Shy - you are doing GREAT! Look how far you have come. I know what you mean about wishing it would go faster. But, even if I exercise twice a day - it still only averages out to 200-300 calories burned. So, it will never be a way to lose a lot of weight - maybe a couple lbs. a month if I am consistent.

I use resistance bands and weights for my upper body workout. I am blessed to have a multi-station weight machine in our bedroom - but I find that boring if I do it too much. I like using Leslie's lower body and upper body and abs workout videos. She also has one that is just firming and uses the pink stretchie band. It is a really good workout without being aerobic. The 10 Minute Solution Pilates workout uses a purple stretchie (it comes with the video) and is another nice upper body workout. I like using the videos because I can't cheat. When I do my own thing, I tend to look at the clock and quit earlier than I do if I am in "class".

Great day today - last day of work before vacation :)
I re-gifted the homemade bear claws, the box of chocolates and gave away several cookie trays that magically appeared on my desk while I was out. The giver was appropriately thanked and will never know what I did, of course.

I did feel a bit guilty when I tossed out the cookie that the special education students made and delivered to my office. I thanked them profusely and then pitched the cookie after they left. I NEVER would have done that in the past. Just a bit of guilt hanging on ...

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. I don't know how much I will be posting over the next couple weeks. Blessing to all - and prayers continuing :)

:tree: HELLO EVERYONE ~ just a quick check-in; very late.

I have been really busy lately too: had some family things to deal with. Even though it is Christmastime, life goes on and people need help desperately to deal with tragedies that occur in their lives. Have been spending mega-hours on the phone trying to comfort, console, encourage, support, and pray for those who are in need at this time in my family.

For those of you who have a spare minute, I would appreciate prayers for my brother RPS (GOD knows who he is) who urgently needs help, strength, and peace of mind right now; actually, he needs a miracle really, if it's GOD's will. He just accepted the Lord, quit drinking and smoking, but is still facing a horrific personal challenge that I can't talk about right now (very private).

Our family is hurting very badly right now; a lot of sadness and so much crying. Thank you, so much; you don't know how much it means to us. :hug: ROSEBUD:hug:

GOOD MORNING GALS :coffee:

It is the 5am hour here and I have been up for an hour....hard to sleep in on your day off sometimes when you are used to getting up at 3:45 all week! Just me and CBS Saturday Morning show...the girls are all asleep...although not for long.

Ended up getting a day of work in yesterday...that will help pay for a couple of months of life insurance the :p kidnapper son in law :p sold me the night before. the only reason I buy anything from him is 'cause my daughter gets 1/2 of the commission. To think he gets a "share" of our measley estate when I go....oh well...life's challenges ;)

Angie and I went to California Pizza Kitchen for :love: date night :love:, we shared a 1/2 of a half Greek salad then I had a tomato-basil pizza and she had a Mediterranean pizza. I doggie bagged half mine and she had a little more than 1/2 to bring home for lunch today. Way better than I would have done in the past :carrot: I stopped at one beer too, but I did have 2 after work before we went. That's if you can call it beer since it was MGD's....right LAURIE ;)

After dinner we went to our produce market for some week-end and Christmas goodies, went to Staples for some supplies Angie needed and to Linens and Things for a picture frame I needed for a gift I am making my daughter. I drew her name in the extended family exchange, I have about 25 pictures of me and her together that I am putting, collage style, in a frame for her.....gives my :p kidnapper son in law :p something to look at every single day on his living room wall...HIS FATHER IN LAW!!...I'll get even :devil: yet!! :carrot:

Our family/friend college football bowl games pool is off and running. There are 21 of us in it at $10...so far I have 2 out of 2 wins!

Well I have to "send the dogs" in on Angie...she doesn't like to be in bed after 6am and She won't get up until I send them in for their morning snuggle with her....

I'll be back...soon!

Probably my last post for a while - heading out for California later today. I will check in when I can. I want to wish all of you a blessed and wonderful Christmastide :)

Rosebud - we will keep your brother and family in our prayers. God can and does provide miracles to his children. We know that all things are possible for those that trust God. You are a person of strong faith - your family is blessed to have you as a source of comfort and counsel.

Dawn, I have Richard's videos too. Great idea to convert them to DVD. They may be hokie, but they are fun and really do make me sweat! They are the only vhs workouts that I have kept through the years.

Gary, LOL - yes MDG counts as beer - all my calorie guides say so. But for me, if I am gonna drink my calories - DH's dark chocolate stout can't be beat. I will think of you often as we visit many of the excellent microbreweries in San Francisco next week. http://img44.exs.cx/img44/2303/borracho.gif

Prayers continuing for everyone - blessings!

I'M BACK

Angie and I just got home from our 3.5 mile walk to Starbucks. It's the "personal trainers" spa day ;) A walk to Starbucks...they :love: some of Angie's scone and other treats for sitting :) nice while we enjoy our :coffee: and tea, they :love: that....then the walk home which they :love: especially when we go through :bunny2: bunny park. Then they go off to the groomer for a bath and haircut which they :mad: hate! :mad: It's a hard knock life even for pets sometimes ;)

Angie just took the girls on her way to bell choir practice. I have a nice quiet house again....:)

LAURIE ~ Have a great time on your trip. I love San Francisco...to visit. I like the little beer icon! I have never been much of a dark beer drinker, I do like some but for the most part, not much of a fan....lightweight here ;) You have no reason to feel guilty about that :cookie: cookie! The givers enjoyed making the gift....they enjoyed giving it....you enjoyed receiving it...they were happy to see you get it...PURPOSE of the gift SERVED! After all we didn't see the gift of Jesus's birth...but we got it...purpose served!

