BRRRR It's cold out there

I am so thankful for my nice warm home and my very nice warm bed to sleep in. The weather around here in Northwest Indiana has been COLD. Working the midnight shift it seems I go to work in the very bitter cold and get off in the very bitter cold. No sunshine to warm things up even a little bit. When I got to work last night I called Time & Temp and it said it was -1 and that was without windchill. My workplace is out in the open so just walking in from the parking lot can be a bear. Wind just whips all around you. It felt good to get inside the building where its nice and toasty. Very toasty. LOL we are talking so toasty we sometimes open the outside door to let the frigid cold in just to get the temp inside our work area to around 70. Something is messed up with the heating system and I don't see it changing anytime soon. Its been this way for the last 11 1/2yrs so... I really am not complaining honestly, but it does make it difficult to dress for work. You get all bundled up to get to work and then you are taking as much off as possible to not pass out from the heat. So an interesting time. When I get home in the morning one of the first things I do is turn on my heated mattress pad. Get my bed all nice and toasty warm. My very good friend Deana got me hooked on this thing. Best invention for the bed that is for sure. I LOVE IT!!! I didn't use to be this cold, and usually in the winter I just had one of those fleece blankets on my bed and that was it. Now since I have lost over 170lbs I am cold. I never thought that would be possible that I, Sue, would ever be comfortable being all bundled up. But I am. I love the warmth.
I am trying to finish up some last minute Christmas things and try and figure out what to make for Christmas dinner to take to my mothers. Some sort of side dish and some appetizer. Hmm need to get my thinking cap on. Time has gone by so fast and I have always said once Thanksgiving gets here I swear you blink and Christmas is here. I still need to wrap presents, I am way behind. Of course I have to remember where I stashed everything also. It never fails I always end up finding something that I forgot about after the holidays. Oh well nice after Christmas presents.
I just wanted to update a little about things going on around here. I need to get myself in gear today and get some things done around here before I need to lay down to take a little nap before work tonight. I hope everyone is having a very happy and joyous holiday season. I love this time of year. Love to all.

Almost done

I have been working on many different craft projects over the last couple weeks. It seems like I must have 12 different projects going on at any one given time. I also have had ideas pop up in my head that I take care of right then and there. Come January I will need to give my right wrist and thumb a break. I have had trouble with my right hand for awhile and even had to have a cortisone shot in my hand right below my thumb. That hurts really bad, and I really don't want to have another one but will if I have to because it does work. I have been wearing my brace on my hand which does help with my pain, but it plays havoc on getting caught on the thread or yarn. So its a win/lose situation. Oh well just something I deal with. But I do know I am going to try and give it a rest come 1st part of the year. For next year I will start my Christmas projects early and try and work on them all year long. That way won't be so intense all at once. Well at least thats what I hope to do. I also want to try my hand at doing some quilting. I have done some small projects where I have handquilted on fabric that has already been printed and that was fun. But I really want to try and do some of the piece types. I have seen some really beautiful ones while reading other peoples blogs. I would really like to give everyone of my family members a quilt for Christmas next year. Well at least thats my goal. I only need 7 of them. Hmmm

This is the embroidery I did for my son and my future DIL Kristal. It was a free pattern I received. It was called Happy Tree Family and there were 2 little trees also in it, but I just wanted these 2 trees in this pic. This was one of those projects that was a last minute thing and I made it yesterday.

These 2 ornaments are for my granddogs, Oliver the weiner dog, and Leonard. I couldn't find a pic of a dog that looked like Leonard so I just settled for a dog pic and did him in the color he is which is white and black. This one I also made yesterday. I took the ornaments and the pic over to my sons house last night and they both were very pleased with the presents.

Although I need a little break from doing some projects, I will be taking some knitting with me to work tonight. My daughter is still struggling with gettting the hand on knitting so she ask me to make her a scarf. She was getting frustrated and got tired of taking it apart. I can do the knitting without to much trouble and should help in keeping me awake at work.

Have a wonderful Holiday season.

