Trip to Atlanta (photos)

This weekend we took a trip to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, the largest aquarium in the world.  Here are some photos from our visit.  Enjoy!

The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, GA

Super Why!

Trying to pet the rays.

The rays swam all along the outside of the tank towards outstretched hands.  I think they enjoy being touched.

He was a little scared of the seals at first... they darted so quickly towards the glass.

So fascinated.  This is my favorite picture from the trip.

A Whale Shark.  There were four at the aquarium, and we just happened to be there for the last feeding of the day.  It was definitely fun to watch, and something we may not ever be able to see again.

There you have it... I posted my favorite from the day.  I am so glad my battery lasted until the end, it died shortly after watching the whale sharks (which was our last stop in the aquarium).

After the aquarium we walked .9 miles to Gladys & Ron's Chicken & Waffle restaurant.  We had to wait about an hour, but the food was good and hubby really wanted to go.  On our walk back to the car we stopped at the Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta. I wish I had more battery in my camera so I could show pictures, it was amazing! (hopefully I can go back)  While we were in the park it started to rain... it was so very comical, the three of us laughed the whole way back to the car and were not as wet as you might expect in that downpour.



School started yesterday, so I do not expect to post very often over the next few months.

Health Goals

 
I feel pretty lazy when my hubby leaves for PT in the morning, and even more so when he gets home and I'm still in bed sleeping.  I realize that it's been longer than I care to remember since I last worked out and I need to do something about that.  One of the biggest problems I've had working out is that I've never had a goal, I'm not working on losing weight or on any feats of strength.  I would like to run a marathon (end goal), but I need to do other exercise to work myself up to that (for starters I need to work on my heart rate).  This morning I decided that I'd base my goal off the Army Physical Fitness Test Standards for women in my age group.  For a perfect score I would need to do 50 push-ups, 82 sit-ups, and run 2 miles in 15:48 (3 month goal).  For a passing score I would need to to 17 push-ups, 45 sit-ups, and run 2 miles in 20:30 (1 month goal).  First thing I need to do is figure out where I am now.

I also have to work on a diet conducive to a healthy work-out.  My biggest difficulty in this lies in carbohydrates.  I have to work at adding carbs that are low on the glycemic index that are also gluten-free.

Getting enough carbs while being gluten-free can be done.  I need to compare the gluten-free supplements to the glycemic index and then start creating meal plans based off the cross reference.

While I had the best intentions, and did spend the first 4 months of the year completely gluten-free, I have not kept up with a gluten-free diet and I am paying for it physically.  I am still on a low-gluten diet, but I need to work back to being completely gluten-free.

So here's my plan:
-100% gluten-free diet for myself. Time: 1 month
-Work out 20 minutes per day. Time: 1 week
-Run at least once per week. Time: 1 month
-Check myself against my 1 month goal. Time: 1 month

Lightly

For those of you that know me personally and have absolutely NO IDEA what I was talking about in my last post, I apologize.  While secrecy is not my favorite thing, I sometimes find it necessary in order to keep from "jumping the gun."

Today I was working on trying to finalize something and I thought of it as "getting all my ducks in a row"... which made me think of my son.

He used to spend his entire bath time putting up all his duckies on the ledge of the tub, and he was always so proud of himself.   "Mommy.  See."

I decided to share because it made me smile.  He told me today that laughing makes him feel better. He's so smart!  He sure is my little sunshine.

Decisions

So, I am faced with a decision.  In the grand scheme of things it's probably not that big of a decision... but right now it seems pretty big.  In an attempt to figure out how to make this decision easily, I decided to Google "how to make decisions" and this is what I came up with:

How to Make Decisions

I love this!  All you need is a pencil and paper and you too can make a hard decision seem easy.  Ironically enough, the difficulty level is noted as "Moderate."

So, I'll follow the steps here and see where it leads me.

(after a short break...)

