what's going on?? Where is everyone???

I closed on my house today!! Yay!! I own a house!!

AND I ate really bad all day, but I don't care. We had a BBQ picnic on the floor of the new house tonight and it was GOOD! I luv bbq - the chopped pork kind with hush puppies - YUM!!

So I may not see that loss tomorrow... I'll see in the morning.

I hope to see some of you around. How's everyone doing? Are you surviving the heat? It finally cooled a bit here thankfully.

Goodnight ladies

Hi everyone!
I guess we still have a few on vacation....


Lori-I hear ya kids can be frustrating at times even though you love them to death. We have our son in a swimming class that my husband is taking him to or should I say was, anyway he had been in it for the past week, and on tuesday when they dunked his head in the water he freaked out and refuses to go back in, he clings to hubby for dear life and screams his head off, this has gone on since tuesday so we are taking him out of the class for now. Needless to say my husband was pretty embarrassed. What can you do?

Kerry-Congrats on the house closing!!!!!! Fun isn't it? Don't feel guilty about celebrating. Just enjoy yourself!

Hey ladies! I hope everyone is having a good weekend. Well Friday evening the doorbell rang and it was my MIL. Not only did DH forget to tell me she was coming but he forgot she was coming!!!! The house was a mess after being back to work all week. So needless to say it was quite a surprise!! But she did take us out to lunch on Saturday and she left around 4:00 so I guess it wasn't too bad. But DH is going to be in the dog house for awhile!!!

Well it was back to work for me this week!! Once I'm at work I'm fine but getting up at 5:30 was hard!! Even the kids were complaining...and they usually don't! This next week is going to be a challenge I have 2 new teacher luncheons, 1 new teacher breakfast, 2 retreat dinners, 2 retreat breakfast buffets, and 2 retreat lunch buffets!!! Can you say TEMPTATION!!!!
I am really going to have to be carefull. I will really have to hit WW hard after we get back from the retreat!!

Kerry- Congrats on the house and welcome to home ownership!!!

Julie- That's awful about DH I hope he is feeling better!! My daughter did the same thing in her swimming lessons but we just kept on taking her and if she screamed and didn't want in I would take her and toss her in!!! She quickly learned that she would rather get in on her own then to have mommy do it!! I'm sure people thought I was a terrrible mommy!!!! But I just feel like everyone should know how to swim! My niece is only 12 months and she knows how to roll over and float on her back. They have a pool and they enrolled her in this special class...and she knows that if her face goes under water she rolls over...it's amazing to see her do it!!!!

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!!! Ugh, tomorrow's Monday!!!

I HATE MONDAYS!!!!

I want more weekend, and TOM stopped by to make Monday even more misserable!

Sorry I was MIA, I have a bizzare week, but a really fun weekend. We went to my friends camp, which is only 10 mins. from my house. Cooked out swam in the river, road the boat, and went fishing. I really shouldn't have spent the whole day there, but it was nice. I finally left go of an other pound, thought I was going to be stuck again forever. 132!!!!

Kerry, way to go!!! You now own a house, and the BBQ sounds like fun, you deserve it after all this insanity!!! When are you moving??

Julie, my sympathys on the screamming kid! I have had more than my share of embarrissing screaming fits from my youngest one. We had a Wal-Mart incedent a few years back, he hung on the side of the cart, face bluish red from screaming, and drug his feet as I pushed the buggy. I really thought about leaving him at that moment, but I stuck to my guns and he didn't get squat. He has a quirky personality, he is really good for everybody else, but he has special fits just for my benefit. What are you going to do!

Paige, I love that!!! I can really apperciate you tossing the kid in!!! And you are right, it is very important for them to know how to swim. We've been in the water alot this year and my boys both could stand to have proffessional lessons. The doggy paddle isn't going to save them in an emergency, so I'm going to break down and pay the big bucks for lessons this winter. Hang tight, the eating fest will be over quickly and you can get back to businness.

Ok I have to get ready for work, check in later!!!!

Well, I'm exhausted and have had a headache for a couple days now, but we're completely moved. It was maddening and DH & I nearly killed one another. It poured on Sat when we were moving things and we had to wait for it to slow to a sprinkle and move things in. Then on Sunday when I went to the grocery to stock the kitchen, I got caught in a HUGE downpour and came home drenched from loading the car.

The guys that delivered the refrigerator did not properly install the water line so I have to find a time that one of us can be home so they can come back out and fix it. We also had issues with the phone company hooking up one of the lines and I had to wait on them this morning again. On top of everything we don't know the first thing about electrical and we have to switch out the plug on the dryer. DH is scared of electricity and hesitant since it threw sparks the first try he made. Yikes! No wonder my head hurts.

