Shrinking Violets -- April 07 Bandsters

[adorable 1]

Oops! Sorry big pics!!! I just had to share

[Suziecat 379]

Denise, Congrats on the "Boy". You know what? Those are the first sonogram I have ever seen. Thatfanny is 's amazing. Didn't realize there was that much detail. I bet you can't hardly wait for the big guy to get here.

Change of subject and not a very nice one. I once again spent several hours in and out of the bathroom this evening. I got constipated again. I hate this. It hurts so bad and you would think I would try not to do that again. It just slips my mind and before I know it I have not gone to the bathroom in like 3 or 4 days. By that time it too late. I get compacted. I was sure I had gotten enough Fiber this week. For heavens sake I think I ate enough chex-mix and I even ate an orange the other day. So what do you guys do to prevent this. My poor fanny is still quivering.

Sorry about that last paragraph.

[Teachlady 3]

Denise.. Blake is looking mighty fine!! Congrats, Grandma!!!

Suzie.. are you getting your Water in every day?? 8 glasses?? I had terrible Constipation after I got the band. Course I had it before too. My doc recommended Bene-fiber. I used that for awhile and after I started getting my water in each day, I started to be very regular. I haven't had to use anything in months. I did use senacot pills when things got really bad.

I just got in from the hot tub. It's 35 out so it feels really nice getting out of the tub. At least I'm not freezing trying to get my towel and robe on. Ethan comes over tomorrow for the day so I need to head to bed and store up on some energy. My lap band support group meets tomorrow too. Don't think there will be many at it, but even one other makes it worthwhile.

Everyone have a great evening.

Patience, Trust, Purple Power, WWJD??!!

[janiebug 0]

Hello everyone, I think I got my shopping done!! I am not sure but if I don't it is nothing major to buy.

Susie I take Miralax once a day. I used to take it twice a day when I had a problem with a hernia (long story). Can't really seem to cut back anymore I talked with my Dr. and they said no problem. So I think that it must be okay.

CONGRATS DENISE!!!! I bet you are thrilled!! I don't think I have seen those new fangled sonograms/ultrasounds, that is pretty amazing!!!

Can't believe that I only have one day left of work til Christmas!!

Well I gonna hit the sack, am still worried about my Secret Santa not getting their gift!! Two more postal days before Christmas and it BETTER COME!!!!!!! If you are still waiting for your gift.....Sorry!!!!!

Jane

[kity 2]

Hey Violets~

Jenn...thanks again...I just loved all my presents! Your so wonderful and it really made my day!

Susie...can't help ya. I suffer the opposite (ride the Imodium train too often). My system is too weird now...and everything goes right through me. Good luck!

Denise...great pix and congrats! Blake is a cutie already. Is this grand baby #1 or #2? Either way, your be very blessed in '08!

I was Judy tonight. Susanne came in and thought it would be good to go up to brothers to use his hot tub! It was 37degrees up there, but the Water was great. It did feel good and relaxing...but our faces were freezing. But I thought of Judy. I didn't do any exercises in the hot tub. It was murder getting out...my bathing suit froze to me.

I am sooo tight today. I barely made it through 1/3 piece of salmon (lunch w/ bro). Then I had a taco salad (broke down and had Carls Jr.) and kept getting stuck and ended sliming in his sink. He said, "Have I seen everything you've eaten today?" (1/3 salmon and 3-4 bites of taco salad...which is basically ground beef and letuce). Anyway, I said yes...and he said..."OMG, that is not enough food."

I came home and am working my way through a shake now for the Protein.

Susanne's parents are here in the am. My dad and his wife of 32 years (my parents) are gonna be here around noon for a few hours, and my brother John, and his son Johnny will be here too! Full house. I gotta go to the store in the morning regardless of how my back feels. This totally sucks. Wish me luck everyone. This should be fun...trying to not let everyone know that I can't eat anything but mushies. Remember, my MIL watched me PB all Thanksgiving weekend and is now worried. I don't want to do that in front of everyone (bad enough in front of brother tonight).

Have a great and safe holiday!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

[SC-Cindy 0]

Denise, your Blake is amazing! Congratulations, Grandma!

Suzie, thanks for bringing up the topic. I am not a good Water drinker and have the same situation as you. A friend recommended Fiber Choice chewable tablets and all is has been well since then. What a relief!

Haven't we had any CTC days this week? Surely someone would have told me!!! Nothing but the junk has seemed both tasty and go-down-able. A new day tomorrow, right?

Cruise details to follow!

