So many words... checking in.

It's been more than 6 months since I've written and that sucks because my word for 2015 is WRITE. Guess I get to recycle that one. It is August 9th and that means that we will celebrate all things William Baker today. The kid brings such JOY to my life and that of so many others. He is a genuinely funny kid. His comedic timing is awesome. His wit is commendable and his ability to make me smile is a BLESSING.  He is also a very moody and sometimes frustrating and completely unmotivated teenager but I still love him more than... peanut butter M&M's.

I feel the need to summarize a bit of the year since I have done such a CRAPPY job of keeping up with the stories.  This post is all over the place but so am I right now. I am scattered but centered these days. It is an interesting place to be. I wouldn't change it for the world.

The Baker family has been intricately involved in the life and battle of Shari Lehmberg vs. Cancer this year. Because Tracy, John, Paige and Jack are our BEST friends in Texas we have jumped in to help and support in any and all ways possible. Fred has been so patient with me as I zip off to the hospital to sit in the ER, or drive kids here, there and yon because Tracy is at chemo or an appt. I have seen Shari FIGHT and I have seen her SHINE and I have also seen her STRUGGLE and CRY and be SCARED. It has been hard.

She is home now, with 24/7 hospice care and family all around. Nothing like a crisis to get people on a plane. She has brought the best people in her life together and I have been blessed to support them during this vulnerable period. Assisting, supporting, rallying and more will be MY battle cry in the coming days and when it is done... I will rest.

Many family members have offered their thanks and appreciation to me in the last few days. Its embarrassing and humbling a bit but certainly appreciated. I keep saying, and absolutely believe, that if I was in the same situation the Romeros would be right beside me as I have been with Tracy.

In and among all of the Shari love we have been dealing with many changes in the Baker house. Nic is a confident driver these days and can be quite helpful when I need a case of water, my tank filled up, or for him to take himself and his brother out to dinner instead of eating cereal.  Will is anxious to get started in Drivers Ed. but I'm not sure when that is going to fit into his busy schedule. He's not really THAT though so we will figure it out. 

We have spent some time this year helping Nic prep for his next BIG move, college. We went on a spring break college tour that was a bit lame, visiting only 2 schools. He loved Rice University in Houston and cut Baylor off his list. Rose Hulman has been on and off the list but after spending 19 days there this summer it was back on the top as of last week. He wants to be an engineer and problem solver like his dad. He wants to putter and build and think outside the box. He can do it!

We are amping up for senior and sophomore years that will begin in 2 weeks. Schedule pickup happens this week and The Rumble is next weekend. I am not in charge of the event which is certainly a blessing considering the events that are consuming the week. At first I was hurt about not being asked to repeat my stellar performance but God knew. He planted the seeds and it has been taken care of. I am grateful.

Fred continues to be all things to all people. Super dad, loving husband, bonus husband/fix-it man to Tracy, and stellar employee. He spent Jan-June managing plant 2 in Mexico while they looked for a new plant manager. He did a great job and was well liked by the employees. He hasn't been to MX much this summer but that will probably be temporary because there are some more big things happening down there as new lines and equipment are added. Lots of job security for sure.

On the home front we have decided to make some investments in our property for a variety of reasons. We got a new fence last week and new garage doors. This week we are getting some driveway work done, may start a new concrete patio and by the end of September should have an outdoor living space that can be enjoyed when it is not 106 degrees outside. We are looking ahead to getting things ready for Nic's graduation next June, projecting some family and friends will make the trip down, as well as updates needed to stay current in the market should we decided to move. Frisco is HOT HOT HOT right now and we feel confident that money into the house will be returned. Yeah for a good investment.

