Ack! Work has been so hectic -- it's nice to come home and read what's been going on in your corners of the world...
Marti - Got the Valentine you sent -- it's nice to have pen pals!

Yes, scrapbooking *is* totally addictive, but it's so much fun, and its a hobby that won't let you snack while you're doing it -- good motivation for us

It was sunny here too, but still too cold for me - about 63 today. I know, I know, all the midwest ladies are thinking, "63 is too cold? What a wimp!" Just wait, once it's over 90, I'll start whining about the heat.
Susan - I remember you mentioning that your two older daughters live with their dad. How far away are they from you? How often do you get to see them? When my ex and I divorced, he kept the house and stayed in the small town, and I moved 30 miles away to a large city. The two oldest boys were young teenagers, and after much agonizing, I agreed with him that it was best for the boys to continue living with him so they wouldn't be uprooted and have to leave their home and friends -- also, they were at an age when young men need their dad's influence so much (that's one thing definitely about my ex, he is a great father and loves his boys very much). Also, I had homeschooled them for 7 years, and we didn't want to put them into public school in a big city. Oh, but it was so hard, especially since my youngest was 8 and we didn't want to split the boys up, either.

We have joint custody and the boys come to my house every weekend, but I miss them so much during the week. Now my oldest is 20 and in the Air Force. The middle one is almost 18 and will graduate this year -- he plans on moving in with his stepdad and me after this summer so he can have a better chance of finding a job and starting school. My youngest is almost 13, and I don't get enough time with him. It's the main reason you ladies won't often see me posting here on weekends.
Jana - Staying OP is one heckuva accomplishment!!!

Good for you!!! For every pound you lose, just heft a 1 lb box of butter at the supermarket and think about it -- heck, even a 1/4 lb is one stick of butter gone!

And you've lost how many lbs? Just think of that many boxes of butter!!! hahaha...well, that visualization works for me
Cristi - That is so exciting that you know for sure your house is closing on the 17th -- I know it feels great to finally have a solid date. A new home feels so wonderful! The last time we moved, I swore that if we ever do again I will hire a moving crew. I am totally disorganized when it comes to packing, and I think my brain sorta shuts down and I go into "useless" mode. I about had a heart attack when my husband and teenage son were wrestling the new refrigerator off the truck and it started...listing....to one side...and looked like it was about to go all the way over...

Thankfully they got it straightened back out!
Angie - When you're done with Cristi's house, come do mine next! You could start a redecorating show, like one of the ones on Style network. Those painting ideas sound awesome. I'm always too intimidated to paint -- it seems so overwhelming, such a big project, and you can't break it up into chunks or stop until it's done

My kitchen has wallpaper that has a small print of apples and pears -- cute but really too busy for such a small room, and it's pretty worn. Have you ever tackled stripping wallpaper and then repainting? Do you think it's something a klutzy amateur can do, or should I hire experts? I'd try it if I could get a week off work...if I could get two weeks, I'd get really brave and try to tile the backsplash behind the sink!
Shanna & Kayecee -- hope you ladies are doing great, and that you get a chance to pop in soon...
I have a question to throw out there for everyone: how do you work around your significant other when changing your eating habits? Jana sent the FT info which looks great, and I thought, hey I could do this -- then I thought, Tim fends for himself breakfast and lunch, but he isn't gonna buy this for dinner. He works swings right now, and doesn't get home until 11:30 pm....and expects me to sit down and have dinner with him. His job will be ending 2/18, so hopefully the next position he gets will be more regular hours. Even then, he will want to eat dinner with me. And it's hard enough just cooking meals for two, but cooking just for him and then sitting down to "1 cup reduced fat cottage cheese, 11 almonds, and 2 cups of blueberries" might be a little challenging!

Although...not as challenging as trying to convince HIM to eat that....
So, anybody got any good suggestions or advice? I'd love to hear how you've handled it with your sweethearts or with your kids.
I sent Valentines to everyone I had addresses for -- if you would like one, just PM me your address, and I'll pop one in the mail, even though it might be a day or two late...