Dreaming of Spring

Hi there! At home thoroughly enjoying my coooooold day off from work. Thought I'd spruce up my blog seeing as how it's February and I haven't blogged since last summer. I take that back...just peeked at my drafts and there was a fabulous little tidbit of a post that I started after I went back to school. Impressed? Me too. Don't know why I didn't finish it out...it started off GREAT!

So, I'm 29 now...last year of my twenties...woohoo (insert sarcasm). You know, 30 doesn't seem that old anymore. Thank God. I'm not too distressed about it. The 30s are looking pretty good.

The best thing that has happened since I last blogged is that I'm an aunt...TWICE! I have a new niece and nephew!!! Lilah Ann Collins was born on December 7th and Ethan Paul Burchett was born on January 24th. They are both perfect, precious little miracles and I love them to pieces.

I'm thrilled to say that Scott has been promoted to VP of the Frisco RoughRiders. He never ceases to amaze me. He's gearing up for his 8th season with the team. It will be here before we know it!

I have an incredible group of kiddos this year in my kindergarten class. I can't brag on them enough. I enjoy my job but these guys make it a BLAST! They are a chatty group and definitely keep me on my toes; each day is a new adventure. I'm normally counting down to the end of the school year but this year is different.

Sadie Louise is 10 years old this month. We can't believe that we've had her for 1/3 of our lives. We (of course) want her to live forever but are realistic and cherish each moment we have with her. I think the hardest thing is that our children won't know her. She's so great with kids. There's no chance we'll have another puppy dog like Sadie B.

In November, Scott and I ran our second marathon in San Antonio with our good friends, Chris and Jenny Pope. Scott shaved off 50 minutes from his first marathon and I shaved off 33 minutes. The weather was perfectly overcast and cool. I had a great run but I can't say the same for Scott. He went in after struggling for weeks with hip bursitis and then had intense cramping the last several miles due to dehydration. When it was all said and done, we had a nice weekend with our friends even though everything didn't go just as we had planned.

And the Weight Watchers story? A sad but hopeful one. Actually it's not that sad at all, just a frustrating, self-sabotaging story. As I mentioned this summer, I was down 76 pounds (or something pretty close to that). Well, I struggled a lot with wanting to lose even more and was setting unattainable goals for myself. I should have made that weight my WW goal and begun my 6 weeks of maintenance to become a lifetime member (what all WW junkies dream of). When I put 2-3 pounds back on in Las Vegas, I didn't go to my meeting the next week; which started a chain reaction. School started back...+5 pounds... the holidays...+10 more. And in January, I was right back where I had started a year before. All of my efforts went right down the drain. Now, for those of you who don't know about WW, please don't think that my weight gain had anything to do with the program. It was all me--eating like the old me--the 76 pounds heavier me--that was anything but happy. Not to mention that I wasn't attending my accountability anchor--WW meetings. This deadly combination had me up almost 20 pounds in 6 months. Now, this has been a l-o-n-g journey but I committed to seeing this through. No matter how long it takes, no matter how many set-backs, I'm seeing this through to the end. Undoubtedly this "end" involves not only becoming a WW lifetime member but also seeking help from a professional that will help me with my inner food monster. So, the saga continues...I'm back on track, attending weekly meetings and have about 8 more pounds to go to meet my new, realistic WW goal weight. I'm sure you'll hear from me when I do!

So, that's it for today. Check back later in the week for a FUN surprise (not a baby, mom). Thanks for reading!

A BIG SURPRISE! Can I pull it off?

Believe it...it's true. My sweet husband of 6 years turned 30 last week! He still looks nearly exactly like he did in high school though (hot), which is why everyone recognizes him wherever we go (and perhaps the height thing comes into play...just maybe).

Our plan is to take a fabulous vacation to celebrate this "coming of age" but in the mean-time, I wanted to throw him a little get-together of sorts. At first, I wanted to do a BIG weekend in Ft. Worth the weekend of his birthday...nice hotel...fine dining...you get the picture. Did I mention his 30th was on Feb. 4th? Does anything else ring a bell that weekend? In the way of "there's no chance in hell I'm going to get any sort of reservation anywhere"? You guessed it, the oh so lovely super bowl. BTW, is it one word or two? Oh, who cares. Cheers to the end of football season!

So, I'm complaining to my kindergarten teammate about the lack of hotels, restaurants, anything the weekend of Scott's birthday. She recommended checking out the new luxury bowling alley in town, Splitsville. I'd never been there but it seemed promising. I started looking into it and BINGO! there were open lanes the weekend after Scott's birthday. Is an "after" surprise still fun and okay? I would soon find out...

