Adopting in Ashburn

Breakfast this morning was at Duck Donuts in Herndon. RJ claims it was to help give me some inspiration for making my own cake doughnuts at home, but I think he just wanted to see if they were as good as Krispy Kreme (ruling: different kind of doughnut, but definitely closer!). Today's home adventure: framing all the paintings we rescued from Grandmother's house.  Don't they look lovely? Two more needed custom mats/frames and should be ready in 3 weeks. It is going to be so challenging to wait to pick a few to hang up until we see them all together! Then, because that wasn't enough of an adventurous day, we went to go see Inside Out . It was quite good. I tend to think it is more of an older kid to adult appeal, but RJ says it appeals to both differently.  Now, I have to somehow get in about 6000 steps and make my new FitBit vibrate. Yes, I know it is arbitrary, but totally motivating anyway.  Off to get my steps! Love always, Heather

This is my first real "teacher's summer". After four years in the classroom, I will finally have almost six weeks of time without required work/classes/surgical recovery or anything else mandatory. Of course, I already signed up to help with volleyball, but I love that and would go through withdrawal without at least some teenager interaction. :) So, I decided to make a list of all the things I want to do in this seemingly endless amount of time. Then, I went to yoga this morning and after an hour realized that not going to the gym for almost 6 months gets you super out of shape. Therefore, I am limiting myself to the following things I don't have time for during the school year: 1. Going to the bathroom whenever I want.  2. Sleeping in until 7 a.m. 3. Wearing jeans or shorts without a sticker that says I "earned" them.  4. Eating breakfast and lunch over more than 20 minutes.  5. Using curse words, talking about religion or politics, making adult jokes, and

As it is officially 2015, and this blog got it's start in 2005, it will be turning ten this year. When I think about the last ten years and how tumultuously, terrifically, different now is than then, it makes me curious about what I'll be writing about ten years from now. However, we can't live in the past and the future is a ways off, so I'm sticking right here.  Right now, I am getting sweet kisses from Raleigh.  Upstairs, RJ is taking a nap with HGTV on in the background (recovering from gallbladder surgery and pneumonia).  I'm thinking about resolutions while I type my first blogpost from my phone (both odd and behind the times?).  My only goal this year is to end the year grateful and happy for the year that passed. Of course, any good goal should have some sub goals; so let's call those my resolutions.  1. Focus on saving more so we can travel more.  The cruise last summer was relaxing - as were visits to family. But we have a lot more family, friends, nat