good morning!! I'm on my 2nd cup o' jo and contemplateing breakfast... hmmm.

Mel - read your journal, and first - I can relate to the BHBIL. One of our roommates was like that. (before the escape from the house) Drove me crazy. But, I bet your house and it's suroundings look so fresh and new....
and - re: the bbq, "a little bit of everything" isn't so bad, as long as it is a LITTLE BIT.... but the menu looked fairly healthy to me. Made my mouth water.... mmmm crab legs....

Speaking of mouth watering! OMG Angie!!!! Those both look delicious. Very dangerous, they look like something that I would eat the whole thing by just picking at it 'cause it tastes so good. (That happens more than I'd like)

Essey - you'd be suprised at how versitile cake mix is. I make chocolate cake w/ diet cola. Don't know an exact measurement, enough to make it cake dough consistancy. No eggs, no oil. And it comes out really moist, a tiny bit sweeter than usual, but pretty much the same as normal. And because 'diet' has nothing (except sodium) to it, you're just getting the nutrition facts for the mix alone.

BTW I got that idea from 3FC!!!

Ok, gotta keep movin'. Be back later.

-Washu-

Hey girlies,
Finally I get a minute to pop in. I have been really busy at work today, seems when the boss is here is when I am my busiest. Wonder why????

Thanks for the encouragement Angie, yes, I am hoping that I hit that 20 lb mark this week, but if I don't well I know I will next week. I will keep a positive attitude.

I made it through my sons 11th birthday celebration weekend with the extra 3 boys at the house, OMG can boys eat!!! Anyway, I stayed on plan, and did not have one bite of cake or icecream. I took them to the movies on Saturday to see Kangaroo Jack (not the best movie in the world) and they had movie popcorn, smelled good but none for me and I am actually happy about that and not feeling deprived at all. Well the left over cake was in the pan still with a plastic lid on it, I put it in the oven to get it out of my sight. Guess what? I know you guessed, but humor me, I turned the oven on Sunday night to cook this wonderful low fat chicken/brocc quiche and then I started smelling something while I was preparing the quiche, yup I melted the lid to the pan and to the cake, so end of that worry.

I read a really good article about water the other day, and did you know that if you are drinking your water regularly then one day you don't your body can hold on to every ounce it has. That is why the scales fluctuate so much from day to day. But if I wernt such a scale aholic it probably would not matter....lol

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Kempy/ where you going this weekend that you need a big suitcase? Trip somewhere special?

Hugs to all,
Sandy

Angie, I knew you were a Goddess w/abilities unbeknownst to me . Those pastries look absolutely wonderful. I think my eyes are gaining weight!

Speaking of gaining weight...I'm coming off another weekend BBQ. Definitely ate a little too much steak. Hardly had room for the crab but I made myself eat it anyway . We have a bad habit of picking on the food as it comes off the grill--but it's so good when it's hot and fresh. My sister made a pan of cornbread too--I cut a piece off before she slathered real butter all over the top of the whole thing. I had to laugh at her because after dinner she hopped on the scale and was yelling "I broke a hundred, I broke a hundred! I usually weigh 98 but now it says 101. " Anyways, I'm back on track today--thanks again Washu for the bungee cord.

Sandy~~you rock girlfriend, for resisting that movie popcorn. I always cave unless I sneak my own SmartPop in. And that's a innovative way to avoid eating cake--just make sure you keep the fire extinguisher handy .

Chris, congrats on losing--what a great bonus. Don't melt away into nothing now.

Yeah Kempy, where are you going? or was I not paying attention earlier?

essey, keep your chin up! Good for you for getting your walk in. Keep up the effort and the scales will start moving. Good luck on getting back to work soon.

Gar, how are things today in Tx?

I'll check back w/you gals later. Gotta get some work done.

Kempy, I may have to mail you some money and have you send me up some of those ostrich things. They sound good and I was just thinking about slim jims the other day.

Noelle,honestly if I was you I wouldn't be able to resist every weekend either. I would love to have a close family that hangs out every weekend but that is so far the opposite for me. Plus your family sounds like they make some real good things to eat.

Sandy, I had to giggle about burning the pan. I have done that way too many times.

Sandy my hubby is know to do the same thing you did. He has actually done it a few times. I will put the left over pizza in the oven to keep it warm and a little later he will go in and turn on the oven. Talk about a god awful smell. We had to open all of the windows in the house.

One more thing about water, once you start to drink a at least the requiered a day it will take your body a few days to really believe that you are going to keep drinking that much b4 it will release the extra water weight. What a cruel body we have.