One more thing I'd like to get in print before I move along with my day. It have been an interesting year for me spiritually. I was on the cusp of talking to Pastor Mark about partaking in a believers baptism at Crosspoint this spring. Something made me wait and I am glad I did. I feel like my faith is strong and getting stronger each week but not because of Crosspoint. I have hardly been to services this year for a wide variety of excuses and reasons. I love it when I go but not so much that I am as faithful as I could be. My journey of faith this year has been interrupted a bit by the SCOTUS decision to allow same sex couple to marry in a civil ceremony. This was BIG news and continues to be. It was also very divisive news and has really shown people's true colors on so many things. As my friends and family took sides it was hard to look past what I perceive to be close-mindedness and to some degree hatred of people who just want to love each other. Just as I believe that good people will be in heaven with me and God's will is something I could never begin to understand. Like the fact that I believe my Mormon neighbors and Hindu neighbors and Christian neighbors can all coexist and respect that we are allowed to choose our own path and that ultimately our journey will end in a safe and beautiful place where all good things can be seen, heard and hopefully tasted. Where no one is hungry, no one is without, where the soundtrack of my life and the fruits of my labor will be enjoyed for all eternity.

You see, I don't need a church to feel the way I feel and so I think I am moving on from Crosspoint for now. I felt welcomed there but my own reservations and insecurities lead me to hold back, not get too involved and that seems to have been a good choice for ME for NOW. It's easier to be selfish and move along. And I don't think that is a bad thing. My journey of faith has been interesting in the last 10 years but some of it has been quite stable. I believe in God the Almighty Father. I believe in Jesus, His son and in the gift of the Holy Spirit. I know that they exist and that because I believe He will open His arms wide when it is my turn to enter His kingdom. But in the meantime, my life here on earth will be filled with good people, raising faithful children and enjoying LIFE which is such and amazing gift every day I see the sun.

Bad news for a Monday.

It would have been bad news any day but I got the call today, on a Monday, while I am cramping and crabby and hungry for everything bad and unhealthy that exists in the world.  The call was from the Dr's office. The medical assistant calling to tell me that I am now officially Pre-Diabetic.  I have been on the cusp for a few years.  I just never fathomed that I could fall into the cavern. Well, I have.

This news is really pissing me off!  I have always been against diets of any kind. I  do not LOVE my body but I do not hate it either. I think that my body acceptance has allowed me to just be lackadaisical and indifferent about losing weight or exercising and eating better.  I have been heavier. I was 220 pounds when we moved to Texas from Iowa.  I have hovered in the 180s for the better part of 2 years. I wished I could have been less but I didn't really care that much.  Obviously.

Well now the medical professional has spoken and it can not be denied. If I don't fix this I will be on more medications than I already take today.  If I would get off my fat ass and MOVE I could avoid lots of bad crap down the road. In the quick reading I did today it said that if I lose just 5-10% of my body weight I can avoid diabetes.  That is 10-20 pounds.  That seems like a small number at the same time it feels like a HUGE number.  I have got to do this. I have no choice. I can be indifferent no longer.

I am not one to withhold things from myself that I enjoy. I think that could lead to greater desires and cheating. I think the way to go about this is to eat mostly the same and MOVE MORE!  I also need to seriously look at my soda habit.  I think I have it under control, I'm down to one Coke per day, but when that Coke is a large and about 3 times a week turns into two or three Cokes I am just kidding myself. I don't have anything under control. I have tried quitting and cutting back before but it makes me very grouchy. I have to get over that hurdle and not look back. I don't think I am working at all next week.  Maybe that would be a good time to detox?

I need to research better snack choices and get those in the house. I need to know which fruits are carb friendly and I need to commit to eating more of those on a regular basis. I think I will also up my Juice Plus and see if that may help a bit too.  It surely can not hurt.

It's time.

MLK Day Quote...

I saw this quote on someone's Facebook timeline this morning and it has stuck with me.  I am a person whose heart is fed when I am doing things for other people.  I have spent the better part of the last three weeks doing many things for many people and although I am a bit worn out and my shoulders are achy, my heart is replenished for a good while. I helped, I assisted, I supported and I saw others achieve great success. Man, life is good.

