Lori, I think maybe your mom has forgotten. And it is good to remember the good times and not the bad. My mom died last year and she was almost 91. She lived with us for a yr and a half before she died . There are always troubles that you wish she didn't know about. But I miss her a lot and know that the care she needed was really nothing. I wish I had spent more time visiting with her but I'm not really much of a talker. I thought she would live to be 100 but it didin't work that way. So cherish these last years as much as possible because they'll be gone before you know it.

HI GALS ~

Well we had a great Labor Day here with family, about 16 kids, nieces and nephews, brother and sil, etc came. We did have our shuffleboard, basketball, bocce ball stuff going on but it was just too hot outside. We ended up playing Battle of the Sexes women vs. men. Our gals always win because they know their sports!

Nicole's dad is improving a little each day. She wanted me to be sure to thank all of you for your prayers. So ~ THANK YOU!

WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN WILMA ~ 188.2 for me that is down a couple from last week. I was at 186 on Sunday but came back up to 188 on Tuesday and today. Might ...ok...it was probably the extra beers I had on Monday, plus the three potato salads and pasta salad my ex-wife brought. I did good with the hot dogs and hamburger and chips. I think it was just too much with the beer calories! Angie and I can always do the walks and training together IF I DO IT! She always works out with her walks/runs/yoga. My dogs are not FAT! Great work for DH...you getting a bike too?

CAROL ~ Sorry about your mom...at least you were able to be with her at the end of her life. Thank God for that dear.

AUNT SUE ~ Bet that new camper is awesome. The sharks were NICE sharks My kids just love the beach and ocean...not so much me. Thanks for the encouragement on my work-outs.

DALA ~

LORI ~You are in my prayers that you swim with the dolphins dear!! I sure hope it has settled down with your folks, they sound like such wonderful people. I bet they are just so proud of you for taking care of their grandkids! I know I am proud of you and your husband! Such an awesome thing to do!

ROSEBUD ~ Thanks, I have no secret on the weight loss dear. I just am able to work hard at work, burning a few extra calories some folks aren't able to do because of their jobs. I am eating very well, no bad snacks and leaving the dinner table AFTER I have had enough...not eating for two! I have also added breakfast which is something I have always hated to do...coffeee from 4am until 9:30 then eat! Working out at least 3.1 miles each day on the treadmill has really helped me to maintain my losses. Well happy planting Mrs. Johnny Appleseed

KAREN ~Any news from the folks in San Diego? Has the weather lightened up yet? Treadmill work-outs started?

STEPH ~ Welcome!

Well Angie has a class tonight so I am off with the mutts....God Bless and C-YA!

Hi Gary,
I did call the people in San Diego today--- I wanted to find out if they were still interested and he said they stii are trying to decide between our house and another. I told him that we are really wanting to get the house sold so we can get moved and if we hadn't heard anything in the next few days then next week we will end up having to raise the price and list it with a realtor. So he said he would talk with his wife tonight and get back to me in the next couple days. So I'm hoping that they make a decision one way or the other.
We had a pretty decent day here today up until early evening and then we've had rain since then. I looked out a little bit ago and we have like 50 degrees!! Still haven't got to the treadmill but I did another 3 miles with the Walk Away the Pounds video today. Yesterday was a really "yucky" day and I didn't get any exercise in at all. I know I shouldn't let feeling down get in the way of exercise---- BUT---- I should get back on track now. Keep throwing that this way and I know I'll get to the in the next few days.

Hello to everyone else--- I'll try to get caught up soon! Have a good night!

Carol- So sorry to hear about your mom, it trully is important to make time for the ones we love...
E.Z.- Your doing awesome!!! I must say I luv the ocean, beach, sun, sand surf... Cruising speaking of which Jan. is coming- vacation to florida and carribbean I also am trully ejoying the camper... it is only about 6 foot bigger but that makes so much difference... I do not have to manually light the pilot light for the gas to have hot water, and this one has no musty yucky smell (other had some water damage in the closet in the back so I didn't use the closet, and kept it closed..) but only have about 3 weeks and it will be time to close them up for this year... well double shift tom... so gotta run... still siting on that plateau but hopefully within the next couple days the scale will move again... take care... prayers all!!

HELLO EVERYONE ~ just wanted to check in for a bit; still fightin' this flu; hopefully, I may be near the end (again?) ... Stayed home today as we had 89F temps today (unheard of in September here); way too hot for me. My pop-up screen tent and shelter arrived today; I got such a bad sun-burn last Tuesday that my face looked like a red tomato ~ LOL!