I am going to San Diego on Saturday. Joe's is going to a convention and I am going to tag along. I do it every year. They have to pay for a hotel room anyway. We only had to pay for my ticket there. It is about time for a vacation anyway. I just hope that it is warm there. I am so ready for shorts it isn't funny.

Have any of you guys seem Shallo Hal? At first I didn't know if I was going to like it but I really love it. It has a really good point behind it. We have seen it before but it was on Sautrday and I meant to ask you guys what you though.

Yeah I liked Shallow Hal but I didn't like the point that only fat people are beautiful on the inside.I know they were trying to make the point that overweight people are just as beautiful too but I have known some pretty "ugly on the inside" fat people too.I don't mean that bad . But the movie was really funny.

I am jealous Kempy. I want to go on vacation too. Jay's parents are thinking about listing their bakery for sale so we are going to pay all of our bills this summer and start to save every penny we can so if it sells then we can just move to another state and start a business. If we don't have to make the donuts for them then we aren't tied to this area.

Do you guys have any ideas about where you would go?

No not really. The economy in Maine sucks so bad that I think anywhere else would have to be better.

Here I am in all my glory. I don't think my face has really thinned out any more.

This is since my smile looks so goofy today. I had her do a few pics but they all sucked!haha

Hey pretty lady!

Very nice pictures Angie. You should be so proud. over 100 lbs lost. I cant wait!!!

Angie, you look MAHHVELOUSS!!!! I think your face has tinned out. I don't know. Just glad to see your current look... you really are looking beautiful.

Can I send you another pic, and see if you can resize it for me?
My pic is ancient now.

I skipped aerobics last night, even though I complain when the snow cancels it. I had done some Pilates Sunday night, and woke up Monday sooooo sore all through my thighs. That's a good thing. BUt I also had to work late, and absolutely would not skip dinner, just to make it there on time. I can't exercise on no food, and from the meal he made (spagetti) , i wouldn't have been able to workout wiht that in my belly anyway.

So, today I'm taking one of my "kids" to a nature trail, and i'll get some exercise there. I really love the freedom my job gives me, and the was I can see the kids is great. I try to schedule fun things, like movies, or festivals, and today, a nature trail. I"m gonna bring my camera. Should be pretty.

Chris is feeling okay. He had chemo on Friday morning, and, thanks to good planning, the meds were ready, so he didn't have an aweful painful experience liek the other times. Hind sight is always 20/20. We're staying busy, and my scrapbook buz is slow, but steady. Gives me something to focus on, besides the adoption. I don't wanna obsess about it. We're at the 'waiting fro money to appear' stage, so that's not something we can sit around and worry about. It's the waiting game for now. Also, waiting for the friends and family to mail us their reference letters. I'm really anxious to hear what they have to say about us. We're getting such great feedback, it can only encourage us in the end. We're asking for letters from everyone, so we'll be sure that we didn't forget anyone, and that we know what's on their minds, and that they believe we're right for this, even though they're opinions are taken into account, it's our life after all. Okay, so now that i've written a novel, minus well cut and paste this into my journal.!! Bye girls

Morning all.

Angie you look great. You always have to me though. Do you take full body photos for yourself to keep so that you can see the changes? That is what we recommend poeple do here so that they can really see what they have done. I think we get so used to seeing ourselves we sometimes forget how good we really are looking and that all of the hard work is paying off.

I got the pics from Mardi Gras developed so as soon as the boss me leaves his office I am going to scan them in. If any of you guys want me to e-mail them to you I will just PM me your address. I already have Chris, Noelle and Angie's. Just a little side note. If you go to Mardi Gras and your hubby takes pictures of some womens boobs the photo place will not develop them, at least not at the Winn Dixie in our town at least. Let me tell you Joe was not a happy camper. I made him go pick them up b/c I didn't want the photo people to think that I was weird but they didn't even develop them. I know it sounds like a stupid thing to take pics of but all of the guys do that sort of thing. I think it is stupiud b/c if you have seen one you have seen them all and there is no way we will remember what year they were from.

I took a full body shot the day I started but I deleted it because I looked so bad. I have pics of me at 265 though and I have been pulling those out to look at. I really can't believe that it is me in the pics. Strange huh? I had Brit do a full body shot last night but I still look pretty big so I deleted it. For some reason I always look alot fatter in jeans than I do shorts. I wonder why.

Poor Joe!! Did he ***** them out? He could have said it was his wifes boobs. haha I would think if girls are just whipping them out then they should have to expect pictures to be taken.