Well, I realize that I am definitely leaning more towards one decision than the other.  At the beginning of the year I was faced with three options.  My first choice did not work out so well and now I am left with two alternatives.  The second choice may not be my favorite, for various reasons, but it is probably the better choice (and probably should have been my first choice).  I feel like I'm running away from the best alternative.  Am I afraid?  What am I afraid of?

Why does the best choice feel so...
I cannot even begin to describe what I am feeling.  So hesitant.  I guess I just like to know what to expect and I'm afraid of the unknown.  At least with the other choice I know what to expect, even if it's not perfect... and with the best choice I don't know what all to expect.

Thank you to my friend who reminded me that sometimes you have to stop questioning.  I want to know all the possibilities, all the answers, and in life that is just not possible.  There are too many variables, too many unknowns.  And so, I am going to make my move and hope for the best & prepare for the worst.

I am not 100% sure, but I think I have made up my mind.

Now to sleep.  My decision doesn't have to be made tonight, and whatever I choose is not permanent.  That makes me feel better.

Five Life Lessons

(this was supposed to be posted yesterday... but yesterday... didn't go as planned, see #2 below)
 

"The truth that many people never understand, until it is too late, is that the more you try to avoid suffering the more you suffer because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt."

Thomas Merton

This last year has been pretty eventful for me.  I've already moved 1, 2, 3... times and still have at least 2 more moves to come.  But I have learned SO much already and the year is not even over yet.

Normally, I would have these sort of thoughts in June, but my year has been too busy (until now) to spend time contemplating such matters.

What do I want to take away from this year?  For starters:

1)  Just because you get hurt does not mean you should stop trusting or letting people in.  When you do hurt, spend time hurting... it's okay to hurt.  It's okay to be angry.  But do not become bitter.  Let it roll and remember that it most likely isn't anything personal.  People are not perfect and each of us has our own misgivings, our own "troubles" to work through.

2)  Life does not follow a schedule, adhere to plans, or give notice; it happens.  It is unwise to be upset when something unexpected happens.  Expect the best and prepare for the worst.  Be prepared for the best too, it happens sometimes.  Here's a quote my friend posted this morning:

"Surrender to the moment. If you're feeling angry, get mad. If you're setting a boundary, dive into that. If you're grieving, grieve. Get into it. Step where instinct leads. If you're waiting, wait. If you have a task, throw yourself into the work. Get into the moment; the moment is right."

Melody Beattie

3)  It's okay to make mistakes.  There is no true failure unless we fail to learn from our mistakes (or the mistakes people make in front of us).  Instead, perceive failure as the best opportunity to learn.  Repeating mistakes is insanity.

4)  Do not spend time dwelling in the past, live in the now!

"Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 We can't undo or relive what was, but we can shape and create what will be.

5) Laugh as often as possible.  This has been somewhat easy of late since I have a miniature comedian for a son.  Recently I've heard such things as: "I looked every where I wanted to."  "I wasn't supposed to draw him" he said pointing at one of the people he drew, "he's supposed to be invisible because he's my ghost friend and no one else can see him."  Little Monster: "I totally won at tic, tac, toe.  He doesn't play very good.  He drew a star and I circled it." Me: "Isn't that cheating?" Little Monster: "No, he didn't make an 'X'."

What have you learned so far this year?

Ring the Bell

"Never knock on Death's door: ring the bell and run away! Death really hates that!"

Matt Frewer, as Dr. Mike Stratford in 'Doctor, Doctor'

Today he died.  This is something he would have uttered, and possibly already has.  He'd been flirting with death for the last 17 years.  Defying all logic, passing everyone's expectations or perceived notions of possibilities.  His fight is now over.

I am at a loss.  Life is a whirlwind, we are only along for the ride.

Grumble, grumble

Today got off to a bad start. After a restless sleep, I realized I forgot to boil eggs last night to make an egg salad sandwich for my son's lunch (his request) so I was up at 5 am boiling eggs. I had just gotten back to bed when my son woke up and needed breakfast. I had just gotten back to bed when my husband got home. And then it was time to go make the sandwich and get ready to go to the bus stop.