SHY ~ Maybe you should take some of that $$$ and pay someone to clean that room for a change then invite the girls over ;) I'll try to have a good time with the :p son in law :p but probably won't happen :no:...unless his gift to me this year is He's leaving my daughter! :broc: I hope the new year gets that other half of your goal accomplished! Enjoy the days ahead with your family, what a wonderful time for us!

ROSEBUD ~ I am so sorry :( for your pain. I have sent up :angel: prayers for your brother, you and family as you go through this tough time. I hope you find some :angel: peace in the glorious days ahead :hug:

CADAVIS ~ :welcome:

Well ladies I believe I am caught up. May all of you have a wonderful CHRISTMAS with your families...if I don't check in before...I am sure I will...but if not...here is a Christmas :hug: for you ALL! May Our GREAT/AWESOME Lord Bless You All In The Next Year!...of course WE know He will! May you all have PEACE ~ Gary

Hello All and MERRY CHRISTMAS I just received this in an email and wanted to share it with you! Have A Great Weekend!

Santa Clause

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: 'There is no Santa Claus,' she jeered. 'Even dummies know that!'

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her 'world-famous' cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. 'No Santa Claus?' She snorted....'Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go.'

'Go? Go whe! re, Gra ndma?' I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun.

'Where' turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars.

That was a bundle in those days. 'Take this money,' she said, 'and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car. 'Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself.
The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, and the people who went to my church.

I was just about thought out, when I sudde! nly tho ught of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class.

Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!

I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

'Is this a Christmas present for someone?' the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down.
'Yes, ma'am,' I replied shyly. 'It's for Bobby.'

The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening! , Grand ma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, 'To Bobby, From Santa Claus' on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk.

Then Grandma gave me a nudge. 'All right, Santa Claus,' she whispered, 'get going.' I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.

Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood! Bobby.

Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes.
That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care....

And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!

OK--Just want to let you all know that you will need the Kleenex handy for this one!! It really makes you stop and think!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zCdZwitrNoY

:tree: Very grateful to those of you who are praying for my brother and family. And very thankful to JESUS for bringing the good news of GOD's LOVE, and HOPE, and PEACE to us all!!!

Now we must TRUST that our loving Father, in heaven, still has everything under control, and that everything will work out for good, for those who love him!

A restaurant in our town is putting on a free Christmas dinner for those who have no invites or family to spend the day with; I hope this becomes a yearly tradition that never ends ...

Have a wonderful week, everyone; and blessings to all ~ ROSEBUD :hug:

HI GALS ~ :wave:

Well :clause: is on his way and the SPIRIT :tree: is upon us here isn't it ladies!

I hope the days ahead bring JOY ~ PEACE and COMFORT as HE wishes for us.

Today Angie and I will probably take the mutts on a long walk then go for breakfast. I am having my windshield repaired today so I need to be home while that is done. Gives me a chance to help Angie clean up a bit for our company tonight.

This afternoon we will celebrate our family Christmas gift exchange. My daughter and :p kidnapper son in law :p are going to :p his :p grandparents for Christmas Day so we need to do ours before the extended family get together tonight. We will have close to 25 family and friends over. This year we are having carnitas, something easy and good that can be re-heated for those coming a little late. After our party tonight we have our late service for church at 10:00 ....moved up from the 11:00 we had for years...I don't mind! ;)

Tomorrow will be a little different than the past. We used to open presents with the kids, then they would go off to their other parents for the day then return back here for mexican food feast. Even though my ex-wife and her parents/sister are here on Christmas Eve they always have their own " personal family Christmas" as we do. This year Amanda and :p will be gone, nephew will go to his mom's, Lara will be with her dad and Ryan and :love: Nicole :love: will have brunch with my ex-wife. They will probably come by for cheese enchiladas...will see. Angie and I just may take in a movie tomorrow.

Gotta go Angie is ready to walk the dogs........be back.

Just a quick pop-in to say hello. Continuing to keep everyone in prayer as we celebrate the birth of our Lord. :)

We made it to CA fine. Weather in MI was nasty, but we drove to Grand Rapids the night before and stayed in a hotel so that it would be easier to make a 6:30 a.m. flight. The hotel lost power just after we got up (about 4:15) due to a storm. Thankfully, we were pretty much packed up and just need to brush our teeth and such in the dark.

We are blessed to have our own place while we are here. The kid's neighbors are visiting family out East and needed a cat sitter. So we moved into their apartment and are house and pet sitting for them. We love visiting the kids, but 4 adults in a one bedroom crackerbox apartment gets a little to cozy after a week or so - LOL

Off to do some grocery shopping for the Yosemite trip :D
Blessings to all!

Well Angie and I just finished a 3.5 mile walk with the girls to Starbucks. A very-very nice morning here! The sun :sunny: was shining and we wore just our sweatshirts for warmth.

