I'm here to help...

[Apples2 19]

Me too! Isn't that a great feeling?

But I know some folks have New Years eve traditions of black eyed peas or something. For DH & I it is usually a diet pepsi watching the ball drop on cable TV so that at 10pm we saw it at midnight back east and can go to bed. LOL Party animals that's us! LOL Except now it's no more diet pepsis. And recently we started having lobster on New Years eve.

For many years now, we have gotten together at a hotel in our town (15 miles away) with all our friends from our lake resort. Even though it's close to home, we have stayed each year. I don't think we will this year though. We will go visit and participate in the potluck and head home after DH has a few beers with the buddies.

[Charlene K 1]

Oh Great...my New Years tradition for soooooooooooo long was to vow that the next year I would lose weight. Year after year after year...the same old thing. Now, I don't have a thing going into the last couple of years that I have to make a resolution for.

Well, I do. I have only lost half my weight. So, this year I will work towards the last half. It has taken me 18months to start eating slower.

Yes, Great...........you are doing TOO MUCH! Slow down or you are going to have problems. Let your family pamper you and give you a Merry Christmas.

Yep, I even remember the check... she wrote it out to Santa. Don't remember how much though. The two things I remeber getting at Christmas were the first Barbie in the striped bathing suit, and a Betsy Wetsy. Boy, I am old!

[llkb4me 1]

We opened our presents on Christmas morning and my kids and myself still do. Now that they are older we started a new tradition of having Mimosa this year it will be Asti. Not sure if I'll be having more than just a sip with them. As it is bubbly. They have stockings that have fun goodies in them.

When they were little we did all the cut out Cookies my two and niece and newphew came and decorated. What a mess but what fun. They all had their little aprons.

I did get an unfill today 1/2 cc and boy did it help, I feel so much better.

Laura K

[pj_txlady 0]

Merry Christmas everyone !! This upcoming year I will meet my goal weight of 135 lbs Its been a slow process for me. This summer my husband and I seperated so I have been going thru many changes. I'm doing really well now, and plan on making 2010 the best ever.

[Mrs. Bubba 0]

Ufdah!!!!! so many posts...... But I made it through finally.. I've had a busy day, but got alot accomplished and am finally finished for the night.. Just took a batch of carmel corm out of the over.... It turned out quite well........

Traditionally I have always opened Christmas presents on Christmas eve AFTER we came home from church.. There is no Christmas without church here..... We travel out to our little country church and have a candlelight service that always ends with Silent Night.. Then home to hurry supper so we could open gifts.... Still do that to this day.... I already told you that I love to watch "White Christmas" sometime even if it's by myself... And one other thing we used to always do as a family out at my parents house when my brothers and their families were all there, too, was sing the"Twelve Days of Christmas" and each have a day..... My oldest neice is an opera singer and is working on her doctorate now.. After she got old enough she was the one to start it off.... One year when she was away at college and couldn't come home, we did it with her on speaker phone... Was lots of fun..... But that, too, has changed... When the kids get to having their own families things change........It happens to every generation.. We are in the middle of that right now, so never know for sure what will be..... I'm expecting my DD and Mimi and my mother for Christmas eve... Pastor and his wife will join us for supper and then he has to go do another service... Christmas day we got to friends for dinner... My family (brothers and etc) will be here on the 26th...

Cheri, you picture is lovely... You are so close... How wonderful for you......

Apples, I still have the same New Year's resolution, too... I'm waiting for the day I don't have to make it either...

Time to relax.... you all take care.... Julie

[Great2BThin 5]

Merry Christmas everyone !! This upcoming year I will meet my goal weight of 135 lbs Its been a slow process for me. This summer my husband and I seperated so I have been going thru many changes. I'm doing really well now, and plan on making 2010 the best ever.

PJ, so great to hear from you!! Sorry to hear of your seperation, but glad to hear you are doing well. You've had lots of change in your life and I have no doubt that one of those changes this year will be meeting that goal weight!! Check in and let us know how you are doing, we miss ya!