If I could spend my life serving others I think I would be the happiest person on the planet.  My parents were and still are a shining example of service to others. They would help neighbors, host family, give extra time to their employer. They would serve on boards and councils and always volunteer to help set up, clean up or both when there was an event at school or church.  That is where I get my generous spirit from and I don't ever want to give that up.  I am so blessed to be able to not work full time at this juncture in my life and because of that I can serve on PTA boards, work with the theatre kids, and volunteer in my community. I think if I didn't do these things I would be a shell of a person.  I recall the two years I spent in Iowa as a time where I did little to no volunteering.  I was sad for those two years.  I lacked motivation and enthusiasm during those years. I wonder if that is why I feel like I have to do so much now. 

My initial motivation to give so much back to my community of Frisco and specifically the schools and my neighborhood comes from the need to repay the generosity of those who helped us after the fire. I am pretty sure I have repaid that debt but I won't stop serving until we move along on our journey.

This service thing can be hard when it gets in the way of my family and most specifically my relationship with Fred. He gets very jealous of the time I spend with others and I wish there were a way to encourage him to join in my fun.  He does sometimes but then makes me feel guilty. It's a fine line.  A very fine line.

Tarzan... Oh my!

My kids are taking part in the IHS production of Tarzan the Musical this week.  They have been involved since last fall when Nic tried out for a role and Will signed on for a crew spot.  The journey to this week has been long but it has been fun and educational and has brought my boys together in a whole new way. The theatre is a special place for camaraderie and "family" bonding.

Well, Tarzan goes LIVE in just 2 days. Yesterday the kids had a full dress rehearsal with the band/orchestra which is made up primarily by students. I'm not gonna lie. It was rough.  There were tech troubles, microphones worked then didn't, wigs came off, notes were missed, the percussion ape on stage was wearing Nike tennis shoes. But when I left school at 9:35, a full hour after 90% of the students, I left smiling about what the audience will see on that stage.  The directors sat around kind of talking each other and some parents down from the ledge and what they both said made such sense to be at the end of the night.  The process and the educational experience of these students is the WHY.  The band kids are in a unique situation. The techies are learning very specialized skills. The leads and ensemble are learning what it takes to put on a great show and how to work together and have fun! The directors are learning too.

I was seriously anxious at 8:00 PM and completely, okay, maybe not completely, but much more relieved at 9:45 PM.  They have come so far and done so much and they have 48 more hours to tweak and improve and refine and they will do just that! #NOotherDAYbutTODAY

Welcome

I follow a page on FB called 5 minute Friday. You are supposed to set your timer for 5 minutes and write on a specific topic.  The topic this past week was Welcome. I missed getting it done on Friday but I'll try it tonight.

Welcome

The universal sign for welcome MIGHT be a pineapple. I have seen it on Welcome signs, stationary, guest books and more. I think we even had a pineapple door knocker on our house in Lafayette, IN. We left it behind for the new owners. I hope they felt Welcomed.  I wish I was better at Welcome. I want to be a gracious hostess but I don't feel confident in my hostess skills. My house is a little messy, my fridge is a little empty, my furniture is a little worn and there is a LOT of dust around the house.  Not sure that dust sends the message YOU ARE WELCOME here. I could actually probably write that in the dust.  Would that send a message?  I saved time NOT dusting so I could write you this note. I spent time at my kids' school today, I ran my friends' kids around, I went and got my nails done I LIVED life and you are welcome to join me in the fun.  All the fun there is to have.

If I failed in the morning I can fix it at night.

I said I was going to wake up each morning and eat fruit. I forgot about that this today and went straight for the kolaches and a donut this morning. Oops. So after dinner I decided that the LAST thing I would eat today will be fruit. I ate a banana at 8:30 PM.  I'm done.

"This is art, not science." Michael Hyatt on goal setting

I need to give myself grace on that mistake. All was not lost. I didn't fall off the wagon into a deep ditch. Tomorrow is a new day and there are strawberries in the fridge waiting for me.

No shortage of topics to write about...

My OLW for 2015 is WRITE.  I have thought long and hard about this for more than a month and have decided that an action word would be a good choice for the year. My previous choices have been more abstract, not easily measured or monitored.  This one is an exception. That excites me.

I will be looking for some writing prompts to challenge myself beyond my comfort zone. My simple goal is to write everyday. Hopefully this will be something of substance but I realize at some point it may just be a To Do list. I have to accept that there will be those days.

