

So I set a goal of doing Essential Abs 4X this week... and duh duh da dum.... I DID IT!!! Okay... so big deal, right? That's not that much and I WAS doing so much more before. The point is that I set a goal for myself this week and did it... plus, this is the most I've exercised in weeks... err, no... try months!! Besides, the revving I also managed a couple of walks, some time on the stationary bike and rowing machine at work as well.

This week I will redefine my goals and add something else to the mix... not sure yet but I will have it ready for the Revving for Life post at Sparkpeople on Monday. So now it's time to go celebrate... a great big dish of chocolate ice cream sounds about right.

Just kidding!

We Will Not Be Silent

Today the girls and I went to B&N to hear a realtively new author promote his YA book. James DeVita is a local (as in Wisconsin) author/actor/playwright. His new book, The Silenced, is about Marena, a girl who lives in a dystopian society. In Marena's world, the Zero Tolerance Party came into power after the Millenium War to make the people safe again. They had to take away most civil liberties and freedoms in order to accomplish this but at least the people would be safe. However, once society was "safe" again, the freedoms were not given back to the people.

Mr. Devita actually spent most of his time today talking about his inspriation for the book, Sophie Scholl. She (and I must admit that I had never heard of her before today) was a leader of The White Rose, a non-violent student resistance group in Nazi Germany who opposed Hitler's Third Reich. The members of the White Rose, including Sophie and her brother, Hans, distributed leaflets between June 1942 and February 1943. They were eventually caught, tried and executed by beheading -- all for distributing leaflets.

I plan to read this book as well. While it is a YA book, I think it is something that everyone can learn something from. K2 has read an enjoyed many books with similiar themes... The Giver by Lois Lowery, The Shadow Children series by Margaret Petersen Haddix and Cliff McNish's, Silver Series, which is why I thought of her when I first saw this book. She was interested in the book but her interest definitely grew after listening to Mr. DeVita talk today. I will post my thoughts on the book after I finish it.

Here's the trailer that was created for the book...

Trying to get back into the rhythm...

After a very dismal summer of falling off the fitness wagon, I am trying to find my way back. All summer long I had all sorts of excuses... mostly it was a lack of time. I told myself once school started again, I would be back to a schedule and it would be easy to start up again.

So starting today, I am trying to get back into a rhythm.. a groove. This morning I was up at 5:30 helping the first of the 3 kids get off to school. I told myself that I needed to keep the promise to myself. So I pulled out my Essential Abs DVD and did the Beginner segment... beginner?? how sad is that??? There were some that my legs were cramping so bad... on exercises that used to be so easy!! I'll pay for that. I had plans to do a 20 minute segment of Walk Away the Pounds but my son missed his bus this a.m. (mostly because he didn't know what time it was coming nor where his stop was) so I had to squeeze in a trip to the high school.

Idid manage to arrive at work 15 minutes early however so that means that I was able to take a 15 minute break and head down to the fitness room. Fifteen minutes on the stationary bike might not seem like much but it still felt good.

Then tonight after chasing around for last minute school supplies... oboe reeds, latin dictionary, binders and calculator (can you say $100?!?!?!)... J and I headed outside and walked. It was hot... It was wet and muggy... and the mosquitoes are out in full force! But we walked... 45 minutes. So I got some cardio in today and it feels good!

I promised myself that I wasn't going to put the weight back on... I promised myself... but this summer the scale did start to creep up a bit... nothing insurmountable... but still, I can't let that continue.

The body obeys the brain, right? Now I just need to make the brain understand that we can do this.

First Day of School

Finally summer is over and the kids are back in school... however, it was a very strange first day for us....

K1 woke up easily this a.m. and the first words out of his mouth were... "Welcome to the first day of hell." Ummm... this didn't look good. He's a freshman this year and he seemed to be excited about high school this summer. What would the day bring? Well, he came home from school and was pumped up. Said it was going to be a great year... he had so many friends and apparently quite a few are upperclassmen (it helped that he took his PE class this summer - thanks, mom!). A good day for him!