I have no idea if I have gained or lost. I'm afraid to get on the scale.

LORI!! Another pound - way to go!! Sounds like you had a great weekend. Good for you

Paige - Sorry your summer is over hun. Good luck surviving all those lunches and breakfast get togethers! I bet you can make good choices and stay on track. Once you get back into a schedule it will get easier. You've done so well!!

Julie - I helped my brother teach a couple of his daughters to swim and it was hard to be so forceful, but it worked. We'd stand about 5 feet apart and push them back and forth, head under. Jessica would scream and cling to me and it was so hard to keep at it, but with a few of those sessions she learned to come up for air, hold it and swim with her face in the water. Good luck with DS. . . I think it is so imp to teach kids how to swim.

Well, I guess I should go work, not that I want to. . . See you later ladies.

Hi everybody... I'm back from the cruise. I loved Kerry's description of Paige's eatfest and that was what I was on for 7 days. Eat, eat, then eat some more. Alaska is beautiful and the time in the ports was great. I had a lot of problems with the time cruising from port to port. I was bored to death - so I ate and ate and ate. I gained three pounds. There, I said it. Now you all know. What is surprising is that since I got back I haven't had any trouble getting back on the wagon. I immediately started to eat normally. Sort of strange.

As I said the ports were beautiful We shopped and hiked in Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria, BC. The very best place on the cruise was Hubbard Glacier. It was breathtaking. I took 98 pictures. Over the next couple days, I will put together a website with some of the pictures. Since eating was such a major part of the trip, I took a picture of the dining room. The whole cruise was pretty lavish and I wouldn't do it again. I'm more of a camper than a person who likes to have my napkin discreetly laid in my lap by the steward. It was like I was pretending I was rich for a week. Since I'm not, it felt pretty phony. But don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it. The towns were great and the glacier unforgetable.

Kerry, sounds like your family reunion was worse than mine. My family members can drive me nuts sometimes, but they were pretty good this time. Wish you had had the same. Also, congrats on being a homeowner. It's pretty neat knowing that when you do something to improve on the house, you'll get it back in equity. I love not renting.

Lori, I had to laugh at your DS not getting in the car. When I have to go, I have to go so I understand your impatience.

Paige, sorry about your summer being over. Mine will be next Wednesday. I have 9 days left. I hope you're getting back into the swing of things and are able to avoid the food fest better than I did.

I need to exercise today. Normally I'd swim but my pool is too cold for my liking so I'll wait a day or two. I think I'll use the exercycle. I will lose the 3 pounds and more - that's my motto. Oh, BTW, my A1C test came back and I'm not even close to diabetic. They'll keep a watch on it since most of my family is diabetic, but I am not as of now. That was great news.

TTYL.

Good Morning Chickies !!!

Marie, glad to see your back and only 3 lbs, that's not bad at all!!! I'm with you, camping is more up my alley, not rich for a week. But I still would like to take a cruise to Alaska just to see the place. I can't wait to see the pictures!

Kerry, moving in one weekend, I remember those days. Now it takes months! I have accumulated so much crap that it takes forever. Owning a home is great, but there will be times when you'll be thinking what did I do!!!

I have a very busy week this week, the boys are practicing, my mom is getting her house in order for annual get together for our local festival and we have to help her. It wouldn't be bad but she only weeds once a year so it's slightly out of hand. So this weekend we'll be cooking out, roasting hot dogs, and the kids have a scrimmage game on Sat. and we have a reunion too. I'll never get back to normal, if there is such a thing.

Ok I have to shower and go to that darn old work!

Welcome back Marie!!! You were missed It sounds like you had a wonderful time. I would love all that fancy stuff for a week, but my DH would hate it! I think it's fun to act all fancy for a time and then go back to reality. I don't like roughing it so much anymore. I did the whole backpack thing when I was younger and I burnt myself out on it. I do like being in the mountains, but like to rent cabins and such. Don't worry about the 3 lbs. You'll take them off quickly.

Lori - We about killed ourselves moving in 3 days. I've been exhausted since. I finally got rid of the headache so that is good. Sounds like you do have a busy week. You'll probably shake another pound off without trying.

I peaked at the scale today and it said I hadn't gained or lost. I guess that's good. I've stayed the same through all this. Although, it is almost TOM so I might see a loss after that. I just pigged out on breakfast, bc I was dying for breakfast foods. I will be trying to make up for it all day now. I have a light lunch planned so it should even out (maybe). I don't think I'm going to see 135 before San Fran.

