paladin

How about this for a first kiss? You gotta love kids.

Did you see this poll on NASCAR.com? It should be an interesting weekend. Which driver, more than 100 points behind, is most likely to make a run at the Chase title? D. Earnhardt Jr. (-102)J. Johnson (-136)K. Kahne (-182)Kyle Busch (-224) D. Earnhardt Jr. (-102)1488547%J. Johnson (-136)1166237%K. Kahne (-182)483315%Kyle Busch (-224)4201%TOTAL31800 Votes

We have a very inquisitive 5 yr old in addition to our 4 yr old that doesn't need as much information. My DW explained that she was going to the hospital for surgery to get a band to help her tummy get smaller. They both were very interested in "seeing" the tummy after surgery b/c they needed to fully understand why they couldn't be on mommy's lap and had to be gentle with her. Oh, also told them the big scar was where the port was and explained the port was something to help the band work better. Just today (my DW had surgery on 5/26/06) our 5 yr old pointed to the big scar and asked if that was where the port was. Who knew he remembered it? They really do understand more than we give them credit sometimes, but overload is also possible. You are smart to get feedback and pull from others. I'm sure the right words will flow out when the time is right. Good luck!!

We have been thinking about adding another dog to our family and were strongly leaning toward a Boxer. 3Loves paid a visit to the local shelter today and fell in love with a female Jack Russell. She is at least a year old judging from her teeth. Both of our boys got to visit with her in a room and she seemed to be so loving with them. She has only been at the shelter for a week and not even officially available for adoption until tomorrow. The only concern is a red spot on her butt. She is also scooting. After talking to the vet, they think it could be a swollen anal sac. Apparently, this is not uncommon if a dog has been a stray and had a poor diet. A poor diet can cause the anal sacs to not function properly and thus swell or even become infected. We're still trying to make the final decision regarding this dog. We are certainly not in a financial position to sink a lot of money into an ill dog if this turns out to be more than a swollen anal sac. The adoption fee is $50 then we would have all her shots and heartworm work-up done, so even without any treatment we're looking at $150 plus. This is reasonable to us and as long as we don't get into hundreds of dollars, we are all for rescuing her. She is so full of life and love and would fit right into our crazy family. There is never a dull moment in this house to begin with. I can only imagine the fun we would have adding a Jack Russell. Oh, the other concern is the cat. I wonder how a JR will do with our Gracie since they will both share the house, that is in addition to our Lab. Anyone out there with JR experience that can offer advice on JR getting along with cats? ANY JR words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

He does look so mischievous and way too cute. Both of your babies are just precious. The black one looks like one of it's parents was a German Shepherd. Love the other pics too. You must be a photographer. Great job!!

Well, we did it. We officially became the proud parents of a Jack Russell Terrier. She is such a sweetie, not to mention a speed demon. My DW had to chase her down at the shelter b/c she jumped out of the van when the kids we getting in. Apparently, she wouldn't go in the kennel so my DW decided to see how she would do with a van ride. When she turned her back, Cloe was on the run and having a blast. Oh, we named her Cloe. The good news is that she gets along with the lab & cat. Well, sort of. The cat (Gracie) has stood her ground in the house and let Cloe walk around her. Once Gracie even ran toward her. I think it will be a love/hate relationship. I see great potential for the 2 of them after the dust settles. We have a vet appt Fri and will have her checked for parasites/heartworm and get her up to date on all her shots. The shelter gives a week grace period in the event of the discovery of major health problems. This is a good thing, but I doubt this little girl will EVER leave our home. Here's a couple pics. Can you tell we're proud of her?

Terry ~ Thanks for the response...appreciate the info. How funny that your JR was named Molly. That is the same name the shelter gave to this little girl. We renamed her b/c we have a chocolate lab named Malley and it would be too confusing.

Jenna ~ I think you are safe this time, but if you get stiffed a third time I think we should ALL commit to send you a gift. Gosh, think how busy your mailman would be.

I am an Engineering Manager. Labradoodle ~ You have a great job! I bet you have loads of fun. I've been noticing a lot of ads for the labradoodles lately and the "hybrid" breeds seem to be making a name for themselves. The Labradoodles go for around $1000 here in IN. It's kind of sad to think of all the people that breed for the profit instead of the love of the animals. We just adopted a Jack Russell today from the shelter and also own the BEST chocolate lab in the world. Hope you have a painless & quick recovery so you can get back to your furry friends. Best wishes!

MarcyD & LapBandit1 & Marcy ~ Great job on the weight loss girls!! Love the no more Hips Hips Hooray. Where would we be without this thread? You all are such a great support. health1st ~ Sorry I can't offer any advice on this one. 3Loves hasn't had any nausea. The only thing that comes to mind off hand is the TOM. Hope someone can step up and offer some words of wisdom. You may also want to post a new thread to draw from others with the VG band. Good luck and hang in there. Myra ~ Glad your staying home for the dental work. Just think of all the crunchies in your future. A new pleasure for your palate. :hungry: Kim ~ Oh my, what a mess!! Never thought about the PayPal connection. I have lived off of E-Bay & PayPal for over 6 yrs now. I think I'll change my passwords tonight just to be on the safe side. I've had A LOT of PayPal scams come across my e-mail so I know the hackers are out there. Glad you got your money back. BTW, 3Loves has the 4 cc band.

