Home

There is only one thing on my mind in the morning when I leave for work... home. This year more than ever, I find myself longing for the comfort of home all the time. Where is home? Wherever my family is.
-Brenda

They took my keys away...

The girls talked me into going shopping to Salt Lake with them today. More like sight seeing as we spend very little. My life for the past years have been work, home, work, home, work, home. Still is. I don't get out much and when I do, it generally isn't shopping. It was especially nice just being with my girls.

I always thought I would be maybe 80 before I was asked to hand my keys over, not today at 49. I drove up on the freeway and through the round-about and when we got there, Ashlee simply reached out her hand and without saying anything I placed my keys in her hand. The round-about proved to be too much of a temptation for me :)
-Brenda

Hope

My friend Lora has lent me her Body Bug for a couple of weeks. I was so excited I could hardly breath. So I watched the Biggest Loser last night and got to know this remarkable little thing. All the contestants wear it on the show. It stays on my upper right arm and monitors my calories burned within 5%. It is not necessary to wear it at night time, but I was curious and woke up with a 840 calorie burn. It comes with software that tracks calories (carbs, protein & fat), sleep, exercise. It is not a magic wand but it does bring much needed awareness.

So I call my sister Becky this morning and excitedly told her about it. Silence until she starts giggling as she tells me that she knows this is it. This is the final answer of weight loss for me. She knows me too well. But I am still thinking that this really could be it. Hope... ahhh!
-Brenda

Tea Party for Conrad

The most endearing thing happened today... Conrad has discovered the tea set our girls played with when they were little. Today he was carrying it all over the house, helping everyone to a cup of tea (water), softly saying uh oh's whenever he spilled. He finally settled onto the family room couch where he watched Hercules and had his very own tea party. How is it possible we fall more in love with him everyday?
-Brenda

Put a B on my Forehead

Abby is my new workout partner and she is surprisingly on top of her game and pretty tough which is just what I need. She is not tolerating my excuses. Today we worked out, then cleaned up and went to Target to pick out cute notebooks for our food and exercise journals (thanks for the idea Amanda).

Abby wanted to check out the clothes and spend the rest of her Christmas money. There are very few things that bring out the worst in me... crowds, shopping, the dentist (unless I get the gas), politics... Target dressing rooms are one of them. My blood pressure begins to rise when I approach them. Have I told you how much I dislike the dressing rooms at Target? Sometimes they stick with their policy, sometimes they don't. We (I) embarrassingly go through the same routine each time... T=Target B=Brenda A=Abby

T: You can only take in 6 items at a time
B: Will you please watch our cart?
T: You will have to push your cart out of the dressing room area
B: But sometimes items are taken out of it
T: One person per dressing room
B: Excuse me... I am the parent. (We will never follow that rule I think to myself)
B: I take back our 6 items so I can get more... Please hold these 3
T: I am sorry we do not hold items, do you not want them?
B: I am not sure. But if I keep 3, then I can only bring in 3 more. What happens when we want to keep more than 6? Hmmm...
A: Mom, can't we just follow the rules like everyone else?

B: I always say to the dressing room girls before I leave, that I know this policy is not their fault. But it is dumb non the less. How do they begin to track shop lifters when there are piles of already-tried on clothes scattered all over the dressing rooms before we even go in? Why is 6 the magic number? Did you know Old Navy now let's you take as many as you want in?

Ugh! I have a lot to work on.
-Brenda

Welcome Home Mom

Everyone came over last night and made me dinner, then we got caught up on life this past week. I had to take a picture of Ashlee cleaning chicken and getting it ready for the grill, it is rather painful to watch with facial expressions and all. For me it's true, there is no place like home...
-Brenda

Almost Home

Much of today was spent with manufacturers and visiting with other store owners as we compare notes about the ups and downs of running a store. It has been a long time since I have looked for new product and I am learning a lot this trip. There will be plenty of catalogs to dig into when I get back. I feel more clear about life lately and will work toward my goals.

The taxi driver today wore a camo jacket.
'Are you a hunter?' I asked
'No. I don't think it is right to kill animals, I am a vegetarian' he said.
'But you are wearing camo', I said.
'And?' he asked.
I didn't know what to say. I have never known a camo-wearing vegetarian. Odd.

Being away gives me time to think about home... snuggling with Larry, making Abby's crustless sandwiches for school, braiding hair, dancing in the kitchen, being with Conrad, just being home with family is the best place to be. Tomorrow can't come soon enough :)
-Brenda

1. Matt, Jessica & Sofia 2. Jody Hunt 3. Wayne, Britt & Molly