K2 should've missed her first day back but she begged us to send her. She had a fever last night and it was still a little elevated this a.m. but she didn't want to miss the first day so I sent her. She came home and immediately CRASHED on the couch. By crashed, I mean she literally fell onto the sofa and was fast asleep for 2 hours. I didn't take her temp but she was hot. I have her on tylenol and warned her that if she still had the fever tomorrow, she was going to miss school. We will see what happens tomorrow.

As for K3... she does not want to go to school, she finds it boring. I made her promise that she would tell me one good thing about the day when she came home. Her good thing... a girl that she dislikes was supposed to be in her class and isn't now. Ummm... anything else??? "Nope." Need to work on this one...

As for me, I can't wait til we are back in the routine although today went off fairly easily. Here's to tomorrow.

Reading...

While I haven't seemed to find the time for much else... my house is a disaster right now and has been for months! I have made time for reading. I make sure that I get at least an hour at bedtime to help wind me down.

Teenage Vamps
Right now I am reading Stephenie Meyer's vampire series. It started with Twilight, next came New Moon and I am currently on the latest, Eclipse. This is categorized as a Young Adult book series about a young girl, Bella, (17) and her boyfriend, Edward, who just happens to be a vampire. No synthetic blood for this vamp however, he and his family are a peaceful sort who try to rely on animal blood rather than human.


I started reading this series to see if it would be appropriate for K2. She is 12 and mentioned it. The material is definitely mild enough for her. However, unlike her mom, romances are not her preferred genre and she will probably wait a year of two before venturing into this series. I, on the other hand, love it.

Historical Romances
Shortly before I left on vacation, a friend... a certain book pimp we all know and love, sent me a historical romance... told me to give it a try. She knows that I recently just started reading them again after not having been able to for quite a long time. My complaint was that they were all the same, boring, no sex and the women were generally WEAK! Well, Ms. Book Pimp said to try it and if I liked it there were 7 more in the series. This book was The Duke and I by Julia Quinn, the first in the Bridgerton Family series. I took along with me last month on my way to a family wedding in MN. I was so hooked that I read well into the night and again in the morning while the kids swam. Lucky for me our hotel had a skywalk to a small mall that had a Barnes and Noble. I bought the next book, The Viscount Who Loved Me, and had to stop myself from buying the third in the series. However, when I got home that Sunday, I immediately went to my Paperbackswap account and put in requests for the next 6 in the series. The only bad news is that I didn't have any of them before I left on our vacation so I suffered thru some slightly disappointing paranormal books. However, when I got home all but one had arrived (in fact, that one was lost in the mail I have never received it but read the library copy instead). I zoomed thru this series and loved it! Not all were great but all were definitely enjoyable and some were even pretty hot and spicy for a historical. But mostly, I found that Julia Quinn writes with a sense of humor. I really enjoyed her writings. So if anyone wants to recommend any other books of hers, please do!





Yellowstone Reading
Also, while in Yellowstone I discovered some other books fiction and non-fiction that I needed to add to my TBR pile. The non-fiction, Lost in my own Backyard, was written by Tim Cahill. This was a very short, very easy to read book on some of the trails both main and in the backcountry that he has hiked. It was fun to read his interpretation of them and it made me want to go back and try some backcountry hiking next time.


The other Yellowstone fiction I mentioned is by C.J. Box. His series' main character is Joe Pickett, a Wyoming Gamewarden. In his latest, Free Fire, a murder is committed in Yellowstone Park. However, the murderer is going to walk free due to a loophole. It sounds interesting enough to grab my interest. I am just trying to decided if I should start with this one or go back and start with book one in the series.

It's getting late and I need to get my reading in before bed... it's the only "Me Time" I have been getting. Night!

Summer Comes to an End...

Labor Day... even though fall isn't here for another 16 days or so... this day usually signifies the end of summer. Definitely for us anyway... as tomorrow is the first day of school. YEAH! (Shhh... don't tell my kids I said that!).

This summer went so fast! We had a big vacation, and little side trips. We had scout camps and scout weekend trips. We suffered thru summer school and softball... And doctor visits... mainly K1 and I (multiple trips each!). I don't know how but it went FAST!

I think that this being my first summer working days had a huge impact on that! It just seemed like there was never enough time this summer. I am hoping to get some of that time back now that the kids are in school. I will be getting up 2.5 hours earlier than I did all summer (5:00 a.m.) so hopefully I can get my fitness program back on track! And now that the kids will have homework, maybe I won't have to fight them so hard for computer time (yeah, right... now they will use homework as an excuse for being on it.)

