Interview with an Adrianne

After reading many of these little blog interviews between Christina and her friends I decided to have a go. I would have just answered in the comment section of Christina's blog but then you cannot include photos, and I just had to. So you are all welcome to enjoy. Or not. That's your choice.
1. What is your greatest strength? Oy a Job interview question! What sisterly position are you hiring for? I'm a fighter. This could obviously be taken and applied in numerous ways and its true in more ways than one. (Ultimately I fobbed this answer off of Jon but I agree.) In trying to come up with an answer, I turned to the internet for help (as questioning the magic iPod didn't seem appropriate). "Greatest Strength" turns up countless results for how to answer this as an interview question, also discussed is how your greatest strength can also be your greatest weakness. Well my answer would be case in point. And we'll just move along...
2. What is the most trouble you've ever been in?
We-ell there are times I should have been in big trouble... I guess that would have to be the time I stole the mayor's car accidentally kidnapping his nephew, but that's all been expunged from my record, so I won't mention that. OK! Middle School- Grade 8 I was sent to the principals office by the gym teacher, who falsely accused me of swearing at her. I did not do it! (hence the falseness of the accusation) The principal called dad while we were in his office and he told me dad said he could see that happening. I was indignant and crushed! (It was much later when I questioned dad about it and he told me he would never have said any such thing.) Subsequently I served a full day of in-school suspension. It was very emotionally harrowing, not to mention boring. 3. What was your favorite toy/doll/game from your childhood? Ignoring your request for a singular answer... Mandy doll Barbies My Little Pony(s) (Ask Ritch to sing the song for you) Monchhichi

4. 80's fashion or 70s couture? While I was an avid participant in 80s fashion and thought I was cool at the time, I now mock/ groan/wince when I see 80s inspired fashion. My answer is 70s couture, I like this answer about 70s fashion appeal.
5. Who is your favorite younger sister? Is this multiple choice? Give me a hint. Can I get back to you? Well, here are the rules: 1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” 2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions. 3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions. (If you don't have a blog, well—I guess you could do it in the comments section of this post, if you really, really want to.) 4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. 5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. **If any of the rest of you are interested you should also include a choice for your interviewer, since this is really not my blog. :)

Super Heroes Anyone?

I stole this from Christina's blog. Its interesting, I really feel like I understand my true calling in life now...

I imagine a few of you might also be yearning for the knowledge this simple quiz can bestow.

Try it and post your results in the comment section.

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 75% Green Lantern 65% Hulk 60% Robin 50% Superman 50% Wonder Woman 47% Supergirl 47% The Flash 40% Batman 40% Iron Man 40% Catwoman 35%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

As promised...

The Library of Congress
Sorry about the creepy eyes. I couldn't fix that.

More L.O.C.
Can you see just how stunning this building is?
The Rose Compass
Yeah, just like in The Da Vinci Code! I was expecting to find some kind of conspiracy going on and a creepy albino monk lurking behind one of the pillars in the library. Or perhaps I might stumble upon some symbolism leading me to a long-forgotten tomb exactly beneath the library, which contains valuable information on the location of the Holy Grail?! Well, fine. It's just a library, but this ain't no city library THAT'S for sure!
Ain't that the truth?
You're all welcome to come out here and see this and other awesome sites! :) I should be working for the D.C. Board of Tourism or something!

Happy Mother's Day!

I would love to have sent all you lovely ladies some beautiful flowers but the time and money issue... I really do cherish each of you. I hope you all get a special something from your little families (a smile, a kiss, even a squeeze).

I was emailed this cute "poem" and I think I'll share...

      Before I was a Mom
 I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
 I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
 I never thought about immunizations.

 Before I was a Mom-I had never been:
 Puked on.
 Pooped on.
 Chewed on.
 Peed on.
 I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
 I slept all night.

 Before I was a Mom
 I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
 Or give shots.
 I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
 I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
 I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

 Before I was a Mom
 I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to
 put them down.
 I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I
 couldn't stop the hurt.
 I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
 I never knew that I could love someone so much.
 I never knew I would love being a Mom.

 Before I was a Mom -
 I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
 I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
 I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
 I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so
 important and happy.

 Before I was a Mom -
 I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to
 make sure all was okay.
 I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the
 wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

 I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.
 

Here are some flowers for you today.

We are LONELY BISHOP bloggers!

Teacher Appreciation Dinner-We honored 25 local teachers with a 4-course dinner and tributes written by the youth!



I'm trying to step up my techno life a notch and check this blog group every other day! I enjoy reading about Christina and her groupies, however, I do enjoy hearing from the BISHOP blog group as well!

Let's challenge ourselves to check this site at least 2 times a week!