Now, I will have some protection from the sun and the buggies at the same time; nice place to have our picnic lunches; DAD did finally remember to give us a key this time before he left; we can go in there too if we need to if the weather gets too terrible. Last load of soil is at the site; wont' be long before the foundation prep is done now; we have lots of time.

We went to the old homestead and got some more evergreen trees to transplant (these ones are freebees; and free is good); DAD suggested we put them all around the outside of our place as sort of an artificial boundary line; much cheaper than a fence; great idea!!!

So, DH and I are gonna take a few days off to recover from this nasty flu before we do anything more; maybe we have been overdoing it a bit lately; way too much enthusiasm, I guess. Things will be pretty slow around here for the next while ...

Take good care everyone; your fellow encourager ROSEBUD Lots of ^ PRAYERS ^ goin' up for all!

I pray you and hubby are soon feeling great and over the flu luv the idea of trees as a border, provides a privacy screen as well. We are suppose to get the heat tom.. off this weekend camping have to work Sunday evening though, prayers to everyone else enjoy the weekend...

Hello Everybody! It has been another one of those days! My sister still isn’t doing real well and they have decided to take her to Mayo’s clinic to get her completely checked out. So I guess they will move my Dad to one of my brother’s (one brother is living at my Dad’s house) and he will stay with them while she is gone. I keep having this feeling that I’m probably going to have to go back there and help with things but I just hate to leave right now. We’re still hoping to hear from the people in San Diego this weekend and if we haven’t heard from them by Monday I plan to call them. If this doesn’t come through we will have to see maybe about going ahead and listing it with a realtor. But that means we really will need to raise the price to help cover the costs of the commission that they charge. It’s hard to pick up and leave right now financially but I did tell my brothers if they do need me to come back that I will. So the tummy has been kind of doing flip flops and I know it is a lot of stress and the unknown! Trying to keep the house cleaned up and laundry caught up so if I do need to go that I won’t have a lot to do before hand.
I did have a little break from all that today and gave both Ginger and Sissy baths! That usually takes me about 3 hours so I just really enjoyed it today and didn’t “think” so much about anything else for that little bit!

I hope everyone is doing good and I'll try to catch up with everyone later.

Gary, still trying to get to that treadmill! But at least I'm doing the 3 mile WATP's video.

Take care everyone and I'll catch you tomorrow.

HI GALS ~

Well I made my goal this morning and then some! I passed my goal of 185 and hit 184! I then set a new goal to maintain that loss and lose 4 more to 180, for now. I lost 17 pounds in 48 days.

I have been doing a lot of treadmill walks and dog walks. Angie and I did another 3.5 mile walk to Starbucks and I also did 4 miles on the treadmill while I watched football this afternoon. Angie had a "clothes" party at our sister in laws.

We went to Chili's last night and, even though I wanted the Montery Chicken or the big bacon cheese burger, I got salmon with black beans and steamed veggies. Probably why I hit goal this morning.

Tomorrow we have our 911 Rememberance and BBQ at church, it is always awesome! So sad we have to have the day

KAREN ~ I am sorry your sister isn't doing better, I was concerned whn it happened and they said she was OK...just didn't sound right. My prayers! Try giving our 75 pounders a bath!! We don't even try anymore. Sometimes we take them to the Dog Wash, where the tubs are high, but usually to a gal we use that just baby's them! I hope the San Diego folks work out for you. That treadmill work can wait, your dad and other issues are the most important now. I pray all works out for you!

AUNT SUE ~ The camper sounds awesome! Too bad the season is almost over Another cruise? You go girl!!

ROSEBUD ~ I hope you are over the flu bug You sure are busy with the tree planting but sounds like fun with the tent and picnics. I hope the weather stays nice until you have finished your task.

Well gals have a great SUNDAY! Praise HIM!!

HI EVERYONE ~ thanks so much for the concern; I felt so much better today that we went to town to DH's church (I felt good thru the whole service). It was nice to have a whole day and feel good; thanx for the prayers, so grateful; they were so badly needed this time!

GARY ~ CONGRATS on the 17 lbs; way to go! We've planted 31 trees so far, with more to go; but we decided to take it easy for awhile to get over the flu; DH wants to go to the spring tomorrow and also get some more trees while he's there. I said I will go if I feel as good as today!

Also, about bathing those large beautiful dogs; we recently discovered by accident, that our girls love to get bathed at the beach much better than in the bath or sink; they just walked right in, so I took advantage of the opportunity; this is now our new way of bathing them from spring til fall (I pick warm days only) ...

SUE ~ DH says you can come and pick us up any time in that Winabego; hehe! Wow, you are some holidaying girl ~ but you work very hard and you also do all that work with the kiddies thru your church; you deserve some reward for that too (sometimes, GOD sends us gifts here too).