A man and his ever-nagging wife went on vacation to Jerusalem . While they were there, the wife passed away. The undertaker told the husband, "You can have her shipped home for $5,000, or you can bury her here, in the Holy Land , for $150." The man thought about it and decided that he would just have her shipped home. The undertaker asked, "Why would you spend $5,000 to ship your wife home when it would be wonderful to be buried here and you would spend only $150?" The man replied, "Long ago a man died here, was buried here, and three days later he rose from the dead. “ I just can't take that chance."

cherg ~ Welcome to the May Band Crew. :welcome2: So many can relate to the stage your in and the challenges that go along with that. You have done fantastic so far & don't let anyone tell you differently. I love the May thread. BTW, my wife, 3Loves, was banded on May 26, 2006 and that's where I get my info. I hope to get approval for the band. It's looking like a long rough ride at this point. Marz88 ~ Stay clear of the slime. I hear it's pretty nasty stuff. My DW has had some restriction and is still scared to death of the dreaded PB. She eats & chews well. I'm sure it's bound to happen one day. Janey ~ Unbelievable! I hope their able to track down the guilty party or parties. I have heard that some gypsy groups are into that stuff big time. I was a victim myself a few years ago and only found out b/c we went in to purchase a van. Luckily, we caught it early & it did not keep us from getting the van. They applied online from a rental home and the only charge was the yearly credit card charge from the issuing company. The police report was filed and nothing ever came out of it. I monitor my credit report closely these days. I wish you the very best of finding the low-life's that did this to you. BTW, it's good to hear your fill is going well. Kim ~ You are getting too skinny. Those plus sizes are a thing of the past. WTG!! 3Loves is has not been talking about another fill, but perhaps it is something she should consider. Her weight is staying the same. Her first and only fill was 2.5 cc's. No problems from the fill whatsoever and she does have restriction. Hmm, maybe she needs to think about another fill. We'll see. Good to hear from my NASCAR buddy. Myra ~ You make me feel so, so, so something. Here I am worrying about coming up with $700 for 2 crowns (that is with dental insurance) and then you share your story. Bless your little heart. One good point is that at least you do have something to show for your money spent and some people just can't say that. I told 3Loves your story and she laughed at herself b/c she needed the gas to calm her enough for ONE root canal...what a baby!! She told one of the girls she was more nervous about this than she was with her WLS. I guess the gas is a good thing for nervous people. Personally, I'm more like you and just relax in the chair. We will definitely keep you all in our prayers especially on Oct 9 & 11. Here's a hug to tie you over until that time. Hang in there. BTW, are you having this done in the states or MX? Maybe she said it and I missed that part. Either way, I'm sure you will be glad to get all this behind you. Drews ~ What can I say? You look SUPER DUPER fantastic in those 16's. :wow2: & :wow2: I'm afraid my DW would look like a polish sausage if she tried to squeeze into a pair of 16's right now. It won't be as long as it has been though. She loves to see your pics b/c you give her hope that she too can get there. THANKS for that!! :clap2: LindaV ~ Good for you girl. Now make sure those new skis see some fresh powder THIS SEASON. There is no reason I can think of that she shouldn't. You can do this and most importantly, YOU deserve it. Get out there and be you. Have fun, smile, and let your heart sing. I'm getting excited for you. Just try to keep the clackers in their appropriate places, you don't want to start a clack avalanche. :omg: BWT, sometimes I hear 3Loves spitting in the toilet and she told me the story. I'm thinking the spit doesn't really do much for weight loss, but what ever make her happy makes me happy. You have all brought so much entertainment into my life....you'll never really know. BTW, where is ousooner & Stitchy? Haven't heard much from them lately. Hey you two, give us an update and tell us how your doing!!

Brandy ~ I know it's not funny, but you did make me laugh. Congrats on the somewhat NSV. Now as far as the tickets go, maybe you should trade them for some scarlet & gray tickets. Sorry, just couldn't pass that one up. That game was a nail biter & action packed for sure. I'm glad I was watching from the comfort of my lazy boy.

Hi Suzanne ~ Will be sure to pray for insurance and a positive outcome. Insurance can be a wild ride, that's for sure. My wife had LB surgery on May 26th. We now have a different insurance company, BC/BS, and it doesn't look good for me at this point. Thanks to LBT, we have loads of info to fight the insurance companies. Hang in there and remember the Lord's timing is perfect. God Bless.

