Matching Pants

I moved into an amazing house three years ago.
Best thing I ever did! I love these girls.

2008

2009

2010

My Dad

I love my Dad. I love him for lots of reasons. Here are a few...

He is patient.

He is an optimist.

He never gives up.

He is a good provider.

He taught me to love sci-fi.

He laughs when he is in pain.

He can fix just about anything.

He taught me how to shoot a gun.

He spends 10 minutes texting me two sentences.

He is and always will be one of my very best friends.

Oh... and he taught me that oatmeal is best eaten with melted chocolate chips, waffles are better with ice cream and tapioca pudding is great if you like eating "Spider eyes".

Results

I completed the Crystal City 5K Friday on April 15th.

Check out my time. I'm so SLOW!!!

Favorites

This is a picture from my most recent birthday. It shocks me to recognize the fact that I turned 34 this year. Can you believe it? I can't.

But....this post is not about my denial, it is about my favorite people. I guess somewhere in the past ten years I've decided that it is okay to have favorites (as long as I try to be kind to everyone). It just seems natural that you can't be best friends with everyone. Certain people kind of sneak in at pivotal points in my life and I just love them for it. I've learned that I have a guarded personality, but if you make it past my first line of defense - I actually will open up.

Everyone in this picture is a favorite - each individual has a special place in my heart for a specific reason. This year was the best birthday yet! All I wanted was a group picture and lots of hugs, but I got a few presents too.

Just so you know, I have a lot of favorite people that are not pictured here....but hopefully - you know who you are and that I love you!

Boot Camp

It seems that ever since I had my 24th birthday I have been slowly and consistently gaining weight and getting lazy. Sometimes I feel that it is my right. I'm an adult, if I want to follow that path, I know no one will stop me. I like to sleep in. I like to eat out. I like to watch movies. I like to make and eat baked goods. Problem is - I'd also like to be able to walk up a flight of stairs with out breathing hard!! and somewhere inside of me I really do believe that I should take care of my body.

Last year I decided that I would start running. Spring of 2010 - I knew there needed to be a plan - so I walked and walked and walked....then I tried to jog (but often ended up walking) one of my awesome roommates often offered to come along and was a great cheerleader. I found that I do not self-motivate. I do better when someone is watching. I push myself and try harder. I started having more energy and I slept better at night. The system seemed to be working and I felt great.

Then it got cold - and I stopped - everything I had started.

Feb 3rd, Living Social offered a month of Boot Camp Exercise Classes for $25. The class is 45 minutes and starts at 5:15 AM - Monday thru Friday. I think it would be a great way to get back on that horse - you know the one I fell off of in the fall? Seems like a good deal right?

Well the class is full of skinny, toned girls. They can do push ups, sit ups, run the stairs and do a million reps with out slowing down. I can honestly say that it intimidates me. I may also admit that I get discouraged that I can't seem to do a fraction of what everyone in the room is doing and that after 3 classes, I was sure that I would quit. But, the very best part is - that I also think it is funny. Funny that I can't even do one push up or one sit up. Funny that my arms are burning after 5 reps and funny that I have to move out of the way on the stairs so I don't get run over.

Now ask me why would I share this internal drama with my friends? I'd like you to hold me to my commitment. I signed up for three months of this torture - March, April and May. My teacher promises that I will see progress if I do my best during every class. So please, ask me how it is going and when I tell you how horrible it is, give me a hug and tell me I can do it!

Food is Love

I learned a great truth from my Mamaw as a little girl. Basically is boils down to the simple statement - Food is Love. This always leads me in two different directions. One - If you love someone, you will feed them. (Whether they are hungry or not.) And two - If someone loves you, they will love the food you cook. I know if your last name isn't Rentzel you might not understand this, but trust me, it is true.

My Mamaw was born in 1925 and grew up in Glades, PA. She is a strong, giving and loving woman, rich with opinions and traditions. She is also one of the best cooks in my life. Some of my favorite dishes she makes are - Hog Maw, Chicken Cacciatore, Fried Livers & Mashed Potatoes, Red Beets w/Eggs, Potato Salad, Lemon Sponge Pie, Chocolate Cake w/Peanut Butter Icing, Chocolate Peanut Butter Easter Eggs, and Poof (Watergate Salad).

This past Christmas she kept telling me how much she liked my new shoes..... so I bought her a pair to match! She asked me if a "Grandma can wear silver shoes with sparkles?" and I replied that they can wear whatever they choose.

I love her so much and I'm so blessed to have her in my life. The silver shoes look good. Right?

Loopholes

This year instead of making multiple New Year resolutions I decided to make monthly goals instead. My January goals were not to drink soda and not to watch any TV shows. The "No TV Shows" was an excellent goal. Sometimes I waste my brain watching to much TV and it made sense to me to get that impulse under control. But to stop drinking soda for a month is just a crazy, seriously ridiculous goal. Why would I want to do that??? Well turns out I really didn't want to - so check out my loopholes.

1 - I had several bottles of sparkling apple juice because it is not soda, it is juice that just happens to have carbonation. Really it was "premium quality 100% juice from U.S. grown fresh apples, with no concentrates, no added water, no preservatives, no sweeteners and no additives of any kind".

2 - One cup (plus a refill) of "Orange Drink". Yes - Not Soda - definitely in the same family as punch and really, punch is not soda.

3 - Two bottles of single serve Kool Aid. Once again, punch, not soda.

4 - One big glass of lemonade. I took a vote among the roommates and they all voted that lemonade would never be considered soda.

I'm going to have to make February a little tighter - less room for any possible loopholes.

Wish me luck!