Just checking in. Prayers for everyone in southern CA! Barbara - that is GREAT news indeed.
Gary - don't use all that company as an excuse to go off plan - LOL Glad you are looking for a silver lining in all of this and enjoying your new-found popularity! We will continue to keep everyone in prayer.

HI GALS ~

Things are better here on the fire reports. My kids are still included in the evacuations though, many are able to go home. The smoke and ash is really bad at my house today as the winds shift...but the winds are down, which is helping our AWESOME FIREFIGHTERS!

The kids all eat whatever Angie and I make without complaining, they always have, so that isn't a problem with my plan. They actually, other than knucklehead nephew, eat healthy. The problem is....I brought in some chips and dip for easy snacking the first day...I am the one that keeps sneaking into the bags ....but seriously, I have been pretty good considering we are pretty much confined to the house right now due to the poor air. Good news is...my weight is still going between 172-174 as it has for two weeks...no loss though

I am sending a link to the fires ~ on the right, in the middle, is an interactive map that is pretty informative...as you click on the fires, the RICE CANYON fire is the one that effects my son and daughter in law....that one and the ones on Camp Pendelton are the 3 closests to us right now.

To find the fires by me ~ look at the bottom of the state and for Oceanside....there is a group of fires just to the right...in the middle, as you move your mouse, the Rice fire (the kids) should show up...the Wilcox fire is the the other one closest to us, the Coronado fire is closest of all to us, but it is 100% contained and may be out by now.

Thanks for the prayers ~ Right back at'cha
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21466781/from/ET/

Barbara, That is just wonderful news!!

I can't...it's stuck!

I'm tossing them out Rennie~ I don't want to start us up with another bad habit!!!

Dawn - good to see that you convinced Gary to give up the chips! You are such an encourager and motivator on this forum!
Gary - glad to hear that you are still keeping your sense of humor through it all. I'm also happy to hear that the firefighters are starting to win this battle. I agree - they are an awesome group of people indeed!!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful day! I pray that you were able keep everything in balance today - eating, playing, sleeping, working, praying ...
Blessings to all

HELLO TO EVERYONE ~

GARY ~ prayed all week about your fires; glad things are much better there now and you are all safe. Prayers for all those who have lost homes and family also. Will pray that the air will clear of smoke and ash soon too.

Glad your gov(s) have stepped forward to offer consolation and hope (to rebuild). Thought that was neat how the rabbis are praying and offering their compound as a haven for those brave firefighters.

Thanx for prayers for our little town; one company had a NO VOTE for strike, so the jobs were saved; and friends are relieved. One company is closed (even machines have been removed; that doesn't sound good), but if the head company goes bankrupt, somebody else could buy up our division (which was a money-making plant). The head company got into financial difficulty after expanding too much. The third (The Railway) has a partial strike force; haven't heard about any more strikes, closings, or layoffs yet (so that's a good sign).

CONGRATS TO WILMA ~ on your recent weightloss.
KAREN ~ Nice pics of the mountains; what a fabulous view!
SHY ~ is our resident JUNK OFFICER (no candy bars or chippies) ... LOL!

HELLO TO EVERYONE ELSE ~ everyone seems to be doing great! Take good care of yourselves; your fellow encourager ROSEBUD ^PRAYERS^ are floating upwards, ever still; for YOU and YOURS!

GOOD MORNING GALS ~

The smoke is clearing here, getting easier to breath. I don't think Angie wants to risk the dogs out in it yet. The news advises us not to be out for extended periods of time until after the week-end. So no Starbucks walk for the mutts this morning..........they will be without their Staurday water latte

We went to dinner last night with the kids. We already had plans to meet my son and daughter in law . Even though they had spent most of the week here, they wanted to go anyway. My daughter came up and joined us since she was coming up here anyway to my nieces HALLOWEEN party.... son in law A.K.A. kidnapper, had a class and couldn't join us ....strange though he never misses a free meal

I put some new pictures over in mini-goals. We took them before we went to dinner last night. I am starting to look thinner!

I will be back later....off to uncrate the mutts and throw them into bed with ANGIE!

Great new avatar, Gary.

Gary, Love the new avatar and I checked out your pics in the mini goals-- WONDERFUL!! You have done amazing!

Gary - love the new pictures! Angie must be so much fun!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Off to get some cleaning done - ugh!

GARY ~ Awwwe ... your poor little Golden Girls are locked up in jail ... crates? Why, to keep them from bolting from doggy-prison? Poor darlings ... will pray doubly hard for that all the nasty smoke and ash to leave quickly. I saw some pics of Angela in the Mini-Goals; she looks great, as usual. Everyone here agrees ...

Not too much goin' on around here; got some more snow today. It's a frozen mess out there, so everyone's staying home tonight (roads aren't safe). Been keepin' on plan and tryin' to get lots of walking in (before that slushy snow came, I mean). Not looking forward to walking in that; think we'll have a HOE-DOWN instead ~ LOL!

HELLO TO EVERYONE ELSE ~ CONGRATS ~ CUZ YOU ALL LOOK GREAT; take good care and have a great week ~ your fellow encourager ROSEBUD ^PRAYERS^ for you and yours continue ...

Just checking in after our Halloween party across the street...I am happy there was beer there

ROSEBUD ~We have always crated our dogs at night...they love it! If I don't say "who's ready to go night-night" by 9:00...one of my dogs comes up and starts barking at me by 9:30 EVERY night...I swear...they love their crates. The crates are in the garage, in a room...our gym. I put them to bed, with their blankets and of course a cookie...then shut off the lights and close the door. I don't hear a peep from them until I let them out in the morning...4th of July...don't ever hear a sound from them. They love it! They feel safe. Oh, and my Angela does look great.

LORI ~Thanks for the compliments...but we are just "normal" people...OK...Angie is normal!

LAURIE ~The more $$$$ I give her the more fun she is

RENNIE ~Looks can be deceiving...

KAREN ~Nothing amazing....I just ATE BETTER and I exercised to the amount of about 6 miles a day WALKING....it does take time...it does take a little effort...but it can be done!

CAROL ~Thanks, I am happy about the pics in mini-goals! I finally look skinny!

Hello Everyone! I thought that I would pop in for a few minutes here. I just took this picture about 20 minutes ago and can you believe that is “smoke” from the California fires!! We usually have such a good clear view of Pikes Peak but not today!

I’m still getting laundry done and hoping that things move on the house but still waiting and TRYING to be patient!

Sure hope everyone has a good day and I'll try to check back later.