A reason to celebrate?

Edited to add:
I had to pull this blog because I was surprising a friend who was having a party to celebrate completing her A.R.C.T. piano exam which she has been working towards for 10 years and she reads this blog.
And also, I have now run 5 whole times. I think it may be official. I've taken up running.

I've taken up running. Sort of. I mean I ran yesterday and the day before out of sheer panic. And I plan on running tomorrow and everyday until we leave on Thursday for our trip to Smithers. So that counts right?

Here's the thing. I'm about 15 lbs heavier than I was at the beginning of last summer. I gained 5 lbs while my friend Michelle and her girls were visiting. One night we went to a great little restaurant patio for a drink and to split a dessert but the desserts all looked so good and there were so many options we decided to each get a dessert to share. And then to split a third. I really don't know why I gained weight during those 3 weeks! Then I gained 5 lbs at Christmas. Baking. Indulging. Enough said.

And then somehow I managed to gain another 5 between Christmas and now which leads me to a grand total of 15 lbs of heaviness and too tight pants that I did not have last summer. If I gain 5 more lbs I will be the heaviest I have ever weighed while not having another human being (or 2) inside of me. And I am so paranoid about gaining more weight while we're gone that it propelled me out of bed at 6:15am on Friday morning to run. And I didn't set an alarm. And my kids weren't awake yet. And then I did it again the next morning.

I think I may have finally hit rock bottom.

Happy Birthay indeed

Hugh turned 35 yesterday. It's a significant milestone. He is now eligible to play in the 35 and older mens baseball league. Hoo-wah.

For the last few months Hugh has been saving for a new acoustic guitar and last week at church a man pulled me aside to say he wanted to contribute X amount of dollars to the fund and with the contribution of some cash birthday presents from our parents it was exactly enough. Acoustic guitar, many dollars. The stress of keeping the secret for an entire week, new wrinkles on my forehead. The look on Hugh's face....priceless.

Ava also got her dad a present. At one point during the evening yesterday Ava yelled from the bathroom, "Can youuuuuuu wiiipe my bummmmmm?" I called "not it" (it's his birthday, his legs haven't been amputated!) so Hugh got up and walked into the bathroom and from the living room we heard Ava sing, "Happy birthday to youuuuuuu...."

I think he preferred the guitar!