We will see how it goes but I am thinking positive thoughts for Fall!

Last Days of Vacation

Don't know how the time slipped away but just visited my blog and realized that I never wrapped up the last days of our vacation. After we left Yellowstone, we drove thru the Bighorn Mountains... saw beautiful scenery and waterfalls (Angel Falls, specifically). We then spent the night in Gillette, WY.



The next day we were out early and headed for Devil's Tower. It was an incredible sight to see but you definitely don't need more than a couple of hours to see it. We did a Ranger walk and talk and then were on our way. We then drove the rest of the day until we stopped at a rest area just before Rochester, MN at 1:00 a.m. We pulled in for the night to get some sleep. However, it rained and rained and RAINED all night long.


The next morning after stopping for breakfast in Rochester, we tried taking the country roads across to Winona to visit J's Grandma. The only problem is that we were unaware that the area received 8, 10 and more inches of rain... and this is a river valley area. Homes and roads were flooded out. After an hour and a half (of what should've been a 30 minute drive), we finally made it to Gram's. We spent the afternoon picking apples, enjoyed lunch and were then on our way home. A very nice way to end our vacation.

All Good Things Must Come to an End…

Our vacation is winding down and our time at Yellowstone has come to an end. Our long trip home has now begun. It’s hard to believe that we spent ten days here (although one of those was spent at Grand Teton National Park).

I’ve always told people that I’ve been to Yellowstone when I was a child. And while it may be true that I have been to Yellowstone before… I had never SEEN Yellowstone. All I remember from that trip was seeing Old Faithful and some black bears that had lined the road looking for handouts. This trip however I can honestly say I SAW Yellowstone. Yet it feels like we barely scratched the surface.

Hydrothermal Features
We did see Old Faithful this time and actually watched it erupt three times from different locations in the area. But we also walked miles of boardwalks and saw not only geysers, large and small, but also brilliant hot springs, smelly fumaroles (steam vents) and spurting mud pots. We walked with rangers to learn more about these fascinating geological features… how did they form? Why are they here? And how have they changed?

One of our ranger walks even took us on a 3-mile hike into the backcountry to view more of these intriguing marvels of nature. It was on this hike that we got to see the “Mother of all Mud pots”. It was huge! Only 300 people a year go on this hike out of the millions that visit the park… and we were 5 of those.


Hiking
We hiked Yellowstone! Sometimes those hikes were with a ranger and sometimes we were on our own. We did easy, short hikes that barely changed elevation and we did longer, more strenuous hikes where we climbed 500, 600 and 1300 feet. One of our ranger hikes led us back to Mystic Falls and then up to Observation Point – a climb of 500 ft in less than a mile (although the total distance for the hike was 3 miles). From the top we could look down upon the entire Old Faithful valley and see the multiple areas of steaming geysers.


We also did another ranger hike on the Beaver Ponds trail (5 miles… 600 ft elevation gain…4.5 hours). This hike led us back to hidden ponds created by beavers damming up a tiny creek. Ranger Debbie taught us so much about the local wildflowers and how to tell which animals had visited the area. She had spotted some bird tracks and had the kids help decipher which bird had left them. The general consensus was that a sand hill crane had recently been in the area. We were proven correct in less than 100 feet when two very large sand hill cranes took to the air and flew right over our heads. Ranger Debbie also found some interesting scat just off the trail. From them we were able to determine that a bear and a coyote had recently been in the area. (A momma bear and her two cubs were known to reside in this section of forest and we most definitely did not want to run into her).

We also did some hiking on our own. One of our first days in the park we hiked Storm Point Trail… a 2 mile loop that started in a meadow, led us back to Yellowstone Lake and thru a wooded area back to the meadow. We ran into a small problem on this hike… a herd of buffies were occupying the meadow and one big Daddy Buffy was standing not far from the trail (definitely less than the required 25 yards). We halted and waited and waited some more… finally Big Daddy plopped himself down and made himself comfortable. We decided to take advantage of that and went on our merry way… I never was sure if it was safer with him lying down or if we were just stupid.