Ok, so I should go work I guess. . . not that I want to or anything. TTYL!

Hi Chicks, today has been a good day. I'm eating reasonably well and I've stayed away from the bad snacks. I took control of some financial matters and now I'm waiting on a bank reply (in other words - home equity loan to pay off credit card debt). That always makes me nervous, but if they say no, there are other banks, right? I finally finished the wash from the trip and I did the web page of pictures. It is at www.mariesdogs.info/cruise/index.htm if you want to check the pictures out. It too a little bit to do it since the computer I had been working on didn't want to create a web photo album. But I got it done and it looks pretty good. There are about 200 pictures total that I took and I think I put about 15 of them on the site.

I got a call from work and I am returning to work a couple days early. My vacation was supposed to end on Aug. 10 but now I'm going back on the 8th. I don't really mind. I'm getting a little too spoiled by being at home.

Kerry, you are so close to 135 that I bet you do make it by the trip and if you don't, within 3 pounds is still awfully close. I'm so proud of you for accomplishing that. And thanks for the great welcome back.

Lori, I used to love my son's football practices. It just so real and homey. The brisk autumn air, the little munchkins dressed up with all the pads. It was great. My DS blew out his knee and was done with all sports but it was fun while it lasted. FYI, I'm a Packer fan.

That's about it. Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm starting to feel old. 44 just seems too old when I'm such a kid still. DH made me a lo-cal fudge cake and I have to wait till tomorrow to have any. I already got most of my presents. DH got me a dark purple leather jacket, parents gave me peridot earrings, and the money I knew I'd get from MIL was spent on hair clips in Victoria, BC - they are literally pieces of art. DSs still have presents to give to me and I haven't tried on the jacket so it will still be nice.

TTYL.

Howdy!
Glad to see everyone. Crazy crazy week...I'm busier at work now than I ever have been since I started working here. Not sure if I can handle it, but I'm doing my best. Hubby seems to be fully recovered from his fainting spell, and we did stop the swimming classes, but we continue to take him to the kiddie pool on our own so he won't be so scared of the water, he seems to enjoy that, I'm hoping he will be a little braver next summer. It's tough to make him do this when I don't even know how to swim myself My weigh in went well. Down almost a 1lb for a total loss of 39.3 lbs and 22 inches almost two feet!!!! Was I really that big?????

Paige-I hear ya about getting up early. I'm up at 6. Tough dragging my butt out of bed that early...I couldn't imagine having to get up at 5:30. I'm ok once I get moving though, just takes me a few minutes, but it is a rough few minutes. Sorry your vacation is over.

Lori-The get together sounds like fun and alot of work. Have fun at practice...I'm sure I'll be taking my little one to stuff like that soon enough, but he's not even 3 yet so I have a little time before he gets into football anyway...but I heard there is a toddler soccer league in Cranberry and a girl I work with is thinking about enrolling her daughter and asked if I was interested...If my boss will let me skip out early I might do it. That should be hysterical a bunch of two and three year olds kicking around a soccer ball.

Kerry- congrats on maintenance through the move! It took us about a week or so to get all of our crap out of our old house. Amazing how much stuff you accumulate through the years! Not to mention all the stuff we threw out!

Marie-Welcome back! I'm a princess at heart...I love cruises! The fancier the better! I was a little uncomfortable at first but I got use to it...too use to it My dream is a Hawaiian cruise. The islands look so beautiful, and cruising is so relaxing to me. I love your pictures of Alaska! The landscape is so beautiful! By the way the sweater looks great on you! Looks like you had a wonderful time! Way to go only gaining 3 lbs! Most people I know gain more after a cruise, it's so hard not to gain anything with all that food there for you all the time! Great job jumping right back in on healthier eating! Happy Birthday Have fun!!!!

Happy Birthday Marie!!! I hope you enjoy your day!

Way to go on the loss JULIE!! Even with all the chaos at work! That's awesome.

Well, I had my doctors visit today and we have a plan of action in place. Starting in Sept I am going to be on the Clomid and he'll be monitoring my immune disorder as well. We're going to do that for 3 cycles and if not pg by the end of Nov then we'll do an HSG and Laproscopy to check for blockages and endometrosis. He doesn't think I have any endo, which is good, but can't be 100%. Hopefully the Clomid will do the trick and we'll get pregnant and keep the progesterone up through meds to sustain the pregnancy. I am really hopeful that we'll get there soon now. My doc is wonderful and is very calm and confident that we'll get pregnant with a little help. He was proud of me for losing the weight. And for getting right in the heart/head before coming back to be aggressive. Though, of course I can't be dieting too severely and will move to more of a maintenance plan come Sept.