[phyllser 3]

Growing up, we always went to my paternal grandparents' house for a big family Christmas Eve get together. Don't even remember what we did... just all gathered there and then we'd go to Christmas Eve service at our church at midnight. That's the one thing we carried out with our kids, and still do.. go to Christmas Eve service.. used to be candlelight service, but these days, most churches don't do it due to fire dept. regulations! We'll be going to Christmas Eve service up in SF area with our son & his family and my sister and most of her family.

One tradition that evolved as the kids were growing up is quiche on Christmas morning.. I know our oldest daughter has adopted that as one of their family traditions.

I think we put more effort in to Christmas decorations since we're living in the RV for the past 5-6 yrs on Christmas! We won 2nd prize in the park for the RV division this year, and won 1st prize several years ago. Have to admit DH does it, with direction from me! He did a GREAT job this year. And our next door neighbors put 500 lights up the trunk of our palm tree!!

[Charlene K 1]

Phyl, Awesome Decor! We used candles last year, but I do think it is a fire hazard especially when the church is packed. We Celebrate Christmas Eve Eve on the 23rd. We will have the Lord's Supper. When I grew up I was a Catholic and I went to Midnight Mass. Boy, Apples, you really started us on a walk down memory lane. Thanks!

PJ, glad you are checking in.

Janet............WHERE ARE YOU? or did I miss that post?

[ifyourstomachoffendsyou 1]

Hi all. Going through a divorce and changing churches and remarrying and moving really messed me and my kids all up on family holiday traditions. Haven't been able to really get anything consistant going.

I also changed jobs along with the other changes--more than once, so building friendships has been very difficult. Thus, I have few non-family parties to go to.

My husband is also a loner for the most part so haven't been able to build couple's friendships either.

One friend from church left the church suddenly. Another is now working 70 hr weeks and I believe I offended her so she ignores any overtures.

I'm also in a very wierd way caught between the black world and the white world. Hanging around black people so much at work and somewhat at church has made me no longer fit the white world very well, yet I'm not fully trusted and accepted in the black one either.

Being ADHD also can get in the way of friendships. I can be too frank and impulsive in what I say and too self-revealing. Scares people away.

I used to have a lot of friends in Alanon and we did fun things together, too. But when I remarried, my new DH didn't drink and making meetings became less of a necessity.

I was also in a singles group where I was developing friends and that's where I met my DH which then took me out of the singles scene.

All the things that have gone wrong with my house, as well as having DS and DDIL and baby living in my house before that really put the kabosh on entertaining, though I was part of two church community groups in a row, both of which eventually fell apart.

Wierdly, the work I've done on myself in Alanon and in counseling and in reading tons of self-help books, as well as the work I've done bridging the gap between black and white, and the fact that I'm a much more independant thinking and behaving woman than most church women have all combined to make me not really fit in any group and to make it hard to find issues in common with other women. I can get by superficially but I haven't made deep friendships for a long time.

I tend to avoid really needy women because they bring out my own codependency issues and I get angry at them finally for not doing what they need to do to improve their lives. Other women are so busy rescuing the needy women that they have no time for relatively healthy friendships. They let these people suck up all their time and energy. I see so much of that in women in my church.

Also, so many events revolve around food and I think I've avoided those situations in order to keep from weighing even more than I eventually did.

I'm also uncomfortable in big group social settings--and that includes family ones. I invariably stick my foot in my mouth and end up over-eating to medicate my nerves and shut my mouth.

When I was a kid I would take a book and read at family events. If kids wanted to play outside or run around inside and play actively, then I participated and had a good time.

I still will frequently find a relatively quiet place and talk to the one or two people who stop by, but I often wish I'd brought a book. So many people have nothing interesting to look at or read in their houses. Or they put it all away to straighten up the house for visitors.

At my daughter's on Christmas Day there is only one room for all the adults to be in, and it'll be crowded. I think I'll play with the kids except for when we're all together opening presents.

