George's "Not A Surprise" 30th Birthday Party

Last night, we finally celebrated George's 30th birthday, which was Monday, February 23. I say "finally" because this was the third attempt to have a party for him. Two of my co-workers/friends put the party together, and they scheduled the first one for Oscar Night. If anyone knows George, they know this is his absolutely favorite night of the year. Several of his friends were concerned that he might not show up for his party since he'd rather watch the Oscars with the Millers or at home, so they canceled the party. Then the party almost happened on another night, but that changed due the the Connect Conference at our church. (Side note: There are some absolutely hysterical videos our department did for the conference at connect.gatewaypeople.com or at youtube.com/gatewaypeople. Watch the videos entitled "The Church." It's worth your time.)

So, "finally" they decided to do it last night. Tia, one of his close friends and co-workers who put the party together, was going to take him to the movies and then suggest that Hannah and Chip come along. They were going to stop and pick them up, but instead of going to the movies, we'd all be there to surprise him. It was a great plan ... but then Tia got very sick the night before, which is the reason it was "not a surprise" party. Hannah and I decided it would be better to just go ahead and tell him about the party. We didn't know any other surefire way to get him there.

Even though he wasn't surprised by the party, I think he was really surprised by his gift. All of his friends chipped in and got him an iTouch for his birthday.

I can honestly say that we are all better people for having George as a friend, and we were honored to get to celebrate with him ... and very relieved he realized that his friends didn't just blow off his 30th birthday!

The birthday boy with his bucket of "white" ice cream.

Opening his iTouch.

Why is it?

Every now and then you'll see a "Why is it?" blog from me. These blogs are just about things that I've been thinking about or things that people do that make me ask, "Why is it ... ?" So, be watching ... I may be writing about you!

Kari Jobe

Kari Jobe's new CD is amazing! If you haven't gotten a copy yet, you really should get one. It's an uplifting, fun, intimate worship CD (yes, I put fun and intimate in the same sentence). The CD contains several new songs along with some classic Kari songs. I especially like her new song "You Are For Me."

Here's a cool story about another one of her new songs, "Everyone Needs A Little."

The Biggest Loser | Day 50

OK, I'll get right to it.

I lost 6 more pounds last week. As of today, I've lost 22 pounds since we started this on January 5. I am so excited!! Thank you all for your encouragement. The last few weeks have not been as easy, but it helps knowing you're all out there pulling for me.

Cleaning Tip

Things have finally slowed down enough for me to start blogging again. I wanted to share a helpful little cleaning tip I was "forced" to learn last weekend.

Last Saturday, Valentine's Day, started out like most Saturdays, except this Saturday I got up later than usual. I went to the gym for Camp 24, but did not do any cardio or stretching before the class. During the class, my back started spasming and I was in a ton of pain. After the class, I left in a hurry and decided to stop and get some gas on my way home. I started filling up my tank with gas and got back in the car to wait. I got a phone call about the same time I heard the pump click off. I jumped out of the car and pulled out the nozzle and ... gas went EVERYWHERE!!!! It hadn't clicked off! I must have heard the pump beside mine. As quickly as I could, I shoved it back into my gas tank, but not before I had sprayed it all over my car, my pants and my brand-new Asics!

As soon as my tank really was full, I drove home ... in pain and smelling like gasoline. I walked into the door and saw Travis and staring sobbing. I was so upset that I ruined my brand-new tennis shoes and my back was still throbbing with pain. Poor guy! Not exactly how he expected to spend Valentine's Day morning.

After much consoling from Travis and Jack, I went upstairs to shower and wash my clothes and shoes. I figured I had nothing to lose: if I could get the gas smell out of my shoes, great. If the washer ruined them, that was OK too since they reeked of gas. Well, the first time through the washer didn't work. They now smelled like gas and Tide.

So I did an Internet search and found a ton of ways to get the smell out. The most sensible and least expensive way was to use vinegar. So, I doused my shoes in vinegar and put about four more cups in the washer with the clothes and shoes. I then added some more laundry detergent. This time it worked!

I then stuff fabric softener sheets in the shoes and laid more sheets on top of them and let them dry and air out for a week. I'm happy to report that as of today they are virtually gas free! (One of them still has a slight smell of gas, but I think it will go away with more wear.)

So, my tip for the day is to use Vinegar in your laundry to take out bad odors! And it can be used to help whiten your white clothes!

The Biggest Loser | Day 44

Yesterday was the weigh-in and I gained 2 pounds. I was pretty upset about it yesterday, but I'm not losing the faith. I'm going to lose that 2 pounds and more this week!

The Biggest Loser | Day 38

Quick update! As of Monday (day 36), I lost 2 more pounds. That's 18 pounds so far!

Sorry I'm behind on my blogging. :( As soon as I can get some major projects finished at work, I'll be back to blogging ... and it will be about more than just my weight!

The Biggest Loser | Day 29

Today was a good day!!!! I lost 5 pounds last week! I've lost 16 pounds in just four weeks!

My goal is to lose another 15 pounds in February. I know that I can do it, especially with all the love and support I've gotten from all of you. Thank you for your encouragement!