Do you realize my "situation" with surprises? Do you know that when I buy gifts for people, I always ask if I can give them in advance? I am stricken with the inability to keep a surprise (and yes, sometimes secret); especially from my husband. Just hours after making the reservation, Scott arrived home from work. He came upstairs, greeted awkward me, then headed outside to grab the mail. I called my mom from the upstairs closet, hyperventilating. How on earth was I going to last 14 days? Hold your applause, but the party is just around the corner and I've done it! Hoping that Scott doesn't know but doubtful he'd ever tell me if he did.

You must know (by the invitation above) that I treated this like any other party...if you've seen any of my showers in the past year, you'll understand. I tried to hold back and first; but to no avail, I was creating in no time. Was this for Scott's benefit? Would he even notice my efforts? Absolutely not. Until, of course, I point out all of the cute drink tickets, cupcake toppers, and party favors I so graciously and effortlessly pulled together just for him (or me).

The one huge disappointment was that I couldn't pull-off a rush order of koozies that would inevitably have a hilarious/cocky Scott quote such as, "Nothing says 'Happy birthday to me' like WINNING." If you know him, have ever competed against him, or are one of his brothers, you would think it was funny. Just go with it. P.S. If you're a screen printer in the area...you are very difficult to find on the internet. Help me, help you. You're welcome.

Okay, back to Scott. So I wanted to invite everyone but they only allow you to rent 2 lanes per night with 8 bowlers (is that the name for those who bowl?) per lane. We're at little over 20 so we'll see what happens. At the end of the night, when everyone has had a few drinks and a delicious frosted cookie shaped like a bowling pin, I'm sure we'll all let bygones be bygones and no one will mind that there wasn't a place for them to bowl, right???

Now really, back to Scott. He's pretty much the best friend and husband a girl could ask for so I really hope it's a fun, successful evening. To be continued...

Scott Won't Let Me Decorate for FALL, So...

I've re-decorated for SUMMER! Inspiration? CATALOGS!!! The new Willow House (formerly Southern Living at HOME), Ballard Designs and Pottery Barn catalogs are simply incredible and leave me wishing for one thing: unlimited funds to decorate my home. Hey, I'll even settle for a couple hundred...ha! Since I didn't have a couple hundred, I pulled out every home decor item I could find in the house and went to town. I basically find something I like in one of the catalogs and try to recreate it with things I already have. Some of the little areas turned out GREAT. Some, not so much...the mantle is NOT working for me...it's a work-in-progress.

Decorations UNDER the table? YES! I'm working on collecting more neutral hard cover books. They're all over the catalogs and we just don't have that many. Heading to Half Price Books later to see what I can find! Scott will be happy to have his books back. P.S. I can't believe that at one point I wanted to get rid of this table. That goodness Scott didn't let me. I'm in LOVE with it...best $99 purchase ever. Thank you Weirs!!!

Oops...more of Scott's books. He hasn't noticed, yet. My mother-in-law gave us this cigar box and I loved how it looked on my copper table. The small glass vase has wine corks in it (these look great as neutral, textural fillers). Also, you'll notice that the catalogs use plates everywhere (as trays) not just in the kitchen areas...kind of FUN.

Another genius Weirs find! This hutch matches the furniture perfectly and, again, only $99! Scott found it...he's good. Okay, so you caught me. This is kind of fall-ish, right? I couldn't help it! Actually, it's the first thing Scott noticed when he got home. You see, fall is Scott's most FAVORITE season and won't let me rush into it when it's still 100 degrees outside. I asked if I could decorate on August 1st and he said I had to wait until September 1st. I certainly don't want to put a damper on his fall happiness...ha! I tried to bargain with him but no such luck...can't wait until September 1st!!! Pumpkins here we come...

LITERALLY...Too Hot to Handle

Sunday, July 18th was the first (and last) time I have raced in UNBEARABLE heat. The first 6 miles felt GREAT but as it got even hotter, I started sweating less and began to feel chilled...NOT a good sign. Actually one of the first signs of HEAT STROKE...awesome. I slowed it down and crossed the finish line 2 minutes SLOWER than this race last year. Unimpressed? Me too. Just happy to have survived!!!

The girls...ready to take on the Too Hot to Handle 15K. For those of you that don't know, that's 9.3 miles. It should have been a fairly easy run...HA! Do you see the EVIL sun rising behind us?

This is what you get to eat after you run...well, not really but I went against my better judgment and rewarded myself with food. ALWAYS a bad idea (for me, at least). I would like to point out that I only ate one biscuit (for whatever reason, that makes me feel better...whatever).

With my fifth coffee in hand, our dehydrated group heads home. Don't let the smiles deceive you.