My new healthy living started yesturday: 1 Slim Fast for breakfast 1 Slim Fast for Lunch Healthy size salad for dinner Vitamins in morning and moving all day long chasing Jessica and Carson and taking High Schooler to TRACK practice FOOTBALL camp various social outings etc. (Can't wait until he gets license in January!!!) I hope to lose 10 pounds by reunion. I've put this off LONG enough. Life is so busy and stressful now that it is difficult to stick to anything when emotions run so high!!

Kristin-Let me know of details of activities so food planning can commence! What was the link to your nutritional drink?

Eating with Christina in DC

"Be a Builder"

Three weeks ago, I taught a lesson to 3 teenage girls and 3 teenage boys who need to learn more about communicating effectively with peers. The one lesson that I hope will stick and that I continue to reinforce is to "be a builder." That means instead of cutting your peers down with sarcaism or demeaning remarks, you should build them up with a positive comment and praise for things they do well.

So BE A BUILDER TODAY and praise someone on their accomplishments!!

Random Shots of Christina in DC & elsewhere

Hi folks! It's about time someone posted to the blog again, so I decided it should be me. To make it interesting, I thought I'd post some random pictures of myself or some events I've participated in the recent past. Some may actually be outside of DC, but whatever. Enjoy!

This first picture is at my friend Heather Collier Smith's wedding in Atlanta, GA. She looked beautiful! I'm glad I could be there for her big day. It was a lot of fun to see her and other friends at the same time.

Here I am enjoying the gorgeous weather in GA, while talking on the phone to my friend Marin in England. Ah...if only Spring looked like that here.

And here I am posing cheesily with a lovely flowering tree...only moments before a HUGE sneezing fit! I guess I asked for it, by putting my face right up to the flowers, eh?

Here I am on the National Mall w/ my friend Spencer...posing like the nerds that we are. It had been beautiful weather but it's gone back to being cold, windy and occasionally rainy. Mild, but not what it was...Wah. This day we were caught off guard by the strength of the wind. Brrrr!









Yaaargh! The Washington Monument is coming out of my neck!

And here is the spotted horsey that I rode on the carousel on the National Mall. Weeeeeeeee!!










These last two pictures are from the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade that took place this weekend (Sat. Apr. 14th). I'm sitting with my friends Jamie, Becky and Allison after we took care of our ushering duties. The other picture is of the Cherry Blossom Princesses. Ah lovely.

Our ward volunteered last year to work as ushers at the parade for the patrons who buy tickets to sit in the grandstands along the parade route. Because of my calling on the activities committee, I was put in charge of organizing the volunteer effort. It was a lot of fun to put together and to execute. I am very glad that it's over with, however. Very tiring! We had no actual cherry blossoms left for the parade. A snow storm took care of them a week ago, but it was still fun. We were pleased that it also wasn't too cold and that it didn't rain on us! Hooray!

And this concludes my post (finally)! Please comment or post your own entries about what has been going on in your lives! I love you all!

NY and DC for Spring Break!!!

Seeing Christina and Charles and Marie Whitaker was a highlight during our Spring Break tour of New York and Washington DC. although we experienced "the worst Snow Storm of the Eastern states in 14 years" (14 inches of snow in PA), it did not slow us down. We saw New York in a day, including the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Toys R Us-HUGE. Marie watched Jessie which made it possible to get around New York quicker.

We met Christina at the Capitol building in DC and had a great tour. Lunch at Uno's pizza in Union Station was great because Jessie was asleep. The Natural History museum was interesting and the kids even got to hold real bugs!!!

We can't wait for the reunion to see other family!!!

Aren't they cute?

About a week ago I realized the "Photo Club" I joined at Picture People was about to expire so I called up my sister-in-law Sherida and asked her to toss her daughter Claire in a nice outfit and figured we'd get a few cute shots. Oh boy! It is HARD to get 3 little kids to all stay still AND smile at the same time! It did not help that the photographer was not exactly superb. Riley was the easiest to direct but was getting bored, Kael was easy to get to smile but not to keep seated or looking at the camera, and Claire was hard to get to smile looking at the camera or stay put. The photographer would say, "Where's Claire?" she'd look and then Kael would turn to Claire and point at her saying, "Here she is!" This is one of the best we managed, not a brilliant showcase of how cute they all are, but a memory in print none the less. No wonder there aren't more official family photos with all of us! :)

All right Mom and Dad!

