Apples2

Hey Girls! Back from a weekend at the lake. Had a GF arrive on Friday night. We were the only ones in the resort ALL weekend long. DH came up on Sat night and stayed till Sunday evening. I am hard core. I stayed till this morning and was absolutely the only one in our huge resort. Had soooo much fun with GF. Was a cold weekend. Usually around 40 but dipped to 30 at night. I would be up there with snow if I could (did it last year!). Back home and catching up and dreaming about running back to lake tomorrow. Have new furniture being delivered for our place up there and think I will spend the night. Will come back Wed morning to do books, etc. and then meeting another GF up there on Thursday evening for our Girls Night Out and will stay till next Monday morning. That's usually my schedule until Oct. 31. Congrats on your 122 total weight gone, Long!!!!!!!!!! I heard that Woohoo!!!!! You deserve to scream it from the mountain tops. Speaking of sizes of clothes....I tried sooooooo hard to be frugel and hit WalMart, Target, resale, etc. I, too, thought I would be done losing and then have to go down to a smaller size. Point is....don't spend a lot on anything unless you KNOW you are going to stay that size. Some of my friends and Salvation Army got some pretty nice clothes that we not even worn or worn a couple of times. We have a great overstock store in our home town. Most name brand items are under $20. I have three Ann Taylor dresses in my closet from that store and they are sooooooo cute. Cannot wait to wear them. I am a self-confessed clothes and shoe horse. Just nice to be able to slip into "normal" sizes and have clothes that are cute again. Used to be all black elastic waist pants and tents for shirts and usually a jacket to cover all of that up. Off to finish supper for the guys. Taco pie on the menu with banana/blueberry/apple/strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert. Oh yeah...homemade garlic/cheese bisquits. Hope everyone had a great weekend. Have caught up with this thread and, sorry, but in too much of hurry right now to respond to any post.

Have a fun trip, Susan. I have my fingers and toes crossed that you have no symptoms while you are down. Hopefully, doc took care of the problems. Enjoy the grandkids. Hope this is a trip they remember for a lifetime!

Way to go, Elayne!!!!!!! Sounds like you know where you want to be in the life and that you can do it without being dependent on someone else. You head and your heart seem to be in the right place. So good to hear that you are moving right along in the LB process. For me the thing I always kept in mind was the LB rules. I figured there is a reason for them and I was going to stick to it. I followed every rule and had no trouble losing the weight and being able to eat without much trouble. Well girls...I'm heading to the lake. It's 45 degrees here but still going to enjoy the weekend. Rain is predicted. But, there's needle work I do, crosswords, cards to play with friends, a truck load of dvd's to watch and a couple of foo foo drinks waiting for me. Everyone have a great weekend!

Not going to share what I have been eating. All healthy choices that total 2500/day. Been eating this amount for a few months now and just maintaining. Not worrying though cuz I know I am getting everything I need and I feel really healthy and have lots of energy. Heading out soon....driving 75 miles for farm parts, stopping for a volunteer luncheon, driving parts back to farm from there, coffee with a friend (her son just left for Iraq and needs to talk) at 2pm and then volunteer till 6pm....then............OFF TO THE LAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bye-Bye! Everyone have a great weekend!

That's actually pretty good news. At least it's not something terribly serious. A trip to physical therapy if not better in the near future? Take care

Hi Girls... Long...I HATE my b/4 but I got brave with the last few ppl I sent my after to and included it. I will email it to you. Hope you don't get too stress with everything you have going on. Take care. Lucy...so sad...our babies grow up. Enjoy every minute of it. I look back and when I was home with my two boys (went to work when they started school) it was my happiest time ever. Now I am waiting for grandchildren but the boys are not producing. Brown...good luck with your new job. Sorry this is short. I'm in the middle of ten different things this evening. Have a bunch of guys at my kitchen table eating supper and up and down serving them. Dessert is next. Talk to you guys tomorrow.

All in fun, Warden... ummm...I mean Janet....you know we all love ya!

Flowers...caught your photo. You ARE a hot momma!

JB...wishing you the best and a speedy recovery with your upcoming surgery. Take care of yourself!

I do all the driving...DH sleeps or gazes at the farm land. Used to be I would stop every couple of hours and get a cappacino and a fattening snack. Do you know how much money I save now? I pack up the beef Jerky, protien bars, Kashi Go Lean crunch and I'm one happy girl!

So sorry you have been having troubles, Charlene. Best to get rid of temptations. It's tough when things like that just pull you right in. You can get back on track. We've all been there and it's so nice to be able to come here to have a size 6 1/2 inserted!:rolleyes2:

Evening Girls! Welcome newbies. Keep on truckin' if any of you are struggling. How did that kick in the butt feel, Charlene? Janet's sooooooooooo good at it, isn't she? Thank God for Janet! Spent the day in the truck going from one side of the state to the other. Was running for tractor parts. And, yes, Janet I was up early and had dinner on timed bake in the oven! I should have been an over-the-road trucker. It's the job I enjoy the most. Singin' to the radio, sippin' coffee and lovin' the countryside. Gotta go. Guys just pulled into the yard for a LATE (too late) supper. Sleep tight everyone and wishing you all a successful day of eating and exercising tomorrow. Hugs to all my cyber friends. Love ya!