So I guess that gives me about 4 weeks to lose 3 lbs. I think I can do it or at least get close. Stopping the diet then will be for a very good cause though even if I'm not at goal.

Hi everybody, first thanks to everybody for the birthday wishes. I had a great birthday. I went hiking with DH and the dogs first thing in the morning so my exercise was done for the day. Later I jumped in my pool and played a bit. It was really nice. DH made me fajitas and a birthday cake (both lo-cal) and it was great. Then DS and his girlfriend took me out to dinner. We went to applebees and I looked at things only on the WW part of the menu. I had Tango Chicken Sandwich with only 350 cals. Then the brought me a happy birthday ice cream which I only at a couple bites of. So I survived the birthday without going over my calories. YEAH!!!!! I'd say I've made a bit of progress.

Today I don't have anything planned except doing my situps and floating on the pool, then swimming laps. I decided that this year of my life, I'm going to strengthen my stomach muscles so I did the unthinkable - I did a situp. Acutally I did 10 of them. Crunches do nothing for me so I thought I'd do the real thing. So now I'm going to increase them every other day by one until I'm up to 50. Interesting goal, huh?

Julile, way to go on the loss. The amount of inches is truly inspiring. 22 - WOW!!!!

Kerry, I'm so happy for you that the dr. appointment went good. I pray that you'll be preggers in no time flat. Having kids is just such a blessing. And I bet it felt great that the dr. was proud of you for losing weight.

I will chat with you all later. DH needs the computer.

Hi everyone! Just a quick post because I am exhausted!!! I just got back from our school retreat which was awesome!!!! But it was along 3 days!!

Kerry- Yeah!!! Your on your way! I tried clomid but it didn't work for me but it did for several friends of mine! Good luck!!!!

I post more tomorrow when I can think!!! I'm just so tireeeeeeeeeeeeeed!
Later.

Not much new since yesterday, but I did exercise both yesterday and today. Yesterday I did my situps and weights, and swam laps. Today it was situps and laps. Weights are every other day.

I guess there is something monumental in my world. I am trying to go med free for my bipolar. I've been so steady for so long that I want to try without. So I'm weaning off my meds but promised DH that I would go back on them if I needed them. I'd ask my dr. about doing this but, heck, she's on a 6 month sabbatical and I am left on my own. Hence my brainstorm. I really think it is one of my meds that is causing me to not lose hardly anything. I've been near angelic and the scale and fat won't budge. So I'm on a trial run. If you guys notice me going manic/depressive, yell at me to go back to them.

TTYL.

Hey Paige - Glad that your retreat was good I can understand being tired and drained with all those non-stop activities. When do classes officially start for you? They're starting back here in SC next week and then NC the week after that. Plus they're messing with all their vacation days. Not good if you ask me. I remember the days of getting 2 full weeks off for Christmas, Spring break around East and 3 whole months for summer. I guess the states feel like they gotta keep in the classroom more to get those scores up.

Marie - Good luck going off the meds. I hope you are able to do it and stay on an even-keel. If not, go back Nothing wrong with being medicated to live a happy life, but I can see how you might thing the med is messing with your weight loss. I hope it works for you

Well I ate awful yesterday... PMS and all then we went out to the club since DH was DJing and I drank all kinds of bad sweet stuff. My belly aches a bit this morning, but I'm trying to put some coffee down to ward of the headache. I think it's more sinus than anything bc I forgot to take any decon last night and just fell into bed upon safe arrival home.

I would like to share that I got the most wonderful compliments last night. I wore a low-cut tie dyed (khaki, into white and most black) tank top with tight white pants and strappy heals. Even the bartender girls kept telling me how hot I looked I told them thanks and everyone kept going on to the point I was a bit embarrassed (but still proud). Then later an old friend showed up that we hadn't seen in about 4-5 months and he didn't even recognize me! I finally went over to say hi and he was like WOW! You look GREAT! Did you lose some weight (he whispered that in my ear)? I beamed at him a big yes - thanks for noticing. He just kept telling me how happy he was to see me looking good and so happy with myself. It was such a good feeling. He made my night

Alrighty, I'll stop gushing... I weighed in yesterday and I might be down .5, but I am so bloated from PMS that I just don't care right now. I figure next Friday will be most telling. I'm good on my calories (below what I need to lose) about every other - every third day nowadays. But I think the other days I stay on a maintanance amount. I really think I might have it somewhat under control for the first time in my life and know my body enough to lose and maintain. Of course we'll see what happens when I get preggers. (Positive thinking here - when not if)

TTYL! Hope you're all doing well and enjoying your weekends.