I just realized it’s been four months since my last post.  The summer flew by in a sweet, refreshing kind of way.  We’ve clung to a simpler lifestyle and have remained unplugged from television, social media (hubby and I both said farewell to our Facebook accounts months ago), and anything that consistently pulls us away from family and home.

I’ll start with adoption news.  There isn’t really anything to report.  You get to this point in the process and you start to feel like you’re doing something wrong because everyone asks “What’s the latest with the adoption?” and your answer is always the same….”Nothing.  Just waiting.”  Our agency just changed some of their policies for dossier documents in order to cut down on revisions, so we’re updating some of our documents and paperwork.  Believe me, when our dossier arrives in Africa, the whole world will know it.  Through it all, we still have peace in the journey; even in all the waiting.  We may get a referral by Christmas…or it could be next summer before we’re even matched.  We’ve prayed about the possibility of getting pregnant while we wait, and that’s still a possibility, but I haven’t gotten pregnant in five years so it would definitely take a miracle for that to happen at this point.

I teamed up with a dear friend nine months ago and we set our minds (and bodies) to getting healthy and losing weight.  I had been overweight for about five years….I mean, could-be-a-contestant-on-Biggest-Loser, overweight.  At my heaviest, I could have lost one hundred pounds and still been within my “healthy” BMI range.  Scary.  Since last November, I’ve been tracking every meal on My Fitness Pal and exercising with anyone who will go with me!  I’m now consistently walking a little over four miles, three to four times a week at 5:30am.  I have a friend who lives thirty minutes from me and we meet half way several mornings a week, rain or shine, to walk together.  It only takes an hour and it’s a fantastic way to start our day.  I’ve lost almost 50 lbs (48.5 as of this morning) and dropped four clothing sizes.  I even cut up a bunch of my big girl clothes and sewed them back together several inches smaller in efforts to save money while I’m still losing.  I still have a ways to go if I’m aiming for my pre-child-bearing weight, but if I can lose 15 more pounds, I’d be completely happy to stay there for the rest of my days.  I feel great, I’m eating well, sleeping well, and I’m active.  I can’t ask for much more.  Ready for a “before” and almost “after” picture??

At my largest last fall:

At the beach last month with my love (no, I’m not bald, you just can’t see my pony tail in the pic!):

We went to the beach with my parents in July.  It was our first real family vacation….ever.  It was the first time we went away for an entire week, with our entire family, for no other purpose than to relax and refresh.  It was a priceless trip for us.  My dad is leaving for Kosovo next week and it was special to spend a week with him before he leaves as well.  Here are a few pictures from the beach.

The boys with Nana (my mom)

The boys with Grandpa (my daddy)

We’re back in the swing of things around here.  We started school on July 23rd.  It was a little early, but I figured, why not?  We had our summer and a week at the beach; we were ready!  I’ll do a post on our new school year soon.  We start CC in TWO DAYS!!  I’m so excited to begin another year with Classical Conversations.  All three boys are in Foundations this year and Joshua also begins Essentials. This is my favorite time of year…August thru Christmas!  New school year, school supplies, football season, the arrival of fall, hot chocolate, falling leaves, cinnamon-scented-everything, baking, Thanksgiving, scarves, boots, and of course Christmas!  It’ll be here before we know it!  Next month you’ll start to hear Christmas music in this house.  Oh yes, we start early. Always have!  Oh goodness, and let’s not forget a family wedding in Washington in October!  Josh and I will board a plane for a four day getaway to the west coast.  I haven’t seen this side of the family in…way too long!

hope your tuesday is terrific!

~audrey