It doesn't look like we will get :snow4: snow this year. The weather for the next three days is expected to be a high of 70 and a low of 40 with a lot of :sunny: DANG! that makes, for me, 53 years straight without a white CHRISTmas....;)

Glad you made it to California safe LAURIE ~ I bet it's a bit cooler up there! WILMA I hope the kids are all coming over to cook Christmas dinner for you ;) LORI I bet those kids are just bouncing off the walls! ROSEBUD I hope peace is upon your family as you go through this tough time. SHY here is hoping your son cleaned his room ;) KAREN I hope the weather is nice for you and not too stormy...do people "house" shop on Christmas :crossed: AUNT SUE give our niece a :hug: for me...packing yet? LORIANN and CADAVIS come on back.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Merry Christmas to all! I wish you the best of days :)
You all remain in our prayers.

I am blessed to be in community with each of you - you enrich and bless me as I learn to eat and move in a way that cares for myself and honor's God, who lives in me :D

MERRY CHRISTMAS LADIES :xcheer:

It is a little quiet around here...if Reba wasn't barking at shadows on the wall the only noise would be the sound from "A Christmas Story" playing on TBS upstairs in the livingroom.

We had a very fun day yesterday, the kids all were here around 3:00, we opened :gift2: presents from each other and visited, then around 5:00 the house got very full and lively! :present::hohoho::xcheer:

We had carnitas with rice and beans...black and pinto....guacamole, salsa and chips. Veggie trays and a lot of pies and cookies. I satyed out of the pie and cookies...was easy on the beer...had too many chips ;). All in all a great family evening.

Since my daughter and :p kidnapper :p headed out to her grandparents in-laws this morning and we did our family Christmas yesterday, it is quiet around here Christmas morning for the first time I think it about 26 years! Well, in recent years Angie and I have been up around 5-6 as always...or earlier...but the kids...well...let's just say sometimes the :santa: didn't happen until close to noon! :)

Angie and I, my son and :love: daughter in law :love:, nephew and ex-wife all went to Candelight Service last night...all the rest of the folks headed on home....:( I wish some of my family would attend more often. My daughter and her husband had a 50 mile drive home and had to get up early this morning for a long trip to the desert, otherwise they would have gone...they always do.

Not sure of plans today, other than eating the cheese enchiladas I made yesterday. I think Ryan and Nicole are coming by for lunch after going to his mom's house. My daughter just called and they are on their way for their day. It is a gorgeous sunny warm but windy morning here.

Well I'll let you all go and enjoy the BIRTHDAY :hb: PARTY!

BLESSINGS for you and yours ~ Gary

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!! I hope you all have a WONDERFUL DAY! I'll try to get back later.

Here are a few pictures taken yesterday of our house, the kids and Angie and I.

:wreath: MERRY CHRISTMAS, Everyone!!!

Dh and I went out to see the lights in town; THE TREE OF HOPE; and the Christmas Eve Service. Just what we needed to get our minds onto something else.

I got this poem from a Christian lady, who passed over some time ago now: it has been a great help to me during this time ...

GOD'S UNREMITTING CARE ...

THE STRAIN OF LIFE MORE TESTING GROWS
MORE TAXING NOW THE THINGS WHICH WEAR
BUT HEART AND MIND HAVE FOR REPOSE --
GOD'S UNREMITTING CARE!

LIFE'S PROBLEMS GROW: ITS LIMITS PRESS
MORE NOW ABUNDANT -- THINGS TO BEAR
YET, PEACE CAN REIGN IN ALL DISTRESS,
THROUGH GOD'S UNREMITTING CARE!

THE SHADOWS DEEPEN; EVILS REIGN,
AND SORROW'S CUP FULL MANY SHARE,
YET HEARTS FIND COMFORT, 'MIDST LIFE'S PAIN
IN GOD'S UNREMITTING CARE!

OUR GOD STILL REIGNS! HIS HAND CONTROLS!
AND NOTHING CAN HIS LOVE OUTWEAR ...
AND WE, WHO TRUST TO HIM OUR SOULS,
WILL FIND HIS UNREMITTING CARE!

J. DANSON SMITH/ mm

Thank you all for your prayers; I can see and feel the difference in my family already, esp my brother. His anxiety is lessening; and he is getting much stronger. Each day, we feel more at peace; and are still encouraging my family to TRUST GOD through this trial and test of our faith.

Had a good day today; and talked to most of my family. Had a nice turkey dinner: now it's time for my tea.

THANKS SO MUCH for your encouragement; I consider my friends here one of the most important BLESSINGS for the year of 2007. Have you heard of THE BLESSING TREE? A couple who was going thru a really tough time, including losing their home decided to have a blessing tree and held a party for all their friends and family so they could remember all the blessings GOD had given them that year.

They got a real tree and decorated it with small pieces of paper that listed all the blessings they received that year. They hung them on the tree with ribbon and on strings. When their guests arrived, they took them off and read them, sharing with their friends how good GOD had been to them that year. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, THE BLESSING TREE helped them to focus on the positive all thru the Christmas season. What a wonderful idea ...

HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY WEEK; your friend and fellow encourager :hug:ROSEBUD:hug:

Merry Christmas everyone!!