And our true feelings about the race (mostly mine and Julie's since Alex rocked it out) are revealed...

Who Unleashed the CRAFT MONSTER???

WOW! What a BUSY week and fun weekend. Every single summer, it never fails: my home becomes craft city (poor Scott!!!). You never know when it's going to hit, but it's bound to happen sooner or later. This year, it happened after Courtney Alban introduced me to The TomKat Studio. What I once considered decor for a baby shower, was all about to change...

The brunch table...candied bacon, sausage egg casserole, monkey bread, mini muffins, fruit with dip, chocolate-dipped strawberries and chicken minis. Mmmm

A close-up of the candied bacon (mom gets all the credit)!

The drink bar...coffee with fix-ins, citrus infused water, mimosas and punch (made from ginger-ale and white grape juice).

The dessert table (party favors)...cupcakes, chocolate-covered pretzels, rock candy, marshmallow pops, jelly belly jellybeans, dove chocolates, hershey's kisses, tootsie rolls, york peppermints, almond joys, gummy rings and sour strips...did I miss anything? The sour candy and marshmallows went first. Grab a bag and fill 'er up!

These crazy yummy cupcakes came from the Market Street Bakery (guests couldn't believe it). At only $6.99/dozen, they can't be beat. I would order them again in a heartbeat. I prefer the buttercream frosting; however, whipped frosting is also available. Do you see my personalized circle cupcake toppers? I created them on www.scrapblog.com, cut them out with giant punchers from Hobby Lobby, and hot glued lollipop sticks on. Super simple and super adorable!

The chocolate-covered pretzels were so cute and a big hit! I loved making them and was thrilled at how they turned out. They looked perfect on the table.

The marshmallow pops turned out GREAT! For the base, I used floral foam, scrapbook paper, ribbon, moss and my personalized circle stickers. I made them the day before and after they dried, I wrapped saran wrap around them...they were delish the next day.

A view of the entire table...I was nervous earlier in the week, but it all turned out FABULOUS! Check out the poms on the chandelier...my favorite. Made out of tissue paper and floral wire...simple and inexpensive but lovely.

The mommies-to-be of honor, sisters Nicole Hyatt and Hayley Rachavong. Can't wait to meet sweet baby Jett (due early August) and baby Sawyer (due mid-September)!

It was a great party and fun was had by all. I was so happy that I was able to put nearly all of my Southern Living at HOME collection to use! The new fall catalogs arrive soon and I can't wait to get my hands on them!!!

A BIG thank you to all of the hostesses: Stephanie, Emily, Cindy, Janice and my FAVORITE side-kick, momma.

Thanks for checking-in!

~Caroline

So...What's New?

It's been almost a year since my last post, so life should be different, right? Well I hate to disappoint you but things are relatively the same in our little family of 2 (sorry Sadie, 3). Not surprisingly, I still have PLENTY to say...ha!

It's hard to believe that I just wrapped up my 6th year of teaching! I love my job and I'm very grateful that I can say that. Even on the toughest of days, I never question whether or not I chose the right profession. Though I'm thoroughly enjoying my summer vacation, I look forward to getting back in the fall. I love those little guys!

Scott is the Senior Director of Partner Services for the Frisco RoughRiders and is nearly half-way through his 7th season with the team. He is excellent at his job. How do I know? His clients absolutely love him and brag on him whenever they get the chance. It's a very busy time right now and I miss him a ton but I am so very proud of him.

I can't believe I didn't blog about this but Scott and I successfully completed our first marathon on December 13, 2009. We pretty much went from couch potatoes to marathon runners in 11 months...it was crazy (and challenging) but we're so glad we did it. The day after the race, I should have felt amazing but in all honesty, I panicked. I didn't have a class to go to or a race to work toward and I was terrified that after all of that hard work, I was going to quit. I quickly requested to mentor RunOn's spring half marathon class and registered to run the Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in March to keep myself on track. At the end of the month, we'll begin marathon training again with the San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Marathon as our goal race in November!

We've been extremely fortunate on the vacation front the past few years and since I last blogged, we've been to the British Virgin Islands, Colorado, Mexico, Canada and we just got back from Vegas. We'll be heading to Colorado at the beginning of August and Florida in November and are hoping to plan a trip to Italy within the next year. We LOVE traveling and feel blessed that we are able to do it together.

This November, we will celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary and you may have noticed that we still don't have kiddos of our own. Please know that we LOVE kids and definitely want them. The time frame keeps changing...so stay tuned!