Cindy, still @ 173 and refusing to change my ticker

[Haydee 2]

Hi ladies!! So many pictures here tonight! Denise, congratulations!! He's beautiful!!

Just got back from doing more shopping. Not done yet! I got my picky cousin a combination of some of your ideas... A microfiber throw for her lap, a nice watch ( i couldn't find one with interchangeable bands) and a gift card for iTunes. Whew. I'm glad I'm done with her!

Okay, I'm gonna go back and catch up on all the posts. Oh, I wanted to share my Christmas Tree picture and my house picture that I took tonight. It looked so pretty when I drove up tonight that I couldn't resist taking out my camera!

[Haydee 2]

<p>here they are....</p>

[SC-Cindy 0]

Okay, Violets, okay--the ticker is changed. I couldn't stand the guilt. And I also added a photo to the avatar. It's from Formal Night on the cruise.

Cruise Details, as promised:

My mother, brother, SIL and niece went on a 3-night Royal Caribbean cruise on the Sovereign of the Seas ship. This ship is one of the oldest in their fleet and will only make another 10 or so cruises and then is being sold to a sister cruise line in Europe.

The ship was the largest of the bunch when it was christened in 1988 but now is among the smallest of the big passenger ships. It does look a bit dated but was not worn out looking. They told us on the ship that our passenger rooms were larger than newer ships, but that seems impossible that the rooms could be even smaller.

All of us were on the 3rd deck, same floor as our Dining Room which was very handy. My 5-yr. old niece was to bunk with me but decided she preferred to stay with her mom and day--imagine three in a bed. So, I got the cabin to myself and it was a good thing. The rooms are tiny. Not big enough to swing a cat in as my grandmother used to say. I believe the room was 10 x 11 ft. There were two twin beds with EXCELLENT mattresses, very important for my poor back, a vanity make-up table with great lighting, a good-sized closet, and a small-ish bathroom. Two much information warning: the toilet was my least favorite part of the cabin as there was very little Water in it and even multiple flushes were not adequate. Gross...!

Okay, on to some of the highlights:

The dining room and our two waiters were awesome. The food was so good--Mahi Mahi one night, lobster bisque, escargot, and the best appetizer on the trip was formal night and I had a chilled pear and cranberry Soup. Yummmy! It was strained to a finer consistency than applesauce and chilled. Wish I had a bowl now. Only one PB the entire trip--on a roll, of course. You'd think I knew better, but I just can't resist real butter and had to have something to put it on right? Remember that our cabins were on the same floor as the dining room? Good thing that PB night.

Continuing to talk about the awesome waiters--they were so very kind to my niece and referred to her as Princess Tes (Tes is her name) the entire time. She adored the extra attention as did the four adults who love her. You can bet those two kind men got great tips the last night of the cruise. And just to let you know how precious this princess is, here she is on formal night with $120 of Nassau corn-row braiding:

Breakfast was good--either eaten in the formal dining room or at a buffet on the pool deck. The presentation of the food at each meal was so beautiful. Remember the pictures of Judy's cruise of the carved watermelons? We had the same thing. Here's a reminder:

Hmm..what else did I love?

The $10 store on board! Absolutely the cutest and best deals on evening purses, jeweled and fringed shawls and jewelry. I went hog-wild on buying evening purses in every color, not for going out, but for using for church. They are so lovely, and did I mention **$10**! What a steal!

The evening shows were cute, only a tad cheese-y. :-)

The excursions to Nassau and to CoCo Cay. In Nassau my brother and I visited the Straw Market and with his bargaining I was able to buy a Gucci purse for ONLY $40. And I'm certain that it's the real deal because the embossing "Gucci--Made in Italy" is in a straight line. I don't really care about name brands (refer to paragraph above on splurging on $10 evening bags) but definitely wanted to have a "leather" purse to remember my trip. Not sure I do really have one, but I do have the fun memories of my brother bargaining for me.

CoCo Cay is the private island that the cruise line owns and was beautiful! Opportunities there to snorkel, jet-ski, and just float on a mat in the water. As the water was just a tad too cool for this chica, I had planned to go para-sailing, but the winds were kicking up too much that day so no para-sailing for anyone. I got to take the best-est hammock nap, however. The lunch, prepared by the ship's chefs and served by our waiters, was wonderful! Barbequed ribs, barbequed chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, tons of fresh fruit, I can't begin to list everything.

Wow, this is a long post! Keep reading, girl, there's more to come...

