Shaky self-confidence/Trip #2-Denver, Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Flagstaff

Good Morning! I got up around 6 and did my morning routine; including my exercises. Mari got up around 7:30. We are both down 6 pounds. Today was walk the lake day, which means 2.2 miles. I have been having dreams about not being able to do things, that is why the title-shaky self confidence; but I have to remember that I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength and I have to also remember that I can do whatever I put my mind to. I have dealt with so much negativity in the past, but I need to move forward and be positive. Mari and I went to Starbucks and got oatmeal and then came home and made breakfast for all of us. Now I am working on emails. My goal for today is to get our Washington, D.C. trip into a book. I have done house stuff. It is nice to have the laundry done and be able to do something else. I think I will keep trying this. I got an email today from a friend who lives in Arizona and is planning to move to the San Diego area. I thought she was moving the first of the year, but it turns out she is moving next month. I am looking forward to her being here. Rory had gone to the store to buy some things for him. Mari and I do the cooking in this house and plan the menus. I really try to cook healthy, so he buys Hamburger Helper and some hamburger meat. I know what he is going to tell me, is that this is for times when he doesn't like what we eat and we have to make two meals. Major frustration! One for us and one for him. After we had lunch, Mari and I went to the Mac store, to get something she needed for school and then we went to Trader Joe's. Tonight for dinner, I am doing meat with risotto and veges. Came home! This heat is getting me and it wipes out my energy. After we left Irvine Spectrum, we looked at the 5 freeway going south and it was bumper to bumper traffic. I am glad I decided to not go anywhere this weekend. Right now I am just enjoying some quiet time! I am writing a blog, but I would really like to grow in this and I feel like I am starting something totally new and I am scared. Walking into something new is very scary. I know I would love to blog and take pictures and be able to travel and share about where I go and also the history. This is mainly where the shaky self-confidence is coming from as I am walking into something totally new. I have walked Rancho Santa Margarita Lake many times, but I have never seen anyone catch a fish before. I have seen lots of people fishing, but never saw anyone catch a fish:

Mari and I got to talking about working through our insecurities and I came to realize how much the four of us really struggle with that. My goal today was to get our D.C. trip into a book, so I had better get to it. My second trip is to drive to Denver, then to Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico and back home through Flagstaff, AZ. I would have to drive through Las Vegas, NV; which doesn't thrill me, but after leaving Las Vegas, you continue to drive on 15 and then get on to 70, which takes you across the beautiful state of Utah. Arches National Park is close to the 70 and then you enter Colorado and the beautiful Rocky Mountains. I love the mountains and I love National Parks. I have driven this part of the trip before and there is some beautiful country. After you leave Denver, you drive down I-25 to Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico. I have never been to these two places before, but have seen them on TV and would love to further explore them. Then we would head back on I-40, which is part of Route 66(which is something else I want to do). I am a history lover and that is the reason I want to do as much of Route 66 as I can. We would get into Flagstaff, which is a city I like, as it is close to the mountains and then head down 17 to the 10 and head home. I am not a big desert fan, but these areas have some beautiful country attached to them. I am really enjoying the time I have in the afternoon to work on stuff. Mari and I have decided on Wednesday that we are going to install Time Capsule. I did accomplish my goal today of doing a photo book for our Washington D.C. trip. Starting tomorrow I am going to start working on my travel blog and writing it. The first one is going to be about Laguna Canyon Road and I am going to call myself Gypsy Mom-The Virtual Concierge. I am looking forward to that. The rest of tonight, I am going to upload pictures, read and maybe do some writing. Tonight, I just came to realize, how Rory does not handle things that are broken. His car is still giving him fits and I have also been realizing that the refrigerator is not keeping things really cold. It is cool, but not cold. I am going to call Home Depot tomorrow and see if they can send someone out on Monday. This is being too much for him and he was complaining that it was too warm downstairs. We had just gotten done making dinner in the kitchen and it was warm in the kitchen and nice and cool in the living room. He wanted the a/c at 60 degrees. I am not going to freeze in my own house. I really do not like, when he gets into one of these moods. I am going to say good night. Trudi