On one of our more impressive hikes, we climbed to the top of Bunsen’s Peak. This was a 5-mile roundtrip hike that had us climbing 1300 ft in 2 miles. Whew! Talk about a workout! We went thru quite a bit of water on that hike. When we made it to the top we had a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. We were able to see Mammoth hot Springs and valleys and mountain peaks. It was an incredible sight! At the top we ate a snack of granola bars and beef jerky. The kids had a blast watching a couple of golden-mantled ground squirrels (bigger, fatter chipmunks). They tried begging for food but we were good and didn’t even leave them a crumb. It was hard for the kids to do since they were so cute. After our snack, we headed the quicker, easier, faster way down.



Wildlife
While there was some wildlife that we never saw… grizzly, big horn sheep, moose… we still saw so much more. We had barely been in the park 30 minutes before we were seeing pronghorns, buffies and a big bull elk. Over the course of our visit we saw more buffies and elk, coyotes (3), black bears (2), sand hill cranes (a few but 2 extremely close), a bald eagle, wolves (though distant in Hayden Valley) and an osprey that dove into the river and actually came up with a fish.


The Food
I have to admit that we ate so much better on our CA vacation. However, I am rather proud of us for the fact that we didn’t eat out all the time. Breakfasts were generally eaten at the hotel (nothing fabulous…your standard cereals, juices, bagels, waffles and frozen pancakes). Once we ate at a local restaurant for breakfast… the day we climbed Bunsen’s Peak we wanted to be sure we had a full hearty breakfast. Then 3 times we had to endure egg mcmuffins at McDonald’s (hotel breakfast didn’t start til 7:00 and those days we were on the road before then).

Most of our lunches were eaten as picnics in the park. These consisted of sandwiches, cheese and crackers, carrots, pudding, sausage sticks, beef jerky, Pringles (occasionally) and apples (at 65 cents a piece!). There were two days when we ate lunch at restaurants in the park. Once at a Soda Fountain/50’s Diner at Canyon Village and once at the Old Faithful Inn. The food at the Inn does not even compare to the Awahnee of Yosemite (though the Inn is cheaper!) but it was still quite an experience. The Inn is a grand old building with such a great history.


As for dinner we only ate at restaurants three times… once at a local bar-b-que place and twice at a local pizza place. If you are ever in West Yellowstone, MT you have to eat at Pete’s Rocky Mountain Pizza Co. It is fantastic! However, we recommend carryout or delivery unless you don’t mind the wait for a table (well worth it). We just wished we had discovered it sooner.

As for dinners the other nights of our stay, we ate in our hotel room… have electric fry pan and you can do a lot. We made chicken fajitas, tacos, sloppy joes, hamburgers, brats and chilidogs and chicken fettuccini. As for dessert there was always ice cream. Our favorite stop was ordering our ice cream in Mammoth (3 times) and sitting on the front steps… relaxing, enjoying each other’s company and people watching.

As for beverages, sometimes we drank a little Propel… sometimes we drank a little soda… but for the most part we LIVED on water. We filled 4 liter bottles each day and went thru them and more on most days.

Wildfires

An experience that we knew was a possibility but were hoping to avoid was fire. During our stay there have been a few fires burning in or near Yellowstone. During our horseback ride we saw heavy smoke to the north from one. Then during our drive on the western edges of Yellowstone Lake we could see the smoke from another smaller fire (Promontory) but that one seemed to be contained within a small peninsula. There was another smaller fire burning in the southeastern part of the park (Beaver Dam) and then there was the Columbine fire… which at last counts has burned 18,500 acres. This fire hasn’t threatened any populated areas of the park although the east entrance was closed for safety reasons. The biggest effect we suffered from it was hazy views and heavier, smokier air. Hopefully, with the rain and cooler temps forecasted, the firefighters will get this one contained soon.

As I sit in a hotel room in Gillette, MT writing this, it is all too apparent that our vacation is winding down and coming to an end. We had a great time in Yellowstone… but this is not good-bye for us… it is “til we meet again”. We know that we will be back someday… maybe not all together but we will be back. I just hope that someday our kids will come back with their kids and sit on the steps at Mammoth eating ice cream and tell stories of their first visit to Yellowstone.
And they will have stories to tell… because we made sure that they SAW Yellowstone.