Christmas Eve won't be so bad. My sister-in-law's house has a room or two I can wander off to and get away from the crowd for a while. They'll also have booze, and booze, sad to say, does help. However, I never have more than two drinks. I really don't like the feeling of being even the least inebriated.

Anyway, that's a long post. I mostly want to say I really appreciate this thread because I can talk about these things in writing, at which I am more articulate than talking.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about the holidays. We were so ultra-religious growing up that we spent a lot of that time in church. Christmas Eve and Christmas morning services. New Year's Eve and New Year's morning. Nobody drank at all but there was always food at family functions which occurred after church, mostly with my mom's family. We didn't really believe in Santa, but we opened presents on Christmas Eve.

So I look forward to but I also dread the holidays. I allow myself more freedom to medicate with food at parties and try to not eat the days before and after.

I'm sure I'm not the only one with mixed feelings.

Cheri

[IndioGirl55 32]

OMG 3 FREAKING PAGES !!! YOU ALL HAVE BEEN BUSY !!!

Cheri love the new picture you look Fab

PJ - Hugs Hugs Hugs !!!!!

Love the write Santa a check - that was too funny

Laura - Love the Santa test landing - Way too cute and good..

As a child before my parents got divorced On Christmas Eve- we went to Grandma's house with My Aunt and her family and opened presents..

My bro's were alter boys - I remember them doing midnite mass - but for some reason I had to stay home - w/whom I don't remember..

It was my job to set up the nativiity scene under the tree - We made Xmas Cookie

We opened Presents Xmas morning.

Parents got divorced so then we went to GM house - then to Dad's house on Christmas Eve and opened presents - the at my Mom's House Xmas morning...

W/my DS - it was Grandpa's on Christmas Eve - me ds my bro's and their families - Tamales and open presents - the Xmas morning DS got to open presents which weren't put out til after he went to bed - there were lots of Xmas I was up til 2 am wrapping.. That how my parents did it - I remember sneaking and watching them..

Same tradition here - if you don't believe - you don't get presents..

W/my Gk's it's Xmas Cookies and when DS lived here - I would get up and go to their how early to watch the kids open their presents - then we came back to my house to see what Santa left here..

My DS fav Xmas Song was Little Drummer Boy, mine is Go Tell it on the Mountain.. I can't say Grandkids even know xmas carols - heck when I was a kid us neighborhood kids would get together an carol on our block

Then when my bros and I were older my gf Star who was Jewish would spend the night on the eve of xmas eve - while I slept her and my bros would redocorate the tree and make bacon sandwiches ;0) - Star always spend the night on the Eve of Xmas Eve

And after my parents passed away - my bros and I got together the 1st couple of year on the Eve of Xmas eve cuz we couldn't duplicate what we had on Xmas Eve with our parents and it was too sad - so we tried a new tradition but that one faded too..

Well gang - I gotta get off the computer - it's 9:04 and I haven't eaten

CBL

[IndioGirl55 32]

Can't sleep - leg cramps - the alarm will be going off at 5 a.m.

[Apples2 19]

Can't sleep - leg cramps - the alarm will be going off at 5 a.m.

Janet...hope you were finally able to get some sleep. Getting enough potasium? enough fluids? Need to ask Nurse Phyll or Nurse Laura what is going on?????????????????:tongue:

[Apples2 19]

Awwww...I just feel so warm and fuzzy reading about everyone's traditions. And I see the tamales popped up again in Janet's post. Comparable to our Northern tradition of oyster stew on Christmas Eve. Thanks for sharing, guys. It's so nice. I LOVE CHRISTMAS. It brings families together and let's all be thankful for the families that we have (even if they are a "fake family" like I found).

Sitting here thinking of my youngest DS and him spending Christmas so far away. It's a mom thing and I am sure he will be fine and find a friend or a friends family he can spend it with. He is surrounded by many friends and always finds a solft place to land. We will see him soon.