OOPS...Forgot to say thanks for the compliments on the photos. My after was taken in Dec and I have dropped about 20lbs after that. (reason I was complaining in yesterday's post....wasn't intentional). I just cringe when looking at b/4's.

Awww...it's sooooooo nice to get an "I love you"....I love you back, Cathy! I must have missed why you do not have fill right now. It's gotta be tough. My surgeon's nurse lost her fill (hole in her port tube) and she says she gain ten pounds in one week from hunger. Good for you to maintain with not fill. Please hang out with us more often, Cathy. I miss you. I am guilty of going missing sometimes. I always keep updated but do not always have time to post. I try to just say a little so the girls know I'm still alive. I would love it if I could just take my three threads and combine them so that I just post on one! I wonder how many original Junies lurk and don't post. ARE YOU OUT THERE?????????????? COME LET US KNOW HOW YOU ARE DOING??????????????????????

Hey Allie...Nope not still losing, so that's good. Been maintaining for a few months. I re-sent those photos. I looked and I had sent them to you a week ago last Thurs. Maybe they ended up being filtered and in your trash. That's where the b/4 one should be. I hate looking at it!

Mornin' Junies! So nice to hear from you, Susan. Take care of yourself. Hope you find out what is going on with you. Keep us updated. Allie...what a great attitude! You know what it takes! I am a very positive person and believe that it can truly make a difference in the direction your life takes. Things will fit together for you and DH. Smart girl waiting until DD graduates. SIL yanked her kids as jr and sr's in HS to move and it devestated them. They made new friends (very outgoing) but it's yrs later and they still bring up the fact that they wish they could have graduated with friends they went to school with for years. Still plugging away at trying to gain back a few pounds. I now there will be a time that it will catch up but you would think that after 3 months of eating 2500 cals a day I would gain a little. I FEEL good and I guess that's what counts. Just do not like how clothes fit. Cannot bump the cals any more or I'll feel sick. Tough getting in what I do. Now, please don't get upset with me for posting about HAVING to gain. I just need to vent about it. I NEVER thought this would happen to me. B/4 surgery I just looked at food and GAINED. But doc says maybe that's where my body wants to be and if I'm happy with it then go with it. OK...I'm trying.

1Day....wishing you the best and hope dr can figure out what is going on with you. If you feel they are not delving into this deep enough, go see another dr. Pain is an indication that something is going on in your body. Long...congrats on more lbs. lost! Mornin' to the rest of you girls. On the go today. Volunteer day at the hospital. Four days this week but don't mind. A couple of the days I put floral arrangements together at home and also baskets with gift items and tie them up with pretty bows. Have a bunch to deliver that I worked on yesterday and this morning. All the proceeds go to our hospice house. Cold here today but sunny. Don't mind the chill as long as there is sun light. Makes my day! Wishing everyone a great day and good food choices!

Denise...congrats on ONEDERLAND!!!!!!!!!!! Goodnight everyone...if you could see me...I am the one dragging my A$$ down the hall to bed. Talk to you all tomorrow.

LJV.....a little early but here goes: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR LJV HAPPY BIRTH DAY TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joanne...love your new photo. You are so pretty...just as pretty as the quilt behind you! So sorry to hear you kids will remaining in Korea. I am sure it builds character with all the experiences they have, but just so difficult to be away from family. We are so lucky to have the technical conveniences we do today. I am sure you feel fortunate to be able to talk to her everyday by email, etc. Enjoy the remainder of your trip, the new baby smell, the cute things 2 yr olds do!

Joanne...congrats on the new little one, Grandma. I am looking forward to the day I am one. My DS's just are not at that stage in their lives yet. Happy to hear you are still losing even though you were travelling and eating out some. That's what makes a great bandster.... I think I can speak for all of us when I say we miss our daily chats with you. Enjoy the rest of your trip and those grandbabies. Your daughter will be back in the States b/4 you know it! Take care and safe travels!

