Another First

When was the last time you had a HUGE smile on your face as you were trying on clothes?
Hmmmmm....yesterday!

After church, Dan and I just wanted to do some dreaming and have some fun. All my clothes are pretty big on me, so I've had to come up with some creative ways of 're-inventing" old outfits. I don't really want to spend a lot of money on clothes because I'm not staying in one size for very long. However, since I haven't bought a lot, I haven't really been sure what size I was at.

I haven't been able to shop at a regular department store in a couple of years. Okay, let's be real...probably the last ten years. Not even the plus size section in a department store. I had "moved on" to the extended sizes of the specialty shops. So it was a big deal yesterday when he asked me where I wanted to go try on clothes at, and I said, "Macy's." (Side note: I actually said Dillard's first, but we ended up going to Macy's. Totally not important...just free information.)

So, we went to the plus size section and I started picking up items. I chose a size that I didn't think I would be able to fit into, and...you know where this is going...all but two items fit! You have know idea how excited I was. I could not get the smile off of my face in that fitting room!

Another first, indeed!

(For perspective's sake, I'll just say that the last time I wore that size was circa 1996. Whoa.)

A First

Back in June, I joined a program called Slim 4 Life to lose weight. In Texas, I think they are primarily in the DFW area, but they are in other states as well.
I am not gonna lie, the program is hard. And costs money. In fact, I'm sure I would have probably quit already if I didn't have a "vested interest" in seeing it through.
But it works.
Of all the diets I have started and stopped, I have probably lost about 1000 pounds. But for the first time ever in my life, I have lost 50 consecutive pounds since June. Of course, there were days that I gained a couple of ounces here, or gained a pound there, but it always came back off.
I am so thankful for this opportunity. Every day I wonder why I didn't start and stick to something sooner. I think of all the time that I wasted being miserable. Don't get me wrong...I'm not finished. I still have quite a bit more to get to my goal, but every milestone is worth celebrating.
If you are miserable, don't wait anymore. Don't waste anymore time. I don't care if it's Slim 4 Life or Weight Watchers or Curves or counting calories on your iPhone or walking every day or whatever it is. It doesn't matter. Just do it. Today.
The results you see won't only be in your body, but also in the way you see things, the way you respond to problems, and the realization of the way you cling to things that "comfort" you.
It's a wild ride.
Well worth it.

Here are a couple of pictures. I'm just gonna first say that I H.A.T.E. the first picture. Not just because it's the "before" picture, but seriously, the only good thing about that picture of me were the three other people I cut out of it when I cropped it. Just saying.

After all that....

I dropped the choir class. :)

Evidently, I unknowingly did the process backwards. You are supposed to audition openly for one of the two choirs they have on campus. They choose which choir you will be in for the semester, then you add that choir class to your schedule.

I chose the class that fit into my schedule and went to the audition thinking that I was auditioning for that choir alone.

They chose to put me in the choir that did not fit into my schedule.

I sent a very nice email to the director, thanking her for letting me audition but that it wasn't going to work out with my schedule. She very quickly replied with an "Aw, shucks....Buh-Bye" type of email, and we were done.

The good news is that I spoke to financial aid, and I don't have to replace the class! So not only do I not have to worry about another class, I got the refund for that class!

Double blessing!

A Fish out of Water

...well, that's how I felt, anyway.

I needed a one hour credit course for the semester to satisfy my financial aid requirement. I had already taken weight training, and the other sport activity options didn't really suit my fancy. I'm not really a martial arts or scuba diving kinda girl.

So, I started looking at other subject courses, and, unsurprisingly, my eye wandered over to the music division. I spotted a choir class that was one hour credit and fit into my schedule, so I added it to my registration shopping cart and considered the matter taken care of.

....Until last week when I got an email from the music department informing me that I was receiving the email because I had signed up for one of the two campus YEAR LONG choirs that requires an AUDITION on the specified dates given on the website. Follow this link...yada, yada, yada.

I tried looking for another one hour class, but by this time they had edited the course offerings since it was the week school started. So, I signed up for an audition, thinking that if something else came open, I'd go for it.

Well, yesterday was the day of audition. I had to prepare a one minute excerpt of a song and sing it classically, then they would go through scales on the piano to see what my range was.

I've been through all of this before many moons ago when I went to college the first time. I did the whole marching band thing in high school, and I've been singing for, like...oh....MY WHOLE LIFE!

Don't get me wrong...I know there's a difference between singing for fun and singing classically. But it's funny to see how people react to a "non-music major" coming to audition for a university choir. I'm standing outside the door of the audition room with about 5-6 other people waiting for their turn.

At first, they look at you while they try not to look at you.
Then, they decide to be nice and introduce themselves to you because they might have to be stuck next to you for the semester.
Next, they try to "size up" the competition by asking things like
"What part do you sing?"
"Do you sight read?"
"Are you a music major?"
When they find out I'm a nursing major, they say, "Oooooooh......that's cool."
Pause.
"What made you try out for the choir?"
In other words, "Why are you here?"

By the time I get into the audition room, I was surprisingly frazzled. I didn't think my nerves would be that bad, but I guess it just got to me. The director asked pretty much the same questions as the students. I had chosen to sing part of a classical version of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" that I had sung in a recital about 16 1/2 years ago. Because I was frazzled, I didn't think it was my best, but the director was visibly pleasantly surprised that I wasn't terrible. She said that there shouldn't be any reason why I couldn't be in the choir, but they would send the email confirmation Sunday, after all of the auditions were completed.

Ay, ay, ay...what did I get myself into???

The calm before the storm.

Kind of an ironic statement seeing how it is currently raining outside.

My world right now is calm. I'm sitting at Starbuck's just chillin' while Dan is at work. I could probably be doing a million different things right now, but I choose to be calm at this moment because I can.

No work schedule today.
No homework today.

School starts tomorrow.
I'm ready, though.

I can't believe that I started school a year ago.
One year, 5 A's, 3 B's, and 1 C ago.
WOW.

God is so good!
He is so faithful!
He takes care of us in the biggest and smallest of ways.
What a mighty, gentle Savior I serve.

I hope I look like my Father

The older my husband gets, the more he looks like his dad.

But, last night...I don't know what it was...maybe it was the extra stubble on his cheeks and chin from not shaving the last couple of days at camp...or maybe it was seeing him for the first time in a few days that really made me aware of it.

We were having a serious conversation, sitting across the table from one another, and I just blurted out, "Wow! You look so much like your dad today!"

Tears filled his eyes and he said, "That's funny because I am really missing him right now and wish he was here. He would understand."

The reflection of his father was most evident to me during a time of uncertainty and confusion for Dan.

How does the world see us in our times of uncertainty and confusion? Do they still see the reflection of our Father in us, even when we may not "feel" on top of it?

I want to look like my Father every day, but I hope that the resemblance is stronger when I need Him the most.

A Change of Pace

Most of my time at the youth department is spent doing all-things-camp, which is not surprising...seeing how I was hired as a camp assistant.
But one day this week I got to do something a little more creative with just an idea of the end result.
Earth-shattering....no, but a nice change of pace.

...and satisfaction that my boss said it was just the look he wanted.

Not bad for a "newbie."