Have my appetizers made for tomorrow and in the frig. In the middle of making my salad and have two different kinds of bread rising on the stove top. The salad is a broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, sunflower nuts, sweet red pepper, onion and dried cherries with honey mustard dressing. Not much else going on today except to do some bookwork and head to the bank. My guys are in the fields finishing up some work (chopping corn stocks) and should be done today. Life is good.

Cheri...sorry for your mixed feelings about the holidays. Do what is right for you and I truly wish for you a very happy holidays.

Phyll...Woohoo...second place on the decorating. Congrats to you and Earl. So cute to see that motorhome decorated. When I get my motorhome, can I copy you decorating design?

PJ...Nice to see your post. Hope you are doing well. Sorry you have been going through some drama in your life but it sounds like you have your sights set on making your world a better place. Sometimes decisions just have to be made and a person has to do what is positive for them in order to live their lives.

Nervous about our storm moving in. Sounds like it might be worse more south of us but weather stations says we could get the brunt of it also. Just want family to get home and not travel on the ice that they are saying we will get later today. We are only two miles from our destination but some are travelling 4 hours or more. Fingers crossed.

If I don't catch up with all of you b/4 tomorrow or Friday, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. You are very special to me and every day I appreciate you. Karen

[ifyourstomachoffendsyou 1]

Hey all. Last post was a little depressing. You should know that what I've mostly been focusing on is from Phillipians 4:8.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Watched a youtube video by Dr. Daniel Amen on changing your thoughts, changing your brain, changing your life.

The latest brain research shows that if you deliberately work on changing your thought patterns (you may need counseling and, at least initially, medication to jumpstart the process), you can create new neural pathways in your brain that will supercede the negative thinking ones and will help you change your life. Your mind is, literally, in a rut. Changing your thought patterns (what some call a paradigm shift) gets you out of the rut. The Bible told us that 2000 years ago. LOL.

That's why during a conversion experience (coming to believe in a power greater than yourself, especially one who loves you unconditionally and, for me, one who cared enough about me to become an insignificant baby born in the humblest of mangers, one who's been through everything I've experienced and can walk through it with me) people are able to make significant changes in their lives.

We all have mini-conversions and epiphanies throughout our lives. I think, for most of us, getting the band was a way to jumpstart getting out of the rut our brains have been in regarding food. I truly believe most of us were born with something different in our brains that made us prone to this particular addiction or rut. Life experiences deepened the rut until it became almost impossible to act differently when it came to food.

Thank God for the inspiration and creativity he puts in mankind that allowed for the invention of the lapband. Now, when my mind says "Eat more!" the band interrupts that thought and says, "You can't!" Eventually, my brain will say, "I won't!" Down the road, over time, as the rut gets filled in and smoothed out by new paths, my brain will tell me less and less often, "Eat more!"

The 12 steps also work on helping to foster this paradigm shift in our brains. That's why its almost the only successful treatment for recovering from addictions. It creates that conversion experience or paradigm shift in the first three steps which have been summarized as: "I can't. He can. I'll let him." It's a system for cleaning out your old thoughts (stinkin' thinking) and behaviors and, with the help of God and other recovering people, replacing them with healthy

thoughts and behaviors.

We can change. And we change better with each other's help. Thanks to everyone on this thread for helping me change.

Cheri

[Apples2 19]

Cheri...we've all had our "down in the mouth" posts. None of us stay even emotionally every day. That's the good thing about posting hear. Others listen, respond and even if you don't get a response to something...at least you got it out.

The base of our food addictions is not all about food. It's also about issues that we have pent up inside of us. I think we all do a pretty good job of venting to each other when we feel the need. I know at times I will post about something that is really bugging me in my daily life. Then, I will come back on and apologize for that post. I know that is wrong. I know that there's no one here that minds reading a post once in awhile from a fellow bandster that is down in the dumps. It's all part of this process that will continue on for a lifetime.

We have found each other and feel comfortable "talking" to each other. Some posts are our inner-most thoughts that we would not even share with our friends or family. We have found a soft place to fall.