Hope you are all having a great weekend. Crazy busy here on the farm getting ready for spring planting. Hunzi...happy to hear you are back at work and in the real world again. It's been a long haul for you and you deserve some normalcy in your life. Sounds like you have been extremely busy with your Mary Kay business. Way to go, girl! Wish we could all get together and have a Mary Kay party. I'll host!!! Remodeling sucks. We remodeled our main floor 8 yrs ago. Lived in the basement for about 4 months. Basement in the winter with snow covering the windows tends to be depressing. Strike...can't remember if I said anything to you on the new job but congrats! Proof that good things do happen even after the drama you had with your job a few months ago. Way to go!!!!! Allie....so sorry to hear about DH's job. Try to stay positive (as you always are) and wait for things to fall into place. I'll be thinking of you. You want to talk about shrinking????????????? I was 5'8" in HS and now 5'6.5". And, I swear my bones measure a lot smaller. Guess that just comes with age. Teach....Congrats on the weight loss!!! Way to go!!!. 136# was my goal and my doc was fine with that. Heck, he's fine with where I am now cuz he knows I eat healthy and am really trying to get back to my goal weight. VZ........no tanning bed yet. I have looked for a few months. Either they are really expensive or they are made cheaply. I will find what I want if I am patient. Did not make it to the lake. Will go up tomorrow. Cold and windy here today and did not want to have to drive back at 5 in the morning to see our National Guards unit off to Iraq. My son left with the unit in 2004. He is out now but lots of his friends are going. Those kids are special to us and want them to know we support them. If you can all say a little prayer tonight in hopes that we get them all back this time. We are missing three of my DS's buddies from the last stint over there. Have everything packed up and ready to go. Going to the lake is everything to us. We work hard but take time to play. Love the campfires, weekends when everyone is there, week days when I have my quite time to read, cross stitch, etc. If you guys remember from last season, I spend at least 4-5 days a week up there. Come home and work like an idiot just so I can get back up there. It's so peaceful and gets me away from the farm stress. I cook ahead so my guys are taken care of and when they are in the fields, I am home to take care of them. Hope you had a great weekend at the lake, VZ! Long...congrats on the support group thing. You were talking about Gap. They don't make jeans that fit me. But, I did find Nine West in longs that fit like a glove. Love the midrise and need the slim fit cuz I have such skinny legs. I found a pair in a dept. store (they only had one pair) and then came home and ordered two other colors from Nine West online. CATHYCHATTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nice to hear from you! Sounds like your life is full and you are living life to the fullest with all your BF's. Enjoy! Emailed you a b/4 and after. The after is 15-20lbs ago. Need to have DH take one this weekend for a testimonial I am doing for doc's office. Better get back after it. Need to load my truck yet so I am ready to head out to the lake after brunch tomorrow. One of my good friend's son is leaving on the bus for Iraq tomorrow and having their family and friends out after the bus leaves. I remember the feeling. Not good and nice to have friends to talk to and cry with.

Hey girls! Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Hmmmmmmmmmmm. How did I miss the post that says Julie is going home? Anyway, happy you are home and you are on the mend, Julie. Take care of yourself. Let others wait on you till you are stronger. Crazy busy around here (yep, even on the weekends) with prepping for spring planting, building in the shop, volunteering, etc., etc., etc..I have always enjoyed a full day but it's keeping me from even checking into LBT. We were going to head to the lake but decided I would make sure I have absolutely everything packed and do it in one trip. That way I can have DH carry everything in for me. Since I have three or more hernia surgeries behind me, I like to keep it that way. I lift but am careful not to overdo. Going to head up to lake tomorrow instead. Want to be around for the early morning send off for our local National Guard troops. So happy my son is not going with the unit this time but sooooooo sad to say goodbye to his friends. Those kids are like our boys. They have all spent so much time here. Please all say a prayer for our guys and all the guys in harms way. We want all of them back this time. My son lost 3 of his buddies last time. Well...back at it. Have friends coming for an early brunch tomorrow. One of my best friend's son is heading out on that bus in the morning and I felt it was important that she have some support after having to say goodbye.

Patty...now you are playing God. What special qualifications do you have to investigate abuse? Report first with ANY indication of abuse and deal with the consequences later. I speak from experience and agree with Carrie. Most abused children try to act as normal as they possibly can. Sexual and physical abuse run rampent at all social levels within our country. I was raised in an upper class home and endured 10 years...yes, you read it right...10 years of sexual abuse. From the tender age of 7 until I graduated and got the hell out of there at 17. My mother knew and she let it continue. She didn't talk to me for 11 yrs b/4 her death because I came out of the closet with it. She protected my abuser. When she died 4 yrs ago I recieved lots of money in sympathy cards. My DH and I matched the funds and donated to "Someplace Safe" (sexual abuse advocacy) in the county where the abuse happened. We contribute the same each year on the anniversary of her death. I have called social services based on suspicion alone (2x actually). Guess what? In one case the child was pulled from the home due to neglect. This seven year old was not allowed to eat at the table but very welcome to eat on the kitchen floor. He was not allowed to use the bathroom but could poop leaning against the car outside. Guess what? In the second case a set of twins was pulled from the home (sister's kids). 18 months old. Mom claimed they were biting each other. Hmmmmmm....adult tooth prints in both boys cheeks. I STRONGLY disagree with your high and mighty attitude. If adults aren't going to protect our children, who the hell will??????????????????????????

Just saying Goodnight, sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite!!!!!!!!! I had a WONDERFUL day. Wishing you all as happy a day tomorrow as I had today. XOXOXOXO