What I wasn't so crazy about on the cruise:

The DRINKING! I knew there would be drinking on the ship but didn't realize just how much some would overindulge. Naive, that's me! An hour before the ship left port we had to have a lifeboat drill, and all the people standing around me were drunk to their eyeballs. Just after leaving port, my niece was swimming in one of the two pools on board with about five other children, and some drunk idiot adult just leaned over the edge of the pool and vomited right into where they were playing and swimming. Yech! The attendants were quick to hustle the kiddies out of the pool, however, and I give them much praise for that. I'm not a prude about drinking but choose not to since my middle and high school years were lived with a drunken step-father. My mother, sister-in-law and brother each had some drinks during the cruise, but not at all to the extent I saw on that first evening. Hey, those idiots could have been buying evening purses in the $10 store. Oh, and speaking of prices--my mom bought a margarita that was $15.00! WOW!

The choppy water coming back from our last stop at CoCo Cay. Sure am glad Judy warned me to take Bonine before and during the trip. Thanks so much, Judy!

Bingo! How can someone who enjoys bingo not enjoy it on a cruise, you ask. Easy! Six cards cost $20 and only were good for ONE game. RIP OFF!

Conclusion: Aren't you glad it's finally here?!?

Boat--B+

Trip price--$325--quite a bargain for three nights, four days, and great food

Food /waiters--A+++++

Shops on board--A+

Cabin size--C-

Toilet--F--

Drunks on board--F

Time spent with mom, brother, sister-in-law, and niece during what would have been just hectic days before Christmas--PRICELESS

And one final photo of me, my SIL (I love her so!) and my niece (who I simply adore!)

love to all,

Cindy

[SC-Cindy 0]

OMG--my pictures are HUGE!

I'm so sorry

Cindy, the techno-helpless

[SC-Cindy 0]

Could someone help re-size my photos? Maybe then the text won't keep going forty inches to a line. So sorry!

Haydee, your tree and home are lovely! Thanks for sending the photos (correctly sized!) :-)

love,

Cindy

[TerriDoodle 6]

Here ya go....

[TerriDoodle 6]

It's 6:30a and I've already been up for 2 hours! It's Saturday, for cryin' out loud! Just couldn't sleep.

DH is already out the door for golf. I think I'm going to shower and head out early to go to Kohl's (right down the street from my house) and load up on socks & underwear....the whole family needs new stuff. I can't seem to find two socks that match....and I've got a LOT of socks! Grrrrrrrrr. Other than that I am through shopping. This year was easy...did most of it on the internet.

Haydee - Thanks for posting your pics....the house and tree are so beautiful!

Pamela - You be extra careful, you hear?? Don't carry anything and take lots of breaks!!! I'll cross my fingers for you!!

OMG, guys...you won't believe this. Remember in late October my boss lost his 22 yr old son in a tragic accident? Well, needless to say they have had a very rough time of it and he is just now kind of getting back to his 'normal' self...although he never will really be normal again. But anyway, now they only have one daughter and she is a stunning 26 yr old. SHE was in a head on collision on Monday night....a drunk driver was going the WRONG WAY on the freeway!!! She drives a Lexus IS300 and the airbag did not deploy! The car was totalled and she walked away with only a broken collarbone and a busted lip. Can you believe that??? This poor family has just been traumatized!!! She obviously had a hundred angels around her that night. Can you only imagine if she were seriously hurt or, worse yet, killed?? My mind blows a fuse just thinking about it!

BAND TALK:

1) I get stuck on just about any kind of meat now, except fish!!

[TerriDoodle 6]

accidentally psted to soon....

1) I get stuck on any meat except fish. No way I'm getting enough Protein.< /p>

2) I'm eating a bunch of junk....serious sugar problems to the max...like more than I've ever eaten before! WTF??

3) Can't believe I'm considering going for an unfill....but I have to get some meat and veggies in me!!

[janiebug 0]

Terry, i am with you. I am eating a lot of junk, but I figure it is the season. I think either Gina or Denise said that when she was too tight it was too easy to eat the food that was bad for you. I got an unfill in September and then just a couple weeks ago got that much added. It is fine this time.

EVERYONE I WANT PURPLE THOUGHTS FOR MY SECRET SANTA GIFT TO ARRIVE TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I AM SO NERVOUS THAT IT IS LOST IN THE MAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cindy, the pictures were great!!! I don't know how to do the picture thing either, I tried, but was unsuccessful!

Well off to the shower and my last day of work before Christmas!!! Everyone have a relaxing day!!!! (Hear that Pamela???)

Jane

REMEMBER PURPLE THOUGHTS ON A PACKAGE TRAVELING WEST OF ST. LOUIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jane