The Architect is an amazing artist, and he’s about to be published for the first time!

He created a logo for the upcoming Fat Tire Festival, and it’s going to be plastered all over town, on posters, post cards, flyers in the bike shops, and beer pint glasses.  Uh, yeah.  Pints.  They will be used at the festival to serve refreshments to the adults. I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to snag an extra glass for The Architect to keep, sans the beer.

Be Proud of Your Kids.  Keep the Faith.

He is Risen!

Happy Easter! It’s been a wonderful, lazy day here in Texas.  We got home from mass, and ate breakfast out on the deck.  I intended to spend some time this afternoon pulling weeds from the front flower beds, but dang if it didn’t start raining! It drizzled all day long, so we watched movies, pulled out craft projects, napped and read all day long.

Final Wrap Up

1. Item of clothing and a picture of me. I already had a dress, and it fits. You’ve seen it. The clothing above?  Medium linen sweater, size 10 skirt.  Exactly where I want to be, even if the weight number isn’t.

2.  Final weight – exactly the same as when I started.  My goal was to lose five pounds.  I lost a pant size instead. Which is really okay, even if the number didn’t go down.

3. Goal Recap: Pullups and Arm Toning – Totally happened during the challenge.  I did ten pullups last week with the aid of a band, and will continue to work on full pullups through the year.  Arm strength certainly improved.  I can lift and press some genuine weight now that I couldn’t do a few months ago.  I’ve noticed some serious strength improvement, especially when biking.  My breathing can still use help with an occasional hit on the inhaler, but I have no problems pushing my own weight up hills.

4. Books

End of Overeating. Done!!  I’m going to put some of the suggestions to work over the next few months and continue to work at losing a few more pounds.

5. Catch up with the Challenge Buddy.  Not yet, but I will.  And we’re in the summer challenge together, so I’m afraid she’ll have to put up with me following her longer.

6. I met some truly wonderful people during this challenge, and am delighted that we’re going to stay in touch.

7. I did not quit.  I’m a pretty obstinate and persistent person when I put my mind to it.

Take On a Challenge.  Keep the Faith.

Why?  Because I now have access to CROSSFIT!!!

Yep.  We’re starting a Crossfit class here at work, two days a week.  Whoot!  I just finished my first session, totally rocking everything, even the TEN pullups.  Now don’t get all excited…I used a bad-azz elastic band to help pull myself up.  🙂  I think I did okay, considering that I didn’t work out on Monday or Tuesday of this week.

It’s been an exciting week here in north central Texas!  First the amazing bike ride on Sunday, which led to a couple Advil filled days.  Didn’t I promise pictures?

Why Yes, Yes I Did. 

That’s the amazing scrape I earned sliding down the bike path.  It’s all scabbed over now and starting to itch like mad as the new skin grows.  The bruises, however, still look pretty gnarly.  I won’t share those, as the worst are on my backside. 

 

 

 

 

This is the amazing trail where I was riding.  This is NOT the hill where I fell.  Isn’t it pretty? I successfully navigated this little section.  In fact, I successfully navigated the remaining 9 miles and 2,590 feet of the trail on Sunday.  It was that one little fifty foot long stretch that gave me fits.  And scrapes.

 On Tuesday afternoon, we had tornadoes!

My offspring spent the afternoon in lockdown at their respective schools, heads tucked in and texting Mom and Dad furiously for reassurance that it would all be okay.  Thank you, teachers, for allowing our younger kids to have their phones and for letting them contact us during the worst of the storms.  It made us all feel better.  And Praise Heaven – our county out to the west was spared serious damage this time around.  We continue to hold our neighbors to the east up in prayer as they work through the labyrinth of insurance adjustment and makes plans to rebuild their homes.

Oh! Guess What?  I’ve jumped on the bandwagon and now own an iPhone.  My beloved pre got blasted to pieces when I fell on it Sunday, and they don’t make them anymore. 😦  Blackberry is no longer going to sell phones as a retailer, only as a wholesale supplier to companies, businesses, etc. My ‘official’ two year upgrade date is actually in May, but I told my amazing bike crash story to the guy at the AT&T store, showed him my scrapes and the broken phone, and then I begged for mercy.  He changed my upgrade date to April so the phone was practically free.  As in less than 50 cents. Which is actually absurd, isn’t it?

Weight?  Still the same.  Attitude?  Definitely Sassy today, because I’m taking off tomorrow and Monday to spend some time with God during the Easter Triduum, as well as share some quality time with the kids cleaning out closets and pulling more weeds from the gardens.

 Weather the Storms.  Keep the Faith.