So now that my hubby is off to work and my son is off to school, I'm going to sleep for a little bit to reset. I don't want to be grumpy.

"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each." - Thoreau

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Time to Hurt

So many of my dearest friends are going through some very difficult times, right now, all at once.  Several have responded with very similar words.  Some are worried, some are confused, some are angry, some are desperate, and most are hopeful. 

So basically, I just wanted to let you all know that you are not alone.  We all hurt.  Why don't we band together and get through all of this upheaval and change? 

If you need me... call me, text me, send me a facebook message.  Don't feel like you have to be strong and go through it on your own.

Wow

My little boy hopped on the bus and is headed for 1st grade.  It seems like just yesterday he was only an infant.  What a surprise it will be in 8 years when he starts high-school, 10 years when he starts driving, and finally, 13 years when he's all grown up and ready to leave for college.

I hope that all of the coaching and teaching we do over the years produces a well-mannered, well-adjusted, honest, compassionate, and respectable adult.  So far I feel like we've done pretty well.  Yesterday we had a talk about how even if no other kids are behaved he still needed to follow the rules, we discussed it a little this morning as well before he got on the bus.  I told him I am very proud of him for how well behaved he's been so far and that it makes me so happy to know that he is a good boy and to keep up the good work.

I am so excited to get him at the bus stop this afternoon and find out how his first day went, feed him a snack and get him started on homework.  What an amazing time that I get to stay at home and get everything done so that I can devote the afternoon to him.  I am amazed!

Life is Unpredictable

Just because something feels right doesn't mean it is right.

I want to full on rant about people's excuses for making poor decisions, but instead I'll just say this: life is unpredictable. What seems like the right decision one moment needs careful consideration, are you being influenced by your emotions? Would your favored choice include running away from your troubles?

Am I innocent of making a decision based on emotions? Not at all! And I can't guarantee that I won't in the future... but it's not easy to admit when you are wrong. It's hard to be wrong. And sometimes, it hurts to be wrong.

So instead of being angry and bitter, I'll think of you and how hard it is to question if you made the right decision. I've been there. It's not easy.

"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each." - Thoreau

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The Tooth Fairy

Last night my son lost his first tooth. Monday he'll start 1st grade. My little boy is growing up!

His loose tooth caused some interesting discussions at home this last week. My husband and I were discussing how the tooth fairy is kind of creepy. Why sneak around in the dark to "buy" children's lost teeth? What does the tooth fairy do with the teeth?

My son had an explanation: the tooth fairies use teeth to build their houses. That seems even more creepy, but he was happy with the explanation. He also made note that the tooth fairy doesn't pay for teeth with cavities because they can't be used for building.

What a creative mind he has! Some of the things he comes up with just blow me away.

"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each." - Thoreau

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Karma? or Life Isn't Fair!!!

Running away from your problems won't make them go away; it just means that when they do catch up with you they will have more momentum. 

Is it bad for me to hope that they will catch up with you soon?


I'm upset.  I finally trust you, telling you how hard it is for me to trust, and then you take advantage of me.  I gave so much, I did nothing wrong... then you treat me like I'm the enemy and like I somehow wronged you, like I owe you when it's because of you that I am out a lot of money.  Whether you intended to or not, you manipulated me and used me.  You offered to help, and at my most vulnerable moment you took advantage of me.  So here, when I'm at a very low point you flaunt your success in front of me, success that I helped to secure you!  My initial response is to cut ties completely and never see you or talk to you again.  But there's still that part of me that loves you, despite what you've done.  But you'll never be that close again.  I will never be that vulnerable to you.

But again, I am reminded that life isn't fair.

It's Nothing Personal

One of my first thoughts this morning:

"There is a misconception in the thought that the world is out to get you; the world is out to get every one, it's nothing personal."

 

Every one has difficult things going on in their lives, something they wish they could overcome or change.  What is special is your unique perspective on those difficulties, your past experiences, your thoughts on what you have to overcome.  What you do and how you do it says more about who you are as a person verses what has happened to you.

 

So, relax.  The world is not out to get you...