You've gotta love him.

This kid right here.

Look at that face. Even in this shot where he's being a stinker and sticking his tongue out at me, I'm still very much in love with this rotten little man (just as I am the rest of his siblings).

We got his teacher a small gift for the end of the year. A framed, customized print.

In full disclosure, I bought the digital file from an Etsy seller. I was being super lazy, and I don't yet have a knack for design. It was well worth the few dollars I spent. Anyway, that guy in the picture was super excited to give this to his teacher. I kept reminding him that we would wrap it up nicely and give it to her tomorrow; the day of the class party.

Fast forward to this morning. He empties out his backpack, and since it's the end of the year, I don't question it. He asks for tape, but he's always asking for odd things. When we are ready to leave, this picture is missing from my mantle. "Ezra? Where is the photo?" He replies, "Oh, I have it in my backpack!" I reminded him that we were going to wrap it, and his eyes lit up as he said, "Oh, but I already wrapped it!" I regret not taking a picture of his handiwork. This is one of those "Don't sweat the small stuff" kind of things as a parent (one that I would've previously stressed about), and he was so terribly excited to give this gift with 10 feet of silver wrapping paper loosely attached. "Okay, you can go ahead and give it to her today." 

And I didn't have to wrap it. So, there you go. I love that kid.

Getting back into shape?

Getting into shape. This is something I feel like I've half heartedly tried to do most of my life. At some points, I was pretty successful. I've never been thin or really muscular, but I got to a point where I was working out most every day, and I felt good about myself. I want to be there again, and it's happening, slowly.

So far, at least in my latest endeavor, I've been experimenting with running and keeping my body in ketosis (not to be confused with ketoacidosis, which is dangerous). I've felt better, though I haven't seen any difference in my running. Then again, I'm still more of a walker with aspirations of being a runner. And I've had the cold that won't quit. So, today I went back at it, walking 4.5 miles. There was a little running involved, but running after you inhaled some Afrin really isn't the smartest thing. It helped me breathe (which is amazing), but it also usually makes me feel a little cracked out.

Also, I'm putting this in writing. I'm signing up for a half marathon in September. I'm not alluding myself into thinking I ran run the whole way, but it'll be awesome to complete. If I put it out there, it's gonna happen, right?

Off to stretch and do a little yoga. I'll be back soon.

So, it's been a while. Again.

Why have I not been around? Mostly because I broke my laptop (the jack where the power cord plugs in needed to be replaced). It really wasn't a terrible priority because I was on my tablet or phone, most of the time. The only problem is that I *HATE* typing anything more than a Facebook status or tweet with a phone or tablet. Mostly because I love/hate autocorrect. I love it, because it catches when I hit the wrong letter many times. I hate it, because sometimes it "corrects" said misspelled word into something totally different. That, and I can never seem to be bothered to proofread, which is funny considering that I used to proofread as part of my job.

I have one big update, though I know most people reading this already know about it. I had a baby. He was quite the surprise, because I thought we were too old for all this baby making business. (Not that I'm old, just that our oldest is 19, and the youngest [other than said baby] is 9.)

So, let me introduce you to Jesse David. One of the best surprises to happen to me.

Another bit of news is that the eldest girl is graduating! I promise it was just yesterday that Allison was as small as Jesse. Really. Just because, here is my *GROWN ADULT* daughter. *sob*

Seriously, who gave her permission to grow up and be all smart and beautiful? She'll be headed off to Concordia University - Texas in the fall to begin studies to become a DCE (Director of Christian Education - basically, a youth pastor within the Lutheran church). She's all smart, bossy, and patient with young ones who don't happen to also be her siblings, so I think this will be a great career for her.

The only other possible note is that I'm (AGAIN) on a path to get healthier. I'm trying not to focus on weight, and that's the hard part. I know that if I eat the right foods, in the right quantities, and I get enough exercise, that should be a natural side effect. The main thing is that I'm around for a long time. After all, I will be in my 50s when Mr. Jesse graduates from high school. I need to make sure I am healthy enough to see HIS kids (should he choose to have them) grow up. 

Signing off, and I'll get back in here shortly. Promise.