I finally have a moment to talk. We had an amazing Christmas. My DH's family is all here. It's the first time we've all been together for at least 4 years or more. We've been having a great time visiting. My dinner turned out great. I always worry about the turkey but it was really good.

The weather here is cold but that doesn't matter one bit. We're all together.

One of my sons gave me an exercise ball with DVD so now I really have no excuse not to exercise.

I have to go make waffles for brunch. I just wanted to wish you all a belated Merry Christmas and all of God's richest blessings in 2008.

Blessings and prayers continuing :)

We had a wonderful Christmas :)
It started Christmas Eve with the candlelight service and continued through Christmas day. DS had to work (as a hospital chaplain) at noon, so we took him to work and got to tour the hospital and meet some of his co-workers. DIL took us to Land's End and we took lots of great pictures of the ocean, the GG bridge, and walked the labyrinth on the shore. This was a NSV for me. Last year we went, and while everyone walked the labyrinth, I started back up the many, many flights of stairs. I knew that I would need lots of extra time to haul my 200+ lb. self back up to the top. It was one of those wake-up call moments that helped me realize that I was in denial about how much my weight was affecting my life. So - fast-forward to this year and I walked WITH my family. What a great Christmas present for me! God has been so faithful - helping me stay on this journey of change. I certainly couldn't have done it on my own!

Wilma - let us know how you like using the ball. I have been thinking of getting one, but wasn't sure I would use it enough to justify the space it takes up.

Rosebud - thanks for sharing the poem and the blessing tree idea! Both are wonderful!

Gary - great pictures! What a blessing to spend Christmas with so many loved ones :)

Dawn - I was thinking of you on Christmas and celebrating that you are now in the 150's. AWESOME!!! Still steadily moving down - even through the holidays - and with kids at home too!

It IS different once your kids are gone. I think it is so much easier to calorie count when you are only responsible for your own eating. DH can and does make his own meals if I am not ready to eat. Right now, visiting the kids - I don't have to worry about food preparation, and raiding someone else's kitchen to feed a craving just isn't gonna be a temptation - LOL If I can just stay OP while we dine in all of these wonderful restaurants in San Francisco ...

I hope everyone has a great day - and a wonderful week. Christmastide is such a wonderful time of year. So many reminders about that help us stay focused on the true meaning of the holiday.

:tree: Glad that everyone had a nice CHRISTMAS!

GARY ~ those are really nice pics of your family; I hope to start using my new digital camera and printer soon that Dh gave me this year. Will read the instructions first; it's probably really ez though.

COUNTING~ thanks for all your encouragement and prayers; glad you are having such a nice holiday with your family. I really understand that walking victory; today I went ski-walking and did a wee bit of snow pushing off our deck as well. The fresh air was invigorating, but mostly I am so proud of myself for accomplishing these activities on top of my housework today.

SHY ~ appreciate your prayers, support, and good thoughts. Yes, I think something from THE BLESSING TREE STORY could be incorporated into our yearly festivities too!

WILMA ~ that big bouncing ball sounds fun; but I just couldn't imagine myself on that; when I roll off onto the floor, who's gonna be there to pick me back up ~ LOL! Truly, I always tell Dh now and then that he'd better get his WINCH handy; I know I shouldn't say that, but that's exactly what I think sometimes; and that reminds me ...

TRUE STORY ~ Did I ever tell you guys about the time I was beached like a whale??? LOL! One winter, a friend invited me over for a coffee/visit; got all dressed up and was so excited as usual. Got there and Dh said 'Gee there's a lot of snow here, you go first and I'll pull up the ranks just to make sure you're OK!' So, I start walking down the laneway, and as I am going, I start sinking and sinking, more and more ... hehe (I'm laughing my guts out just telling you about this) hehe ...

... right up to my hips in snow; but I got stuck becuz I'm short and when I pulled one leg out, the other one went down. My boots were full of snow and my legs were freezing. At first, I was laughing hysterically, but then after awhile that turned to frustration and tears becuz I couldn't get out ~ LOL! And even poor Dh is trying his best to pull me and he can't cuz he's 130 lbs soaking wet and he started sinking too ... so I told him to go get my friend's Dh or a WINCH ~ LOL!

So that's how all that got started; but how did they get me out, you ask??? I rolled out of the hole as DH took one arm and the other guy took the other one, and they dragged me all the way to the road ... "just like a beached whale!" And yes, we were all laughing, but I didn't get to visit my friend until her DH had the laneway plowed. My Dh wasted no time in telling him what he thought about him letting the laneway get that full of snow ~ LOL!

ANYWAYS ~ you gotta learn to laugh at life sometimes; and that was one that I will laugh about for the rest of my life. I think you have an idea now why I want to lose weight so much; but, I realized later that I probably could have crawled out, but I was just too exhausted from trying ~ LOL!

HELLO KAREN ~ did you sell the house? Or did I miss something??? I probably did; was so distracted. I'll catch up soon.