Stitchery projects

Since I work the midnight shift, I am able to do some craft projects at work. I still am able to get my job done without a problem. But I need to have something to keep me busy inbetween bedchecks and laundry. So I have been crocheting, making fleece blankets for gifts, knitting and doing some stitchery. I am loving it. It really doesn't take much time and I am loving the results. Yes I have a long way to go before I would consider it perfect. But what I have made has turned out nice. Or at least I think it has.

I also got some material at JoAnns for the backing. I have another project I have made but I can't post it yet as this person might see it if they happen to view this blog so don't want to take a chance. The fleece blanket was for a shower gift for a coworker. She loved the blanket and said she would use it at work that day since the boiler was acting up and it was cold at work. Hey whatever works.

I also have made a couple of knitted hats. These take no time at all and will come in handy for my family. It also keeps me busy and AWAKE while at work. Even though I don't like working the midnight shift, I have been able to get numerous projects done so all in all that is a good thing.

I will be finishing up the stitchery projects today and tomorrow since I am off. A couple of them will go in frames and a couple will go as wall hangings. I also made a small weiner dog picture that I am going to turn into an ornament for my son's tree. I will need to take a pic of that after its all done.

I hope you have enjoyed the projects. I know I have enjoyed making them. And there are so many cool patterns out there that I want to make so looks like I am going to keep myself busy this winter.

Have a wonderful day and stay warm, especially if you live in the midwest.

Christmas 2008

Just wanted to share a few pics of my Christmas decorations. I decided this year to decorate my living room only. Working these midnight shifts I pretty much am either sleeping, sitting in living room or at work. So I want to enjoy my things in one room. Also in past years I have put up decorations in all rooms and I usually end up forgetting something and find it after I have put away all the decorations back in the shed and we have gotten a lot of snow. So I put the object that was forgotten up so I won't forget where I put the next year and I usually forget where I put it. So one room this year and I should be good. I only have room for a small tree, so I have a 4ft one that I put on a small table. Its only me so this works. 99% of my ornaments are ones I have made over the years. I hope to get some different ones after Christmas this year and have a more unified tree next year. I would really like to have a country look. Will see what I can come up with.

The little stockings above the piano I made many years ago. They have our names written in gold glitter paint. I will need to make a new one for my sons fiance. The snowman pot on the hutch I made for a Christmas party at work. Its made from a clay pot and saucer. I have a snowman one also but haven't run across it yet. Must be one of those things I put away where I could find it later. The snowbabies on top of the hutch my mother gave to me this year. She said she just has so much stuff and really needed to get rid of some things. I was happy to take these off her hands. I have a few more pics to download and will share them later along with some of the craft projects I have finished up for presents. Hope you enjoy this small look into my world.

First attempt at embroidery, Piano & Snowflakes

This is my first attempt at embroidery. I worked on both these sweatshirts at work. I did the snowman first on wednesday night and then the soccer one on friday night. I am able to work on craft projects at work. I work midnights and there is a lot of downtime. So between doing bedchecks and laundry I can work on things. I really enjoyed the embroidery. I need some practice but I don't think they turned out that bad. The snowman I saw on another blog and then found the pattern, I Loved the pattern. It was pretty simple. The soccer one I made on a sweatshirt I found at goodwill for .25. So between the cost of the shirt and I already had the embroidery thread, this project was very frugal and recycling all in one. My granddaughter plays soccer and the schools colors are orange and black so this one turned out great. My granddaughter said she liked it but she wouldn't wear it because that was a grandma thing. LOL I told her its a good thing she wouldn't wear it because it was mine to wear to her games next season. And afterall I am a grandma so I guess it works out. I am sure I will be making more of these type shirts. I found making them very relaxing.

This weekend I got a piano. I have been wanting one for a long time. I can't play that great but its enough for me. I can just do the basics. I plan on getting some books to do some self teaching and then hopefully take some piano lessons. I am excited about this. It's something I have been wanting to do for a long long time. I also put up some of my Christmas things. It was fun decorating the top of the piano. I also made some snowflakes to hang in my bay window. These snowflakes are so easy to make but look so elegant and they look great from the outside also.

