Happy Birthday, Emily!

Today is my daughter's birthday. I now have a 40-year-old son and 37-year-old daughter. Wow. How am I that old?

I'm just going to focus on the two best gifts of aging Emily's given me, Elliott and Jonah. Thank you with all my heart, Emily!

Elliott (9), Mike, Emily, and Jonah (5)

2015 Faust Heritage Festival

We had a ton of fun yesterday at the Faust Heritage Festival. Our family has enjoyed this festival for many years, but yesterday's event was extra fun. The weather was perfect. And the boys were both in great moods and eager to participate in all the demonstrations. I loved it!

Many photo opportunities. 

I love this smile! Flip the sock bag out of one side and catch it in the other.
Elliott was so excited when he succeeded. Grandma was thrilled to see his
enjoyment over an activity that didn't require a cord or control panel!

Jonah still enjoyed the pony ride this year.

Jonah talked about "writing with a feather" often
after doing it last year.

Threading a peg.

Making a friend while churning butter.

After some hesitation, Jonah enjoyed his pottery lesson.

Papa and Elliott saw a log.  

Elliott hammers a piece of wood into a peg.

Papa watches while Jonah makes a rope.

Our clever boy was so proud of the way
he decided to carry his rope.

Shucking corn.

Both boys absolutely love the lady who
makes cornhusk "action figures."

Finally Booked!

After much consideration, discussion, research, debate, and planning, we finally booked a May 2016 trip to central and eastern Europe in celebration of our 65 birthdays next year. We chose the Imperial Splendors escorted tour with Globus because it includes major cities in five different countries all of which we're eager to visit.

I'm especially looking forward to Prague,
a favorite city of one of my nephews.

This was a huge decision. We've always wanted to do more international travel, but recently I've been turned off by the challenges of flying; anxious about the economy; and concerned about hubby's many minor health problems. I definitely needed a period of time between our nightmare flights to and from Maui a couple of years ago and our next long-haul flight. I also needed a better understanding of our future finances (social security and pension), and hubby's health challenges.

With all of those hurdles satisfied, we finally moved forward and booked this week. And I'm now more excited than anxious.

It could be a long eight-month wait, but I doubt it. For me, I'll fill a lot of the time learning more about all the cities we'll be visiting, and finding ways to pack minimally and efficiently.

But our main goal for the upcoming months is to stay fit and as healthy as possible. Just more incentive to keep working out and eating healthy.

Hallelujah!

As I do most mornings, I got on the scale this morning before breakfast. And I truly expected to see the same number that's greeted me for the last nearly two months. Some days I was up or down one pound, but it never lasted, always going back to that same dang number. But not today!

Today the second number of my total weight finally dropped a digit. Now I know I may not see that number, again, tomorrow or for another several days. But I also now know it's possible. So today I'm feeling especially good about how I've been feeding and treating my body.

I still hate how the number on the scale can affect my mood. But I'm better about it than I've ever been in the past. For example, I was up two pounds just three days ago and couldn't have cared less.

But today I'm at a weight I haven't seen for at least two years and I'm going to enjoy it. It's a rewarding day on my weight-loss journey.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Dad with brother, Kevin, and nephew, Matt,
holding his son, Henry.

Today is my dad's 85 birthday. He still lives alone, maintaining a house and yard all on his own. He also still drives and plans, shops, and prepares his own meals. Plus he walks the pool at the local gym for an hour six days a week.

Nevertheless, there's definitely been a change in dad over the last couple of months. Instead of insisting he can get around just fine, he now admits he can't walk very long without taking a break. He also admits he can no longer tolerate extreme heat and humidity. Within a few minutes he gets dizzy.

For dad to admit weakness is huge, but there are two other more significant signs of his acceptance the end isn't far. First, he's no longer stocking his kitchen. Instead he's using what he has and only buying food to get through another week. And second, he's been going over his copy of his trust. When I gave that binder to him four years ago, he said he never wanted to see "that thing" again.

So while dad might not be the average 85-year-old, no one expects him to reach 90. I just pray he goes quickly without too much pain and without injuring anyone else. But I suppose that's what we all hope for ourselves, too.

Ready For Fall

It's Labor Day weekend and I'm ready for fall. Next week I'll be packing up my beach decor and happily bringing out my pumpkins, witches, and other fall pieces. In the meantime, I'm marking my calendar with fall festivals I hope to attend. And I've been purging my fall wardrobe, making room for a few new pieces.

Unfortunately, however, we are not experiencing fall weather. I'm not complaining because, up until now, we've had a pleasant summer albeit a wet one. But now the grass is turning brown, which I hate, and temperatures are in the 90s with RealFeels in the 100s.

But thunderstorms are predicted for Monday, which appear to cause a drop in temperatures. After Labor Day, temperatures are supposed to stay in the 70s the rest of the month. Yay! The sooner fall starts the better!