Well that's enuff story telling for now; do any of you have any embarrassing or funny true stories you want to share with us? Take good care, your fellow encourager :hug:ROSEBUD:hug:

Hello Everyone! I hope everyone had a good Christmas and Santa was good to you!
I don't know if I told you that I've been watching craigslist for an elliptical--- Well, I found a Gazelle on there the first of December that the lady said was just like new and she wanted $100 for it. I sent her an email I think it was last week and asked if she still had it. She said she did but they were leaving and wouldn't be back until the 28th. So I figured that I would keep watching and if nothing came along better than I would call her this Friday and offer her $50 for it. I got all my "horse trading mentality" from my Daddy! Anyway, I got on craigslist this morning and they had a Proform elliptical for $25 ! I sent an email and asked if they still had it and where would I see it. They replied and then said they had to go to a birthday party this afternoon and wouldn't be home until about 3:00. He said that there was something wrong with adjusting the resistance and the console didn't light up but thought it would just need new batteries. So I told them that I would just buy it and we would be at their house at 3:00. We got down there and looked at it and tried it out. I asked if he would take $20 for it and he agreed! So I now have it here at home. I was pretty excited about it. We tried new batteries and that didn't help the console display but Tim hasn't got into it anymore tonight. And right now I sure don't need to change the resistance because I was on it for about 5 minutes and was just about worn out! He told us he thought that the resistance level right now was set at the lowest. It is a Proform 485E which is an older model but the price was definitely right!! I went ahead and got the internet and downloaded an owners manual for it so maybe we can get it figured out and fix those two things that are wrong with it. If not-- it was still worth the $20! I guess you can tell that I'm pretty happy about it!
Here are a couple pictures of Ginger & Sissy in their new dresses! I just couldn't resist!
I am laughing so hard!!! I think that we have all had those similar stories! Rosebud-- I always love to read your posts!
Gary, loved the pictures of your house and family! I am still trying to wait patiently for a buyer for the house so we can have all my family together next Christmas. Although getting together this year with the grandkids that we hadn't seen in about 10 years was great too!! The youngest was only about 4 months old the last time we saw them.
Well, it is getting late but wanted to pop in and say Hello. I will try to get caught up with everyone tomorrow! Have a good night!

KAREN ~ that is a very good deal you got on that Elliptical machine. Those dresses on your furry babies are really cute; mine got sweaters. Glad you like the stories/posts ...

SHY ~ Your story was a good one too; interestingly enuff, I had a similar experience when I was about 10+ y/o, only we all jumped off the dock; and my top came up, but not off; and a strap broke, so I just had to hold it 'til I could get out of the water, and put my shirt back on very quickly ~ lol.

HELLO TO EVERYONE ELSE ~ have a good night everyone; your fellow encourager ...

:hug:ROSEBUD:hug:

Hi there!
 

Wow! Time flies I have been so busy! Pray all had an awesome Christmas I sure did!! Gotta hurry as having party for my youthgroup tonight so gotta get snacks together, but have neglected you guys long enough.
Rosebud- Thanks! (encouragement for doing a great job losing) Prayers for your brother for continued, growing in Christ, comfort and strength... That restaurant had an awesome idea, too bad others don't follow suit.
Heather- Prayers all went well with visit w/ your brother
E.Z.- awesome decorations, house looks so nice, I gave our niece a hug for ya... She was so excited this year... Glad you got a chance to spend time with family and relax . Can't wait for the cruise so I can relax and not have to run to work... Yeah!!
Cadavis- Welcome! awesome people here!!!
Counting- At work at 6am is more frequent now because I still have 2 staff out of work... but it is getting easier, I wake up practically every morning by 6am now... Prayers for an awesome vacation....
Karen- Loved the santa Claus story as well as the conversation w/ Logan- so so true--- Congrats on elliptical, I really like mine just gotta find time to use it, hopefully things will settle down soon w/ work not be so busy...
Shy- Congrat's in the !50's you have done awesome... I agree I luv little churches, the people tend to be closer, as relationships and friendships tend to develop as you get to know each other better, My church has about 50 people in the winter and 100-130 in the summer when the snow bunnies come back from Fla. Wow! swimsuit story.. How embarrassing!!
Wilma- wow! waffles sound yummy what a great idea

Pray you all had an awesome Christmas spent w/ family and friends and a very blessed New Year... Gotta run, always in my prayers...

Thanks for the invite Rosebud! This looks like a great place.
A little info about me. I'm 44, a born again Christian, married to a WONDERFUL man, have 4 kids, 1 grandson, work in education.... and have got to get healthy in 2008.

I am a diabetic and have high blood pressure. My husband's cholesterol is high, so in Jan. he will start a 8 week class at his work. My daughter is also over weight (and I worry about her). I have done weight watchers before, so as crazy as it sounds, we are waiting until the first of the New Year to get started.

I am looking forward to getting to know everyone here.
May God ALWAYS bless you!

:welcome: TIGER ~ glad you found us; our leader, EZ/GARY likes all kinds of sports including college football, and they chat sports a lot in the 'GENERAL CHATTER' forum.

SHY ~ we have a similar church issue; his church is very structured and quiet; AND THERE'S NO SINGING? :?: They read scripture, pray, short sermon, celebrate the eucharist, and announcements. I come from a traditional background where you sing a lot, read scriptures and psalms, have a sermon, eucharist once a month, sing some more, and then are blessed before we go home. We have tried a few others, but he doesn't seem to like any of them; so, we will have to keep 'Sunday Sharing' as I call it, for now. We live in a small town, so there's only so many churches to choose from, and they're ALL small ~ lol.

