Lazy Sunday (I wish!)

I'll jump on here while Stella is eating her second waffle for breakfast. That's how I roll now. I can do "this" while Stella does "that." It's all choreographed. Like a Janet Jackson video.

So, big news: I WENT TO THE GYM ON FRIDAY!!!

Small potatoes to some people...a walk on the moon for me. It felt good and I plan to go atleast 3 times next week - maybe more since my boss is on vacation and I can go at any time during the day.

I went at 4:30 on Friday and walked for 30 minutes. It was really nice. The gym was nearly empty at that time on a Friday. I then showered and got ready in the locker room and drove home to pick up Toby for our "date night" - the first one in 6 months.

We ate dinner at Bandito's - God that place is GOOOOD - and then hung around because some friends of mine from work were all coming around 7pm for a Going Away thing for a co-worker. He has been asked to move to Omaha, Nebraska for a sales job. Have fun, buddy!! :)

We stayed and I had a Margarita and it was YUM. I forgot how good they are... It was really great to be SOCIAL for awhile. That is a skill I have LOST and I need to rediscover.

We were back home with Stella by 9pm...and that was perfect.

Yesterday was HIGHLY productive here. Toby worked outside and our yard just looks awesome. I worked inside and finally filed our bills and documents that have been piling up for months, did a few loads of laundry, and totally reorganized my closets. I can see what I have now (which ain't much - but it's more incentive to lose weight and get back in my old, cute clothes.) I also did a HUGE grocery trip which is always a pain but now we are stocked for awhile.

Before Kroger's I stopped by Starbucks for an Iced Coffee...and is there nothing better than pouring the cream in an iced coffee and watching the cream float and swirl through the coffee all the way to the bottom?? I think not.

So, Miss Stella is growing like a weed. She's walking all over - more deliberately now. She is talking up a storm - her own language. She is REALLY telling a story. With all sorts of words with different sounds like "th..." and "cl..." and "dr..." It's just that the words make no sense to the human ear. I suspect one day she'll just start rattling off real words and I will be shocked.

Her most recognizable word is "Pool" - OF COURSE.

We put up a Superyard fence thingee in the house to try to contain her but still give her room to move around. This HAS to happen if I want to ever clean or cook anything.

There goes the Living Room:


Oh well. It's a Godsend.

What else? Oh! We went to visit Mimi Z in Northern Virginia last weekend.





Family portrait where none of us are looking:



We had a great time. While Da-Da and Stella napped at the house, Mimi Z took ME to Wegman's Grocery Store (which was like a DREAM!) and to Trader Joe's. I hear about Trader Joe's all the time from my Dottie's girls - and now I understand why. LOVED IT.

But only a girl who loves food would request a tour of the area's grocery stores for fun. ha!

We did go to Portrait Innovations up there for Stella's One Year portraits. She did great - much better than her 9 month ones when she would not crack a smile for nothing! Here are some of the outtakes:




This one makes me laugh for some reason. She looks like she's a lump sitting there...







And here are some recent ones around the house.... the girl is growing up!

Polka dots:



Big Flower Clip (That lasted about 30 seconds)



New Carter's slippers:



Good Morning!!




That's all for now. Waffles are gone. Wonder Pets are on. The day has begun.