Some of the topics I could touch on quite regularly could be...
Family updates, the boys are pretty busy these days.
Travel memories, We have put some miles on ourselves in the last 5 years and I havent' scrapped them too much.
Community happenings.
Best practices and Booster Beginning ideas based on my personal experience over the past 6 months.
Book reviews, because along with my goal to write I also have a goal to read.
The struggle with clutter, I do live it.  My work space right now is atrocious.

So I guess that will be enough to call it a day. I apologize if this posting is too mundane. Such is my life right now. It'll pick up real soon with the kids back to school and Fred back to work on Monday.

New Year, New Possibilities

It has been so long since I have even opened this blog. It used to be my lifeline and at times I posted multiple times in a day. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have replaced the news sharing feature of the blog but I have felt, many days, like I needed/wanted to say more. I have chosen my OLW for 2015 to be WRITE. I have been feeling an urge deep in my soul to write something meaningful. I need to practice and warm up before the good stuff comes out so be patient. I hope to be patient with myself along the way. It is a journey, it is a path, it will be long. I may stumble. I may get lost. I hope to persevere and accomplish my goal.

In 2015 I was thinking that I could start each day with some fruit.  That's not hard right?  I need to make better nutritional choices on a daily basis and starting with fruit in the morning seems like a good choice.

In 2015 I am going to focus more on self-care and taking time out for ME.  Many think that is selfish but I think it will help me to be more present in other things if I am not wishing I was doing something for myself the whole time. Hobbies can be revived, books can be read and connections can be renewed. Connections with myself and friends as well.

In 2015 I vow to keep my vows. Fred and I have had some bumps in our travels together and 2014 wasn't all smooth sailing. We both can do more to improve. I bought us an online course ti
It has been so long since I have even opened this blog. It used to be my lifeline and at times I posted multiple times in a day. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have replaced the news sharing feature of the blog but I have felt, many days, like I needed/wanted to say more. I have chosen my OLW for 2015 to be WRITE. I have been feeling an urge deep in my soul to write something meaningful. I need to practice and warm up before the good stuff comes out so be patient. I hope to be patient with myself along the way. It is a journey, it is a path, it will be long. I may stumble. I may get lost. I hope to persevere and accomplish my goal.

In 2015 I was thinking that I could start each day with some fruit.  That's not hard right?  I need to make better nutritional choices on a daily basis and starting with fruit in the morning seems like a good choice.

In 2015 I am going to focus more on self-care and taking time out for ME.  Many think that is selfish but I think it will help me to be more present in other things if I am not wishing I was doing something for myself the whole time. Hobbies can be revived, books can be read and connections can be renewed. Connections with myself and friends as well.

In 2015 I vow to keep my vows. Fred and I have had some bumps in our travels together and 2014 wasn't all smooth sailing. We both can do more to improve. I bought us an online course to challenge us to work together on setting goals and making great decisions for our family. I am anxious to dive in to that. I hope he plays along and gets a little something out of it. Nic said something a little profound yesterday as he was talking about a friend whose parents are struggling a bit right now. He said he was grateful that Fred and I weren't willing to give up on US easily. That he sees that we work to make things solid between us and he knows it isn't always easy. WOW.  My 16 year old sees this.

In 2015 I plan to continue to serve my community. Mostly that will mean booster clubs at IHS and hopefully some community volunteering. It is a part of me that I am enriched by and fed by. I can not give it up.  I think I will be hanging up my PTA hat once my position on the FISD Council is done. Susan asked me to stick around and do more but I'm not sure I am up for it.

In 2015 I will work really hard to stay connected to my boys. At 14 and 16 their lives are separated from mine so many hours of the day. I need to take full advantage of the hours we do have together and keep the dialog flowing both ways. It's more than important... it's imperative.

Well, I am sure that these "goals" or "resolutions" will be developed in the coming weeks. I feel certain that some will take precedence and some will need to be visited again and again but I know that if I can stick with this plan that 2015 has the potential to be an AMAZING year!