What's Your Answer Wednesday: School Days

I am so excited to introduce my new Wednesday meme, "What's Your Answer Wednesday". I hope you will enjoy playing along and will pass it along to all your blogging friends who might like to play too!

Because it's back to school time, I'm going with a school theme for a couple weeks. Here's this week's question: What is one (or what are some) of your memories from your time in school? This can be any time from preschool through college. Please be as thorough or as brief as you'd like. You can write an entire post or just answer the question on an existing post and link it up. If you'd like to get the question early in a weekly reminder, please let me know and I'll put you on the list!
Usually, I will add my answer to the end of the post but tonight I'll just link it up like the rest of you so I can test out and make sure I've got it working right! Please comment after linking and use my button on your post so others can come visit too!

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Ace of Base is Stalking Me!!!

AAGGHHH!!!! Get it out of my head!!

We've all had times when we've had a song stuck on repeat in our minds for hours, days, weeks...

For almost two weeks now, Ace of Base's The Sign has been looping over and over again in my head. I've heard it three times now in less than two weeks. First, on the way to Walmart. A few days later it was on the way home from Walmart. Just about an hour ago, a car drove by and had it blaring. This song came out in 1993 when I was a freshman in high school--why is it still around??

Relationships can be that way too. There are a couple people in my life that just seem to keep popping up--even though our lives have taken different directions. One specific example comes to mind: my cousin Amber. Our lives have just seemed to parallel one another, even though there's nothing we consciously did to make this happen.

We first met at church in 1993 (there's that "magical" year again!) when my Dad was dating her aunt Theresa. After they were married, Amber and I began spending a lot of time together and soon became best friends. The funny thing about Amber and I was that, though we weren't cousins in the DNA sense, we looked so much alike that people assumed we were actually sisters. Neither of us really look like anyone else in our families. (I would like to add that I think it is very unfair that she got to stay cute and slender after having children while I got to blow up like a walrus).

Since I was a year ahead of her in school, we did start to drift apart after I graduated and got married. Soon though, she was married too and we both began to start our families. By this time, we hardly saw each other at all and had different circles of friends and activities. Still, we somehow managed to time 5 pregnancies within weeks of each other, give some of our children similar names, and end up moving away from our hometown to the same new town an hour and a half away. In addition to that, we ended up at the same church and she got a job working for the same company as my husband, in the same department as my step-dad. There are many more memories and "little things" that remind us of each other---(in fact Amber, you're even part of my Ace of Base memories...remember Jayme and her CD collection? :)

I've jokingly said things like, "jeez, why can't I get rid of her?" (Just in case you read this, Amber, I wish we still lived close and I miss you!!! :) But seriously, what's up?

Do you have people like that in your life too? How about a certain painting that you see often in different settings and has special meaning to you? A scripture verse? For a long time, I'd see Jeremiah 29:11 ("For I know the plans I have for you....") EVERYWHERE! Guess God knew I needed to get that in my head!

I'm at the point now where I can see that God just might be doing something here. I think some relationships are woven together with our own lives on purpose. It will be interesting someday to sit on a porch swing with elderly Amber and look back at all the times God brought us back around to each other. I wonder if we'll be able to see his plan then?

I just hope that, in the meantime, he'll change the CD for me!

I Did It! Blue Monday

GIVEAWAY: I'm hosting a giveaway in honor of my new Wednesday linking party. Click HERE for up to 5 chances to win!


It's Blue Monday today at Smiling Sally's! When you're finished reading my good news, head over there for more blue-themed posts!

Two Blue Mondays ago, I challenged myself to get back into a skirt that I love but haven't been able to wear. I told you all that I'd update today...and yes, I did it! You can read the original post here.

In all, I've lost 8 pounds since that post! You'll be asking how I did it. Well, I did it the best way possible. I ate about 70% fresh fruits and vegetables each day and drank lots of water. The other 30% of my diet was made up of whole grain pancakes and sugar free syrup for some breakfasts and grilled chicken to go with some dinners. Yes, I snacked now and then and yes, there were a couple mornings when I had gained. However, it all evened out in the end and I'm feeling pretty great about that!

Here's the picture I promised. My husband took this this morning before we left for church.

Happy Blue Monday, everyone!