Much love sent to you Diane from 3Loves. What's done is done. Continue to keep your spirits up and we will continue to pray for you. I am so glad you have found this place to be a comfort. LBT is full of wonderful supportive people. Hope you are still doing well. Give us an update when you get a chance. We are following you closely!!

Ever get that sick feeling?

Staying the same here for the Turkey Take-Off. Not sure why. Should be showing a weight loss. Myra ~ Thanks for the update and I've told 3Loves about your situation. She is praying for you. She just had a root canal last Thurs and it wasn't fun. Still taking pain meds b/c the filling stuff was pushed into the gum area and she has some swelling. The dentist said to take NSAID's until she told him she is not allowed. I think she is going for a shot of steroids in the gum on Mon to help alleviate the swelling. So, how many crowns are you able to get at one time? Are they doing it ALL at one setting or will you go back for several appts? So glad to hear this will soon be behind you. You are such an inspiration in so many ways. Thank you for always being there for my wife, 3Loves. You mean a lot to her. Janey ~ WOW...29.9 BMI! WTG!! Marci ~ Congrats on your daughter's wedding. Love the pic and always enjoying hearing about fun stuff. Drews ~ Yeah, glad to hear your hubby is out of the hospital. Hope he's doing well and on the way to a full recovery. So, Oct 9th is the big day? I'm sure you will let us know the results ASAP. 3Loves and I are pulling for you and will keep you in our prayers. WHERE ARE YOU KIM? HOW R U DOING?

AMEN and GOOD FOR YOU!! So glad to hear you stuck to your guns and followed up. Again, age is no excuse for bad service. Just today I was teaching my 4 yr old son to hold the door for the ladies coming in. Good manners and respect is taught early in life. It's easy to pick out the kids that have been raised with high morals and integrity.

Diane, it's great to hear from you and so glad to hear your doing so well. Of course, we knew you would. BTW, your link requires a user name and password. Is there anyway to bypass that or maybe post pics on this thread? Keep in touch!!

Leila, I have been praying for you and I'm so glad you made the decision to share your needs on this thread. Praise God that you know have answers and can address the problem. Will continue to keep you in our prayers that trust that all will work out on your home situation as well. Welcome sueol!! So glad you joined us. Prayer is indeed a powerful thing. I have a special prayer request that I would just like to mention in the form of an unspoken request. Thank you all for your love of God, prayers and/or general support depending on your beliefs.

Welcome tomorrowsdream. It's always nice to have Tony fans around here. You are right, Zippy has been giving Tony bad cars over the past few weeks. That is not the reason he didn't make the chase, like Tony said himself, it took them 26 wks to get to this point, but it definitely was a contributing factor. We will still pull for SMOKE at all the races. It would be nice to see Martin take the championship at the end. Missy, on a different note, why does Gordon always seem to go backwards after they work on his car? My MIL complains about that all the time. When the work on his car during a race, it seems to get worse. Maybe things will get better over the next few races. I hope so b/c my MIL will drive me crazy if it doesn't improve. She keeps our phone hot during the race.

Drews...You are a hottie!! Janey, I will make sure my DW gets your chicken recipe. That sounds really yummy. Chicken is my favorite, regardless if I have a band or not. marz88, WTG on your NSV and your weight loss. It is really great to hear about your progress. missnikki, It's great to hear from you. Hope you post more often. LindaV, WHAT? You lost? You are just amazing!! Congratulations and tell you DH to take you out more often. Love the Turkey Take Off Challenge. I'm in. Need to think about the amount of weight. May go with 15 lbs instead of 20. Will think about it and let you all know for the commitment factor. GOBBLE GOBBLE

How could I miss this? I'm sending my info!

Talk about a stressful night!! 3Loves was sweating and trying to keep the boys quiet. It is really sad that Smoke won't be in the chase. 3Loves wanted to give him a hug after his interview. He looked like his puppy died. The only thing left to do is pick yourself up and move on. Tony was given crappy cars the past few weeks and I hold Zippy responsible for the last few races with the exception of this race with the back-up car. There is only so much a driver can do with such cars. He worked hard, but the name of the game is points and he didn't have enough. I hope he stays out of more Busch races next year to avoid accidents that cause problems in the Nextel cup. He is always strong toward the end of the season and something is up with the way he's been racing the past few weeks. I wonder if we're going to hear more about that later. Now I have a few drivers I can pull for like Denny Hamlin since he's a Gibb's boy. I would just LOVE to see Martin take it this year. Kasey sure has a shot and would have me cheering in his corner. I also like old Smiling Happy Harvick. He's just a good old boy that's full of fun. Oh, we'll see what develops this week. BTW, OSU kicked butt in Texas. YEAH!! They branded buckeyes on those longhorn cattle butts!! I kept switching to the game during a caution and it was difficult to follow.

We have a full moon coming this Thurs according to Farmer's Almanac. I read my horoscope, but don't know much about this kind of stuff. What is supposed to happen on a full moon? My personal experience is that people act weird in general during that time. I wonder why? :eek: Anyone know the reasoning behind it?