I am so in the holiday mood. I am enjoying the decorating and things are really starting to take shape. I need to go through my stuff in the shed and see what else I can put out. I will post Christmas pics after I get everything decorated. I hope you are enjoying this holiday season and making the most out of it. Enjoy.

Update on Doctor visit

I went to my doctor appt yesterday and it went well. I didn't lose much weight but lost some inches. I lost 4 more lbs and another 4 inches. I know my body is shifting in how the weight is distributed because I can tell how my clothes are fitting. I gained inches in some areas and lost in others. I am not disappointed and I am sorry if it sounds like that. I spoke to the doctor about felling like I am at a standstill and he said that I will slow down now and by me working these midnights my body rhythms are off kilter. He was saying that there are studies done that show people that work midnights and shift work are low on the totem pole so to speak in losing weight. And he said some people stop all together and possibly start gaining weight, its a scientific fact. He went into detail on how the body works in its hormones, etc and it made sense because a lot of the things he said are exactly how I feel. He ask if there was any way I could get off these midnight and I just chuckled. I explained how seniority doesn't count for anything where I work. He was surprised, but he told me to do the best I could. Which I am. No matter what happens with my weight, whether I lose a few lbs here and there I am happy with the amount I have lost so far. I am doing things now that I never dreamed I would be able to do. I have energy, well most of the time I do if I can get some sleep.

I went to my appt with my friend Joe from work, who had the lap band surgery. He lost some but not much, and his problem is he still has a lot of the bad habits he had from before and he knows this. He still eats pretty much what he wants but just not as much as he used to. I think its been a year since he had his surgery and has lost right around 60+. He looks good and I am proud of him. We went shopping after our appt and had a blast. We left LaPorte around 2:30p and I pulled into my driveway around 10p. We also go out to eat everytime we go to appt. Boy doesn't that make good sense, go to weight loss doctor and then go out to eat. LOL But neither one of us eats much, and always bring home leftovers. Lots of leftovers. Either way its nice to spend time with him.

I spoke to the doctor also about my hernia and the trouble I have been having lately with it. He checked it out and said I am doing ok and it has not shifted or gotten any bigger, so just keep an eye on it. Having a hernia is really a good thing after weight loss surgery. I know sounds funny but...by having the hernia that means I will be able to have the loose skin removed from my stomach and the hernia repaired and my insurance will take care of it because it will be medically necessary. It won't do any good if I just have the hernia repaired because the loose skin will just pull down on the hernia site and cause me to get another one. SO...this is a good thing. He wants me lose at least 40 more lbs before he does surgery. This will be better because I will be closer to my goal weight and I won't run the risk of having to have a second surgery to remove more skin. I am happy about this. Not so much about going into surgery again but having my skin removed. Its a long process but one I can deal with. But no matter what happens I am happy for the 170+ that I have lost. I really never thought I could feel this good. Now if I could just figure out how to get off these midnight shifts????????? Oh well time will tell.

Craft projects I have been working on

I have been working on a few crocheting projects over the past month or so. I work the midnight shift and we have a lot of down time so I am able to take these projects to work with me. Might as well use my time wisely and get some things accomplished. I have already posted the afghan I made for my daughter, which I am sure she is going to love. She found the extra yarn I had from that project and has already questioned me about it. She liked the colors and wanted to know where I got it from so she could get some. I told her I couldn't remember, which is partly the truth because I have bought so much yarn lately I have forgotten which of the 2 places I have bought them. My granddaughters (Morgyn) afghan was made with 4 different colors

made into individual 8x8 in squares and then 4 squares put together to make 1 square and then I attached them all together and then crocheted a border around it all. I really think it turned out nice. I have people at work asking me to make them one.

I also made Morgyn another fuzzy scarf. She must have about 20 of them now. This one is florescent orange and hot pink crocheted together. She picked out the colors and I wasn't sure about it, but hey she is a teenager so I let it go. But it really turned out pretty.

