=)

So, I've got a lot going on. And for once, it's not all work related. In fact, this is my "down time" at work, which means instead of planning 6 spring workshops and working with 400 students, I am planning on fall workshop for 80 kids and writing proposals galore. Anyone that works with me knows my feeling about proposals, but they have to be done, and maybe I'll get some money out of the deal (although then that means more workshops, which, in the end, might not be the best thing for me and my time). Anyway, I digress. I have a lot going on, and I am pretty happy. Or well, not just pretty happy, but actually happy. I am still somewhat tired, and if I dont take care of myself and get enough sleep or eat regularly, I feel the affects. And if I eat too much, I feel the affects. It is a precarious balance, but I think I have found it, and so I am going with it. So, with a little balance comes a lot of Deb enjoying life and appreciating feeling good when I do feel good.

I have been spending a lot of quality time with the babies all over the place, and waiting patiently for Liam and Baby Shah to arrive in the next month or so. Brylee and Brooklyn are learning to smile back when you smile at them, and tonight Brylee gave me some great life advice while gurgling away at me. Bear is laughing when tickled and is a big ol' flirt (he has to be with all these baby girls around). Sofia is blogging up a storm and is freaking adorable with all her hand poses. And Naia is emailing her pictures out all over the place, and is waiting very patiently for my visit. I am so lucky to not only be surrounded by so many amazing friends, but to be able to be part of the beginning of so many little lives.

Last weekend I was in Vegas, the weekend before I was recovering from Vancouver. Now I have a month at home, and I am loving it. I spent this weekend slumming it, enjoying my house, my couch and my friends, as well as my friends' couches. I did about 800 loads of laundry and finally unpacked all my suitcases. The cats were super cuddly and I think are just afraid I am either going to forget to let them in (again) or take off with another suitcase. I told them I wasn't going anywhere, but I am not sure they believe me. The next trip is back to Oakland for Lacey's wedding and then to LA for the birth of Baby Shah (who really needs a name, I mean, c'mon Fitz, we did this 4 years ago, didn't we?).

There is a storm in the tropics tonight. It is not coming to Houston, but rather going up the East Coast. However, the news reporting on this makes me realize how disconnected I am with my usual favorite website, www.nhc.noaa.gov. The Hurricane Center website. Usually I check it like 5 times a day. I guess I have been a little distracted.

The shuttle lands this Thursday at the freakin' crack of dawn. And somehow I have been signed up to escort about 50 high school kids onsite at JSC to watch it on the big screen and eat pancakes at 4am. Hmmm, can anyone say sucker? Yea, pretty sure this is one of those events I could participate in from my bed while watching on TV. But, I'll chalk it up to be the last landing and being of historical significance, or some crap like that. Will I remember this landing 20 years from now? YES, because I will remember getting up at the crack of dawn and how exhausted I was all day. Let's not pretend. I like my sleep. Have you met me tired? Yea, cranky as all get up.

Apparently I have become a vegetarian. Not really by choice, but sort of accidentally. I have only been a vegetarian since Wednesday, and I also am the kind of vegetarian that eats fish. I will probably eat meat again this week, but for 4 days, I have eaten a lot of grilled cheese and vegetables in the form of soup. And muffins. Lots of muffins. Oh and hummus and celery and carrots. its just what sounds good. And also what I have in the house, which helps me not have to go to the grocery story. Score! Anyway, it's interesting to not eat meat, makes meals a lot cheaper and easier to make. Someone told me I better start taking iron supplements. I am not too concerned. I am kind of intrigued to see if I could really do this long term. But not that intrigued. I like chicken too much.

Anyway, that is the update for this week. It is Sunday night and I am actually rather looking forward to work this week (yea, ask me tomorrow night, i am sure this will have passed). Big plans this week for some movie watching with the girls, a pedicure, and maybe even some pool time. Yea, I am exciting like that...

Happy

Sometimes I feel like I just need to stop and realize how lucky I am. I don't think I remember it nearly often enough. I mean, day to day life can get anyone down if they let. Work can wear on you, everyday responsibilities can frustrate you, and life can be hectic and crazy. So sometimes it takes getting away from it all to remember how great life is. I have a great home, fantastic friends (both locally and across the world), a good job, two furry animals who love me unconditionally, and the opportunity to travel and see the world as often as I would like.

This week I am at Jessica's lake house. Today we spent the day playing with the babies, and then handed them off to Dusty for a couple of hours so we could head down to the lake. We got on our tubes and floated in the water for almost two hours. Now, while this might have been a poor choice, based upon the SPF 2 sunscreen I had on, and the now burned swimsuit lines I have on my chest and legs, we had a great time. We just stared at the sky and chatted about life and how I need to marry rich (seriously, anyone know anyone??). We made several good attempts at solving the world's problems, but came up a little short when it came to world hunger. Otherwise, though, we did pretty well. We watched a truck try to pull a boat out of the water for the better part of an hour. We watched a ghetto family take the buoys from a boat that didn't belong to them into the water to float on. Basically, we just enjoyed life. It was two hours, but it did me an amazing amount of good. We spent the rest of the day at the house, where I took a huge nap, and woke up so drowsy it took me 20 minutes to figure out exactly what was going on. You know that was a good nap! This evening we cooked dinner. Or rather, the boys tried to cook dinner and we supervised. And Aunt Debs fed some babies and enjoyed some time with these two little angels who now smile when you smile at them. Yea, I get nothing done now that this happens. We took the girls for a walk and solved some more world problems (ok, or my problems, the world can wait). There were no fireworks tonight, but that's ok, I didn't seen any last year either, and I made it through. It actually made me think about some of the cooler Fourth of July nights I have had. Two years ago I kayaked out in the Galveston Channel and we watched the fireworks above our heads while enjoying a cold beverage, or four. I spent a Fourth of July in DC with Joy, we did it up right with the fireworks at the Capitol and the long bus ride home. Joy and I also spent several Fourths on the beaches of Santa Cruz, digging holes and watching hours of fireworks going off over our heads (this was also the death of my favorite fleece after I was hit with a firework...probably a good thing the fleece was on me, or it might have been much worse). I spent some nights at Astrocamp watching the Hemet fireworks from my porch after long days of camp parades and red, white, and blue wars. Last year we hung out at Dawn's parent's house in their pool with Dawn and Chad and Becky and Thomas, drinking watermelon margaritas and barbecuing. Yea, I have had some good summer holiday celebrations.

So, life is good. I am hanging out relaxing this week, and then off to Vegas this weekend for Lacey's bachelorette party. Looking forward to more fun in the sun (hopefully this sunburn won't be a problem by then). And then I am back in town for a while, which is nice, since I feel like I have been in a different city every week since May. I love traveling, but I love being at home as well.