I also have another update. I have been dieting since Monday, April 21, 2008. Its about 2+ months later and I am down 33 lbs. I have lost an average of about 0.5 lb a day or 3.5 lbs per week. I hope to lose another 67 lbs. I'll give another update in August!

It has been a long, long time since I have updated the old blog. So it is time to dust off the keyboard and give you guys a peer into the current happenings of the Benore household.

First, I am starting my last summer class tomorrow. I have registered for my last semester at Liberty University. So ... the countdown begins. So far I have been able to maintain a solid 3.5 GPA. And let me tell you: finance, accounting, economics, are not among my favorite classes. Truth be told I really enjoy classes like Organizational Behavior, Executive Leadership and Management, and Servant Leadership. I even had a technology class - but for some in technology - it was nothing new.

The Apartment gig is going terrifically. Can't blog about details, but still love it.

Our house is still for sale. The market is kind of slow, but it is among the strongest in the nation. So we have high hopes for a summer sale.

This fall we are starting a new class at church. Our old Sunday school class is "planting" a new class geared toward the younger couples without kiddos. I taught once a month in the old class, but will teach every other week in the new class.

Shantell has accepted a job at a small private Christian school called ACI. More details as they come later.

Our budget right now is extremely tight, with the economy in a slump, us paying for a house we do not live in, and Shantell's lack of income for the past few months. We are getting the bills paid, but I am not sure we will be doing any traveling home this year. I have 3 days of vacation to use, but I can't imagine gas prices or airline tickets will be cheap enough to fly out. If we do make it home it will be for a very short period - but don't hold your breath.

That's the latest for now. Must get up for work tomorrow. Goodnight!

(That's "Hello from Rome") News and stories from our Roman trip will come later, but for now ... go to our Picasa Photo page to see all the pictures we have taken through Saturday. And since it is 1:07 am Monday here in Rome, it is way past my bedtime. Chow!

Edit: I forgot to include a link to the Picasa page ... http://picasaweb.google.com/kevinbenore.

I have added a new link to our blog called "Our Photo Gallery". This will take you to our Picasa Web Photo Album. I am not posting the link here, because the link is on the blog menu.

For those who do not know, Picasa is a software program that allows you to manage digital photos, organize them, touch them up, and even upload them to the web. Picasa is free and is owned by Google. I use it because it is very easy to use and put pictures up fast. We have lots of pictures up there, so enjoy them all. If you do not have an easy way to manage your photos or if you want to put your photos out on the web to share with others ... try Picasa.

It has been awhile since I posted anything, but wanted to say Happy New Year! 2007 was a whirlwind, with Kevin graduating and starting a second master's degree and both Kevin and Shantell taking positions as event planners at a downtown apartment through Apartment Life. Kevin has finished 18 out of 45 hours of his MBA. That means he is 40% done! He did get one "B", so his GPA is only a mere 3.83 (probably the best career GPA he has ever had).

We have had some requests for pictures of the new digs ... so as soon as we clean up the place, will post a few. That's it for now. Happy New Year!

Here are the course names, dates, and a short description of the courses I will take this spring.

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BUSI 520 - Strategic Marketing Management
Jan 14, 2008 - Mar 09, 2008
This course is designed to provide the M.B.A. student with a working knowledge of the steps involved in the analytical and decision-making processes involved in formulating, implementing and controlling a strategic marketing program for a product market entry. In addition, this course covers topics such as: 1) relationships among corporate, business level and tactical strategies; 2) relationships between marketing strategy and the internal/external operating environments of an organization; and 3) relationships between marketing and other functional areas of the organization. This course also explores the influence of technology on business-to-business (B to B) and consumer-to-business (C to B) markets.

BUSI 620 - Global Economic Environment
Jan 14, 2008 - Mar 09, 2008
This course covers the tools of microeconomics useful in the analysis of producer and consumer behavior. The economics of demand, production and cost, and pricing and output decisions in a market system form the core of an approach adapted to the challenges faced by managers in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors of the economy. The coverage is from the domestic, as well as global perspectives.

BUSI 502 - Servant Leadership
Mar 17, 2008 - May 09, 2008
The MBA leadership track follows a holistic approach that deals with the heart, the head, and the hands. Servant leadership aims at the heart. This course blends the academic leadership theory of servant leadership with applied biblical integration. The Liberty University School of Business embraces the biblically-based Servant Leadership as the normative approach to leadership. As a theory, servant leadership is supported by a growing body of academic literature. Students learn practical lessons, applying the principles they are learning in the course while shepherding their teams through required tasks.

BUSI 561 - Legal Issues in Business
Mar 17, 2008 - May 09, 2008
This course provides the student with a foundational knowledge of the legal issues that both start-up and established business enterprises face. Armed with this wisdom, the student will more correctly assess an organization's need for competent legal advice from an experienced professional in matters of contracts, corporations, employment, insurance, intellectual property, international trade, leases, limited liability organizations, partnerships, and homeland security concerns.

As many of you know, I am taking 4 classes this fall. 2 for the first mini-semester, 2 for the second. Well the first set of classes has completed. I have finished BUSI 501 - Executive Leadership & Management and BUSI 512 - Managerial Information Technology. The good news is, I got "A"s in both. So this means I have a solid 4.0 in my Liberty career. Who knows if I will finish with a 4.0, but it certainly is a good start.