Sweet. You did it. At first, I too was unable to figure out how to post my own message instead of just a comment. I was determined not to ask computer-master Jon because of course he'd know! Well after a bit I noticed at the top of the main page is a solid blue bar and at the right end "New Post." So I tried it and it worked. I didn't give a long description before because I didn't want to look technologically challenged. Ah well, I'll never appear truly masterful because we'd just assume Jon was telling me all the tricks. (Which is generally true :) )
Mom you should have a menu bar at the top of your screen, not necessarily the top of the page, which has an option for "Bookmarks" try that. Or ask Jon.
I'm really not trying to bag on Jon, I just want to be cool too. ;)

Testing...Testing...1, 2, 3...

I was just trying out the "adding pictures" option. Heather was trying to do the same and was having problems, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. If anyone else has problems with posting pictures, would you please let me know? I want to try and figure it out so that we can all share pics when we want to!

By the way, this is a picture from my day-long trip to NY in January. It was bitter cold and exhausting, but absolutely all kinds of fun! I loved it! In the picture taken at Times Square are, from left to right: Josh Richey, Me, Jen Keng, Bethany Durham and Justin Scott. All are from my ward and lots of fun! Random connection - Bethany went to the same high school as Will Whitaker and even went on a date or two with him. Small world!

Okedie doke I'll try it

So it only took me 20 minutes to get the keyboard to myself so I could type real words. As soon as I opened the window to write a comment Kael took over the keyboard. He was particularly amused by the sound he was able to elicit from the computer each time he pushed one of the volume keys...
(OK so a quick tip to posting your own message its in the upper right of your screen)
*A favorite low cal snack are the caramel mini rice cakes, better than other flavors, it just like caramel popcorn.
Stephanie I don't think I'll try your Dad's diet but I was thinking of volunteering at the hospital in a communicable ward and vomiting out a few pounds.
Hey we have blossoms on the trees and lots of daffodils blooming around here. How 'bout you guys?

Just Figuring "Blogging" out

I suppose this is a new post that others will respond to so I should say something worth commenting on! I ate tootsie rolls and diet coke for lunch today!!

Weight Loss Tips O' the Day!

Weight-Loss 1,2,3's

Crunching your numbers keeps the pounds melting off.

After watching the show, you may have noticed the Biggest Loser basics. Keep your calories down. Consume food and drinks low in fat and sugar. Eat smaller portioned meals, natural carbohydrates, lots of fruits and vegetables, and foods high in fiber. The more you repeat these ideas to yourself, the more likely they are to become beliefs. That is, if you don't become bored in the process. So here's a fresh way to remind yourself of your new lifestyle--that's by the numbers.

1) Eat. Eat 5 to 6 meals a day, spaced about 3 hours apart, in order to curb cravings and keep your metabolism humming along.

2) Drink. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of ice-cold water a day. Water flushes out your system and can help suppress your appetite by filling up your stomach.

3) Exercise. Exercise 3 to 6 times a week, for at least 1 hour each time. Burn off the fat with cardio, and use weight training to create shape and develop lean muscle.

Each night, add up your day. Did you drink, eat, and exercise enough? Answer yes and you've got yourself a surefire formula for successful weight loss and maintenance.

I got these from The Biggest Loser Club emails that I get nearly every day. You can sign up for that if you want, by following the link below. Happy dieting!

Want more fitness tips? Join us at The Biggest Loser Club, you'll find more useful articles and strategies to succeed in your weight-loss goals. See what it's like to be a member of the club. Start a 10-day Risk-Free Trial today! Take a tour now and peek at special features from all 3 seasons of The Biggest Loser, get free recipes, see sample meal and fitness plans, read exclusive interviews with cast members, and shop for Biggest Loser products. More Tips for Keep You Motivated Today...
From Women's Health: Priceless Strength and Winter Workouts: In From the Cold.
From Prevention: 7 Steps to a Safe Workout and The Best and Worst Drugs for Women.

Bloggity Blog Gorp

Welcome Bishop Family Bloggers!!! It's official! We have entered the great blogosphere! So...what does this mean, you ask? What on earth is a blog? Try clicking here to learn more. There, did that help? There are so many cool things we can use this blog for...keeping each other in the loop on things we're doing, thinking, etc. I know, I know, we have email for that as well. True. BUT, I am hoping, at least for those of us who are prone to procrastination (i.e. all original Bishops), that the novelty of the blog might inspire us to be a little more communicative! Let's see how long this lasts, eh?

Another major benefit I see is that we can get the nieces and nephews on this thing and hear what they are doing and what they think about this or that. We're scattering more and more now and this can help us feel not so far away from each other!

Hey, another thing we can use this blog for is tracking or encouraging each other in the family weight loss challenge! Don't you think it would be great to post links to inspiring websites or recipes or other such information on here? Fun AND informative!

Well, whatever you choose to use this blog for, I hope you do use it. This is an experiment, but I think it can be a really fun and interesting one! So, bloggers, on your marks...get set...GO!!!