After nearly 3 years on this weight-loss journey, I'm very close to my Weight Watchers goal. It has been a year of ups and downs but in the end, I'm thrilled to say that I'm down 75.8 pounds!!! There's no trick to it (I wish!)...just hard work, accountability and determination. I've been up as much as 11.8 pounds and had a 6 month plateau, but I didn't give up. The motivators that worked for me 3 years ago, don't necessarily work for me today. I'm constantly having to revamp my food choices and workouts to continue to be successful and to see a loss on the scale. It's really hard...ALL OF THE TIME. I still struggle daily to make the best decisions; especially when it comes to food. When I mess up, I forgive myself, move on and make a better choice the next meal. I've tried losing weight over and over again but this time is different...I AM going to see this to the end. I was recently watching Jillian Michael's new show Losing It and I LOVE what she said to one of the families, "Don't try. Trying is planning to fail."

Well, that's it for today. I hope to continue blogging because I really enjoy it. Thanks for checking in!

Roller Coaster of CRAZY

I have a confession: I skipped Weight Watchers Saturday and didn't have a legitimate excuse. I didn't go because I had gained nearly the 3.6lbs that I had lost the week before. WHY? Because of my injury, I missed over a week (30 miles) of running but still ate as if I were running. Not the best plan ever, I know. I'm living the consequences. I have to buck up though because of my rule: NEVER miss two Weight Watchers meetings in a row. NEVER.

Let me go into detail about my INSANE emotions this week. So, the leg has been hurt, right? Well, this leads to sheer PANIC because of who I am: I am a quitter. Always have been. Working on changing that. Ever since I started Weight Watchers (this time) there's something deep inside that tells me I'm going to quit. I've quit all of the other 10+ times I've joined. Why would this be any different? I have to fight it all of the time. All of the time. With exercise, it's always been the same...I've quit. Therefore when I started running classes with RunOn, I assumed I would quit. It's what I've always done. It's what I do. Again, wanting to fight this feeling, I continue to sign up for more challenging classes and run. Like I've said before, I REQUIRE accountability. Weight Watchers meetings and RunOn classes keep me accountable. They are wonderful and suck at the same time. I HIGHLY recommend both!!! So...this injury freaks me out because I think to myself, "Here's your out, Caroline. Your excuse. You can quit now". AHHHHH! Go away!!! Seriously. The panic comes from NOT wanting to quit but feeling like I'm so far behind each run that I miss. Conclusion: FOOD. CRYING. FOOD. I didn't say this was the RIGHT conclusion, but it's what happened.

GOOD NEWS!!! On Sunday, I made it 9 out of 13 miles (though I shouldn't have run because of the CRAZY pain). At mile 9, my leg said, "That's good enough," and I was done. Still felt great after barely running that week. I'm feeling MUCH better now and feel like I am ready to get back to the training schedule. Please pray for me!

MORE GOOD NEWS!!! The weight that I had gained last week is back off. Looks like I will lose about a pound this week, and I'll take it!

One more food story before I go. So, I have been working on my classroom all week. On Monday, I worked really hard for 3-4 hours and then came to a stopping point. I stood in my room, with NO idea what to do next but knowing that the "TO DO" list was overwhelming. I started worrying about everything that needed to be done. All of a sudden, I wanted one thing and one thing only: a Sonic bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast burrito, large tater tots, and a large Dr Pepper. I guess that's three things, oh well, you get where I'm going. Here's what I'd like to explain: me WANTING this was nearly uncontrollable. I found something to take my mind off of it for a bit but the second I stalled, the craving was back. Apparently, my cure for stress this day was grease and sugar. I could nearly taste the food in my mouth (because I ate this every morning for six months in 2007)!!! So, I started to get upset at myself for how CRAZY strong this craving was. As I was walking to the car, I was saying OUTLOUD, "It's not worth it, Caroline. It's not worth it." Didn't matter. I was still going to get it. Which brings me to another pitfall: EATING IN THE CAR. Don't do this. There's no accountability. It's dangerous. I could write an entire entry about CAR FAT. That was me. Back to my story...yeah, I was totally going to Sonic. I was upset about it, but still definitely going. I started breathing heavy because of how much I wanted it but knew it was wrong and in desperation (yes, desperation) I grabbed my phone and called Scott. I knew he wouldn't understand (the boy could have chicken and broccoli every night and not feel like he was depriving himself of anything) but as long as I could keep him on the phone until I drove past both Sonics on the way home, I would be good to go. It worked! It totally worked!!! Scott may think I am a little insane but at the end of the night, I saved hundreds and hundreds of calories. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

So, I share these things because it helps me to face my problems. Also, I hope that people that read the CRAZINESS will feel like they're not the only person that really, really struggles with food and weight loss DAILY. I know I'm being vulnerable and I am okay with it.

Until next time...happy EATING and EXERCISING!