a new tummy pic. still nothing. but then again, i'm not quite 7 weeks. pardon the ugliness. it was Monday morning. i'm hoping to have something to show by ten weeks. i think i can recall starting to show around ten weeks with one of my others. i always feel goofy smiling at myself in the mirror.

i've been cleaning house all morning. that's usually what i do on mondays. it's my recovery day. today is especially so.

i've been working through this Bible study called Becoming A Woman of Excellence. it's really motivated me to not do things half-hearted, but do everything the best i can, throwing my all into it. i'm hoping to take that approach into meal preparation and cooking. i want to start being more creative with things i prepare for my family. i love the cook book that have the meals laid out in menus. does anyone have one like that that they can recommend?

i did a lot of reading while on our trip. i finished several books - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and The Liars Club, and Safe Haven, and read just about all there was to read in Julie and Julia, at least enough to satisfy me, nearly the entire thing. (i think that's also what inspired me to put more into my cooking, that and the above mentioned reason.) so yeah, i spent a lot of time with my nose in a book while we were gone.

Margaret did not get accepted into any of the three magnet programs that she applied for. she was pretty disappointed. we were, too, for her sake, but it does make the path for next year clearer. most of her friends will be going on to the assigned middle school anyways.

i'm sure i have other things to write about, but i can't think of them right now.

oh, and my garden is starting to show itself which makes me really happy.