SUE ~ you are indeed a busy lady; hope your party goes well. I think it is so nice what you are doing for them; I remember the leaders that did that kind of stuff for us, and we appreciated it a lot. It's so nice to have a Christian alternative for socializing for our young people, esp today.

Well we had a good day, was supposed to take our little 'SWEETIE' to the vets for a lump on her belly, but they called and cancelled on us. So I am going to try and get her some vitamins until I can find a vet to see her; we only have a part-timer who comes here from the city once a week.

I am back on track from the holidays; I had a few treats but they were all small and I had them as my snacks, so there shouldn't be any damage there. We are having friends here for New Year's day. Just did some housework and rested this afternoon; I felt better today: yesterday had quite a fever with a flu/cold I caught somewhere.

Take good care everyone, your fellow encourager :hug:ROSEBUD :hug: sending up ^prayers^ for you and yours ...

Hello and Happy Saturday.

I'm having a nice lazy day here. My DH has gone deer hunting today, daughter is shopping w/ her grandmother, son is outside playing w/ the dog.

I have been surfing the net for hours. My eyeballs are bugged out for ALL of the weight loss and healthy eating tips! Wild salmon no farm raised salmon...flaxseed not flaxseed oil...Soy milk vs. cows milk....Oatmeal not cereal... Eggs...NO eggs. I do trust all of the things I have been reading on the Mayo Clinic web site.

YIKKIES what's a girl to do?

I would love to hear what kind of diets y'all are following.... along with some menus. I usually fix our breakfast at home, Husband and I take our lunch to work. and normally we do dinner as a family (home cooked) Something I don't really enjoy doing, but I do it for my family. (patting myself on the back) lol.

Well the laundry room is calling my name. I will check back a bit later!

Hope y'all are enjoying the day!

I am a calorie counter, I find that works best for me. I plan my menus ahead and most of the time stick to it. I find calorie counting to be flexible, non restrictive and best of all , free. It is also something I can live with long term to maintain my weight loss.

HI GALS ~ :wave:

I am exhausted :faint:....;) Angie and I had our Saturday morning 3 mile walk to Starbucks, then a trip to Costco, produce market and the new Fresh and Easy Store in town.

We had :newyear: party goodies to buy. We are having about 20+ here for dinner and an "early" New Years Eve party...we expect most of our crowd to be home well before midnight...I sure hope so! ;) "cause if the're not....:sssh: please keep the noise down :lol:...'cause I'm trying to sleep!

BARGOO ~ Calorie counting is very successful for a lot of people!

TIGERDAWG :welcome2: As far as "diets" go, all I can say is that for me it is just common sense/no secret stuff that works best. Healthy food and exercise. A typical days meal for me while I was losing weight was Breakfast of fiber cereal or oatmeal with a bannana or whole wheat toast or a low fat yogurt. A granola bar for a snack. Lunch was a can of low cal soup such as Progresso Turkey Noodle and a turkey sandwich on whole wheat. A snack of carrots and celery. Dinner was "whatever" we are having...we don't eat boxed or fast food much at all around here. We do eat meat and rice/potato and veggies for most meals or a pasta dish...usually with a red sauce not creamy. I just ate less for dinner....I found I didn't have to eat until I felt like I would blow up! I am not much of a snacker...although I could eat a bag of chips at any meal! I am not a sweet eater...so that makes things easier for me too. I do have too many beer calories most days ;) I do a lot of miles with my wife and dogs or on the treadmill also. I do burn off a lot of calories some days with my construction work too...which is an advantage I may have over you gals too. Thanks for joining us!

ROSEBUD and SHY ~Isn't it great that the Lord blesses us with so many churches and ways to recieve His WORD! For some folks the little neighborhood home churches are best and others love the mega church way. So many ways to worship in our free country. We are so richly blessed!

AUNT SUE ~Take a breath dear! Thanks for giving the little one a :hug: from her Uncle Gary ;)...Lara says it is cold there in NYC and so glad to be home for Christmas. Start packing!

KAREN ~Great score on that elliptical! Angie loves craigslist...she even sold some cardboard boxes on it once! Yep I do suppose seeing some of those grandkids after almost 10 years would make it a good year!

LAURIE ~ I hope you are still enjoying your time in the Bay area and having some fine dark beer ;) "he says as he opens another MGD" ;)

WILMA ~So, are you playing with that new ball yet? I weighed in at 171.4 on Wednesday...I was down but had too many cheese enchiladas at Christmas! I am over that today too at 173.0...the highest I have been in ages... but I am in denial so it doesn't count! A good walk this afternoon plus the one I had this morning should get me back on target!

Well Ladies I think I am up to date....see you in church tomorrow ;)

WORSHIP where/when you can!

GARY ~ Yes, we are very blessed to be able to go to and choose from many different kinds/sizes of churches in NA. Believe it or not, in some countries in this world today, Christians are actually being persecuted and killed just for their beliefs, so we are praying for them (Samoa comes to mind; hope it's the right Asian country).