KAREN ~ the MAYO CLINIC has a great reputation; we have heard of it even up here in Canada; prayed that they can get to the bottom of the situation as soon as possible ... ah, the housing market; here the price of houses have gone thru the roof. I just don't know how people can afford to buy one these days; we are going to build instead. Will send up prayers for your housing needs as well ...

HI TO EVERYONE ELSE; hope you are all well; take good care everyone, your fellow encourager ~ ROSEBUD ^ PRAYERS ^ goin' up for all!

E.Z.- Awesome job guy!! You rock! Yeah! this one is Eastern Carribean...Should be fun, we leave in Jan. You know me luv cruising.. ocean...
Karen- Prayers for your ds and the sale of the house, that the stress level drops and you get some down time...
Rosebud- would if I could sold the old winnabago this one needs to be towed and my sportage is way to little, but I do enjoy camping and R & R with my family. This Wed. prayer meeting being held at campground to teens in my youth group getting baptized in the swimming pool at camp and having service and dinner at camp afterward. So that will be cool. Got to run.. Hi to all, in my prayers!!

Karen, What is your sis's health problem? I go to Mayo and it is a very thorough place. They always send you a letter telling you all they did and found. Prayers for your sis.

Hello, Well, my sister left this morning for Mayo's and she will be there in a 28 day program. She has been very stressed and depressed for at least the last year. My Dad had quadruple bypass a year ago this month. We tried to convince her to let Dad go to skilled nursing first when he got out of the hospital but she wanted to take care of him. So they brought him to his home at first. Then decided it was better to have him at her house so they set up a room for him there with his recliner, TV and some other things of his. But I'm afraid that she just didn't realize all the care that it would take and what the effect on her family would be. So she began drinking a little more beer than she should, don't get me wrong, I like a beer too but have learned when one or two taste good that doesn't mean more will be better. But then her husband had her see a new Dr. and he put her on anti-depressants. But I am almost sure that she was still drinking too much and ended up abusing both the beer and the anti-depressants. She has had lots of critizism (sp) from her husband and children which hasn't helped. The idea of Mayo's was her husbands and I hope they can help her to think more clearly but I'm afraid that she won't really want to stay and give her all to it. Anyway, I Thanks all of you for your prayers and keep them coming. Both for her and that we can sell the house and get moved back there so I can help out with my family. It is so hard when I'm 900 miles away!

Hi Everybody!

My husband, Bob, and I celebrated our THIRTIETH wedding anniversary today!!

I have a weird question for all of you!

I started counting calories a couple of weeks ago and for the most part have been doing extremely well. I find it a good fit for my lifestyle. I am 300 or so pounds so I have a LOT of weight to lose, but in those 2 weeks my stomach/abdomen was actually going down! Bob and I went to Macaroni Grill for lunch and I indulged - not terrible, but over the calorie limit for sure. Then they gave us a free dessert which we shared. Anyway, tonight my stomach is all bloated! It seems so weird to me that ONE meal would do that!

Has anyone had this happen? I mean it's been 10 hours since I've eaten a thing! What is that? I was getting used to the bloat being gone and here it is after one anniversary lunch!!

CONGRATS Gary on reaching your goal!

Prayers going up for all the requests!!

Have a GREAT Tuesday!
Lori [/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

Lori, I wish I knew what that was and I hope someone tells you. I take prednisnoe so I thought it might be related to that. But I''ll feel fine for a few days and then all of a sudden by abodomen seems much bigger. I'm at about 180lb but have had 10 kids so that has ALWAYS been my problem area. I just Sat. started to do a new exercise program called Shapely Secrets. It's basically isometric exercises and I hope this might help. I've been learning a few things lately. Like last night we went with some of our kids to Red Lobster. From now on I hope to remember to order just a salad and appetizer because the main dishes are just too much for me. I have the clean your plate mentality from my youth so I don't finish it all but feel bad for wasting. We went to another restaraunt a few weeks ago and I now know when we go there that soup and salad is PLENTY!

I am new here and see you are a close bunch.
I hope you can help me. My husband and I are having trouble. We have been married for 17 years and have always had the same two issues- sex and my weight. It always seems when I gain weight I am less desirable to him and I am less interested.
This has been our problem for our entire marriage. Lately, my husband won't talk to me and he says he is praying for a change in himself, because he can't change me. The isolation is driving me crazy and I need some prayers to get thru this. I have no one to talk to, because everyone thinks we have a perfect marriage.
Every diet I try works for 2 days and I never seem to keep with it. I thought maybe God wants me to give it to him?
I am starting a new journey of better choices TODAY- prayer, water, exercise, smaller portions...
PLease pray for me & my new journey, my husband and our marriage. Thank you.