Random Updates for September

It's that time again...time for me to get all of you up to speed on a few things. ;)

So for starters, I'm only 3 pounds away from my goal weight!! :D  It's been a long haul, with a lot of trial and error, but I'm finally to the point where I really see a difference (and don't cringe every time I see a picture of myself). ;)

I was hoping to reach goal weight this last week, but I actually went up .4 instead of losing.  That might or might not have something to do with the platter of popcorn shrimp and fries I shared with one of my daughters on Sunday...and the Sonic burger I had the night before weigh-in day. :}

Anyway, I'm getting there.  I think the most important thing I've learned over the past few months is to not beat myself up when I have a setback, but to shrug it off and move on.  I'm also allowing myself a few indulgences every once in a while, which is the thing I really love about Weight Watchers.  Using the points system, you can plan for any food you want (within reason, of course, and perhaps in smaller quantities than you would like, but still...). ;)

Once I've reached goal weight, I'd like to figure out a way to show you guys the difference without showing my face.  There are some bloggers who take a picture holding an open book in front of their face, so I might try something like that.  We'll see. ;)

I recently took a bit of a "media hiatus", taking a break from movies, TV, and YouTube (anyone else here end up on YouTube rabbit trails that end up lasting for hours?). :}  It was a good time to reevaluate my priorities and make sure I wasn't wasting all of my time.  One thing I'm trying to work on this month is setting aside time for my devotions every day.  With the early mornings and travel back and forth of school days, I'm finding that carving out that special time is getting harder and harder.  It's so important, though.  I see such a difference in my life and my children's lives when we're in the Word daily.  One of the reasons I took my hiatus was to help me make time for my Bible reading.  I haven't perfected it yet, but it's getting better. :}

In other news, my birthday is a week from Friday!  My mom's birthday is tomorrow, and my aunt's birthday is coming up in November.  To celebrate, the three of us are planning a weekend shopping trip sometime in mid-October.  A kid-free shopping trip, no less! :D  It's pretty likely that this trip will include a stop at a Disney Store, if not more than one!  As you can imagine, I'm super excited about that and already have a list of things I'd like to look for (thank you, eBay sales!!). :D

We actually came really close to going up to Seattle this past week, which would have included my first trip ever to an American Girl Place.  Unfortunately, even though we'd been planning it since mid-July, there were just a few too many things that came up for all three of us that made us unable to go.  Maybe next year! ;)  And for now, we have our smaller trip that will help make up for it. :)

Let's see, was there anything else?  Oh, I got over 1,000 words typed on my story this past week.  It's the first time I've made myself sit down and consciously work on it in a few months, so that was a big accomplishment. :)  I'm falling in love with my characters all over again, and can't wait to introduce them to the world.  It's hard to be patient.  I'd love to give all of you a detailed synopsis, but I know that it will be much sweeter to wait until the story is ripe and ready for everyone to see it. :)  I'll be sure to keep you posted on any updates.  My short-term goals are to get the first book's rough draft finished within the next few months and to attend a writer's conference this March (or April...I can't remember which!).  As always, I'm so thankful for my local writing group that has provided so much encouragement throughout this project.

I have several posts that I'm still trying to work through, so you should see a lot of reviews coming up.  Also, Emma wanted me to apologize for the fact that she has not gotten a post up yet on Jane Austen and Unicorns.  Although really, I should be the one apologizing.  Between my eBay sales and tearing the house apart to rearrange my daughters' rooms, Emma and the others haven't had much of a chance to get to the computer. ;)

I guess that's about all for now.  Thank you for all of the pageviews and followers.  It amazes me every time I come on here and see the numbers increasing.  I've really enjoyed all of the emails I've been getting, too.  You guys make my day! :D

Talk to all of you again soon. :)