That sounds like a good plan, and similar to ours; we have cereal or oatmeal most mornings, but eggs about once a week. Lunch is a whole wheat sandwich with soup or fruit. We just have a regular dinner too; we rarely eat out, and if we do, it's likely SPIT BBQ CHICKEN. A new Chinese restaurant just opened up near here, so we must go try it out sometime.

Today I made a large pot of homemade turkey/veggie/sweet potato soup; had three containers left over to put in the freezer for another time. Hope you have a great party; already sounds like you will. We are having some folks over on New Year's Day this year.

BARGOO ~ your plan sounds good too; I like that theory and think it is doable for the long-term too. That's what I'm looking for; oh sure, I mess up a tad here and there, but nothing too major, thankfully. I'm finding this way so much easier now ...

Not much else going on here, but piles of snow falling last night; DH says we are gonna go broke with all these snow shovelling fees, but we can't do it and the fella needs the dough, so it works out for both of us. I told Dh to tell him it's time to stop the 'SNOW DANCING' though ~ lol. :dance:

Well, that's all for tonight; gotta get to bed soon, so take good care ~ your fellow encourager :hug:ROSEBUD :hug: ^prayers^ continue ...

Rosebud - thanks for the "whale" story! I've got tears running down my cheeks. Mostly because I have been stuck up to my waist in the snow and know exactly how it feels. DH had to pull me out too. I crawled until I got to "safe" ground. How is your "pup" doing? Is she better?
Thanks for the reminder that there are many Christians that are not blessed to have the freedom to worship that we enjoy. You are so right! We all need to keep the global church in our prayers and do what we can to help our brothers and sisters in Christ!

Dawn - thanks for sharing the swimming story. I'm laughing even harder! I had stopped - your story was kind of sad - until you got to the bathing suit part. That was always a fear for me as a teen - losing part of my suit. Since then, I've never worn a two-piece suit, so it isn't an issue any longer - LOL

Finding an "our" church sounds like a great idea. It can be hard though - it took us quite a while until we found one we were both comfortable with. He liked a small, intimate feeling, I was used to a bigger congregation. We now attend a larger church, but go to the early morning service which averages 60-80 people. It is a good compromise for us. I do agree that the small church feel lends itself to a more connected and caring atmosphere. With a larger congregation, it is a challenge to make sure everyone feels cared for and nurtured. I always like to hear "praise the LORD" and clapping during a service - but Methodists aren't known for a lot of spontaneity during the service (at least in northern MI). I just do it anyway - thankfully the congregation is used to me by now - LOL

Karen - thanks for sharing the pictures - they look SOOOO cute! I hope that 2008 brings the sale of your house! We continue to keep the situation in our prayers.

Sue - glad you had a great Christmas! Hope the party went well!

tigerdawg - WELCOME! I look forward to getting to know you. I'm a calorie counter like Shy and bargoo (ditto what bargoo said). DH and I are vegetarians. I applaud your cooking for your family. I like to cook - just not all the time - LOL. Our kids are grown, so it is MUCH easier now. DH can fend for himself if I don't feel like eating.

It IS hard sorting out all of the diet and exercise advice you find online. Common sense goes a long way. So does trial and error - try something - if it doesn't work - try something else. Like Shy, I use Fitday. This is the first time I have kept a food, exercise and weight journal. It has been a big part of my success so far. I really think I need to keep it up for life. Other plan details:
I try to limit myself to 1200-1500 calories each day. I try to get a 40/30/30 carb/protein/fat split. I also try to get enough fiber and eat as many whole or natural foods as I can. Processed foods, simple sugars and "junk" foods are things I try to limit as much as possible. Actually - I have lost my taste for most of them since changing my eating habits over the last 6 months.
Working exercise into my daily routine has been tougher, but I am slowly getting to a place where I actually miss it if I don't do it. Yeah!!!!!

Gary - We are having a wonderful time. Lots of wine - but so far - not one beer :( I'm hoping that we can work in a couple microbreweries on Mon. and/or Wed. If not, DH's home brew is gonna taste mighty good when we get home!

Hope you have a wonderful party! We are having a party on the 1st - well, actually DIL is having it and we are helping. 25 people are invited over for her birthday. I'm gonna try and be a good MIL and just do whatever she asks me to do to get ready - LOL

Whew - I think I am caught up! I missed posting :)

I will try to get a few pictures up in the next day or two - as time allows. We really enjoyed Yosemite! We hiked in the snow every day and DIL was surprised by our ability to keep up (it is amazing what losing 90+ lbs. between the two of us will do for our speed and endurance- LOL)! DH and I bought each other trekking poles for Christmas - they were a wonderful gift since we hiked over solid ice on some of the trails. Over the 2.5 days, we hiked over 15 miles :)

Blessings to all! Prayers continuing!

Shy - I feel the same way about snow - LOL. The older I get, the less I enjoy winter. Thus, when the kids said that they wanted to give us a snow vacation as their Christmas gift to us, I was skeptical. But, we had a really nice time and I enjoyed the snow much more than I do in Michigan. I think the beautiful mountains helped - we don't have mountains back home. I have attached a few of the pictures we took while hiking. We actually enjoyed it so much, that we are going to dig out our cross-country skis when we get home. They have been sitting in the garage - neglected and ignored for several years now.

Hi everyone! It's a lazy quiet day here today. I really needed the rest. I spent the afternoon napping and reading a Nicholas Sparks book. My favorite way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Yesterday, I got the exercise ball blown up and did the 20 minute DVD. Much harder than I thought it would be and I can feel it this morning in my abs. I guess it's working. Now I just have to keep it up. I did well with my eating during the season mostly because I had a really bad cold and didn't feel like eating. Whatever works right?

Tonight we're having cabbage soup and leftover turkey sandwiches. Hearty and Healthy.

Have a good night!

:wave: HELLO EVERYONE ~ can you guys explain to me how to add pics to our posts or where I can find out how, like the thumbnails pics you added here. Is is very complicated? I got my camera working today and got some pics, but I don't know how to put them in here. Thanx.

We had a good day today; stayed well on plan. It took me most of the afternoon and evening to learn how to use my camera and download, edit and arrange my pics, but I'm getting the hang of it now. It will be esp nice for those nice sunset pics this summer.

The hardest part was getting my furry babies to sit still long enuff for the pics; and we just ended up laughing a lot though. They don't think much of the flash I'm afraid, but I finally got some really nice ones. I think this just may turn into a pleasant new hobby.

SHY ~ I'm the same; I don't mind doing ski-walking, but the hill thing is definitely out ~ lol!

WILMA ~ nice to see you; glad you finally had time to try out that ball. Dh and I were trying to figure out just exactly what exercises you can do on a great big, giant ball. I'd be nervous that it would pop or sizzle out of air or something; oops, guess I shouldn't suggest such things! sorry! ;)

COUNTING ~ those are lovely scenic pics; see, that trip has encouraged you to go cross-country skiing already. I did that when I was younger and slimmer, but I'll stick to my ski-walking for now ~ lol! I don't know if I mentioned it, but the vet cancelled on us, and he wasn't very positive with his advice (he thought false pregnancy or tumor). Hope he's wrong ...

I thought it was just a goosebump from a fall; then I thought possibly an infection at the very most. She's hanging in there, but we have to wait 'til next Thursday for the travelling vet; that is, if he's back from holidays too. Thanks for asking, we love her so.

Well, that's all for now; take good care, your fellow encourager :hug:ROSEBUD :hug: ^prayers^ continue ...

Hi Rosebud, Just a quick pop in here---- to put pictures in your posts just go to the "advanced" area where you are writing then at the top of the writing area there is a little "paperclip" next to the smiley face. If you click on that you can then browse and choose the pics that you want to post. It isn't complicated or I would have never been able to do it! ;) I'll look forward to seeing some pictures soon!
I hope everyone has a Happy New Year! Today is our anniversary so we always try to have our champagne at midnight (if we are awake) and then watch them shoot the fireworks off the top of Pikes Peak!
I'll try to get back to chat more later. Have a good day!

http://skins.hotbar.com/skins/mailsk...ns/emoti_2.gifKaren - Happy Anniversary!

I hope everyone has a happy new year!

Rosebud - enjoy that camera. I absolutely love taking pictures. If you don't have an online picture account (they are free and I use Flickr because I have a Yahoo account), consider opening one. They are a great way to share pictures with family and friends. You just upload them once (fairly easy to do) and send an invitation so others can view them.

Wilma - which ball and dvd did you get? Like Shy, I would love more info about how you like it. I'm always looking for new ways to get in my excercise. Variety seems to keep me from getting bored and slacking off. I am actually missing my DVDs here on vacation. We are getting in a lot of walking but no "planned" exercise. Who would have thought that I would miss a stretchie band - LOL

Shy - I gave up downhill skiing when I started dating DH (34 years ago). He said something similar to you - LOL. We cross country ski now. Well, actually, we cross-country skied until about 6 years ago. After gaining all of the weight, we slowly stopped doing a lot of the things we used to do. Something about being in our 40s, busy with kid activities and church activities made us feel that stopping all of those physical hobbies was OK. In hindsight, that made the weight situation even worse. Slowly becoming more sedentary certainly wasn't smart! I'm hoping that we will slowly add more outdoor activities into our schedule this year - hiking, canoing, skiing, ski walking, etc. I saw so many people snowshoeing in Yosemite, but it is something that I could never get the hang of. Though all of the knee lifts and wide-leg walking I do with WATP might make it easier now. It is kind of the same movement :lol:

I'm not sure what we are up to today except getting ready for DIL's birthday party tomorrow. I think that she has 26 confirmed antendees. I think my role is to just do whatever she asks me to do and stay out of the way. I'm learning (slowly) how to be a MIL. ;)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KAREN!

HAPPY LAST NEW YEAR'S EVE EVERYONE!

Well Angie and I just got home from a trip to Brueggers Bagels with the mutts. the route we took today was about 4 miles...I will have to "mapmyrun" it to see for sure.

My son called yesterday from Florida and my daughter called from New York City. Both are enjoying their little vacations. Too bad they are going to miss our party tonight :(...but I am happy they are having fun...we will have a full house anyway :)

Well off to clean ans set up...my pasta sauce, that Rachael Ray made famous ;), is already warming in the crock-pot! Angie will be making chicken caccitore....she already has a lot of Italian music playing!!

Bless all of you for the support! Gary