I also made me a scarf and hat. I worked on it yesterday and today. I figured I better get mine made before the really cold weather hits. Not that these fuzzy scarves are all that warm they sure look pretty.



I have about 10 different projects running through my head that
I want to get accomplished. Now I just have to figure out when
to get them all done. Most of them are for Christmas presents.


As soon as I get the pics downloaded from my granddaughters formal dance I will post them. She is growing up so fast.

I hope you enjoyed the projects I have been working on. Will post as I get the others done. Have a wonderful and joyous day.

Snow UGH

This is what I came out to this morning when I got off work at 6am. You could not see the grass and all my windows were covered on my car. Good thing I put the snow scraper back in my car just yesterday. I am so not ready for winter to get here. Fall has hardly had a chance to take hold. Its just not fair. I don't think its going to stay very long as the weather is suppose to be around 60 by Thursday, but I sure didn't want to see this so soon!!!!!

Wreaths

I have been slowly trying to gather things to put in my living room to make it a more country look. My mother made me these wreaths because I just don't have the time or the flair to do the arranging. I love them. They look great on my wall and closet doors. I hung the wreath right next to my front door and I hung the 2 heart shaped wreaths on my coat closet. I plan on moving some furniture around and put a bench under the wreath so that I can use that to sit on when I put on my shoes or take them off. It will come in so handy. It will all take time but I will get it done!!!!! I also have been working on another afghan for my granddaughter for Christmas. The colors are turning out so cute and I can't wait to finish crocheting and putting all the blocks together. I also am going to work on doing some embroidery stitching on some shirts/sweatshirts for presents. I am really in the crafting mood so I figured I better make the most of it. Will post pictures as I get things done.

Crocheting Mood

I thought I would share the pic of the afghan I made for my daughter for Christmas. She doesn't read my blog so I don't have to worry about her seeing it. Its not a really clear picture but at least you can see what it looks like. Its made from 40 crocheted blocks. I really enjoyed making this. It went pretty quickly. Since I work the midnight shift I was able to work on it at work. I had a lot of compliments on it from people at work and a couple wanted to know if they could have it. I am working on another one for my granddaughter for Christmas. I had her pick out the yarn because I know I would have gotten it all wrong. Teenagers can be so hard to please at times. She wanted one done in pink, green and orange neon colors. She settled on blue instead of orange because she couldn't find one that she liked. I am doing it in a seed pattern and also doing them in squares. It will be 6sq X 12sq. She can't have it till Christmas though. I really enjoy crocheting and knitting. I also made a fluffy eyelash yarn scarf for my mother. I forgot to take a pic of it before I gave it to her. She bought the yarn and asked me to make it to match her new coat. It really turned out nice. Those scarves are not the warmest but they sure can brighten up your wardrobe. My mother made me a couple of wreaths for my living room and one for the outside of the house. When I get the pics uploaded from my camera I will post those. I am trying to rearrange my house and pick up things as I see them to give my home a more county look. I have lots of things already I just need to use them correctly. It all takes time.

Shopping

Before I had my weight loss surgery I HATED to shop. Clothing, groceries, Christmas, etc shopping. I would dread going. I didn't really know why but I hated it, really really hated it. Now I don't mind at all. And I surprise myself almost daily when I do some sort of shopping. I could never go into a store like WalMart, KMart or even Goodwill and find something that would fit me. Now I can go and always find something that fits. I never in a million years thought I could find something at Goodwill. But just last week my mother and I went because I really needed some winter tops. Nothing I had from last winter even remotely came close to fitting. I ended up finding about 9 tops that I liked and bought them. My mother even was cleaning out her closet and found some things that she had that I actually can fit into. Now to some this may sound strange but to someone who is a bigger person clothes shopping is just not something you can do easily. A year or so ago I had like 2 pairs of shoes that fit because my feet were always swollen and heaven forbid I had anything cute to wear on my feet. Just some gym shoes were a standard thing you would see me wearing. Now I actually have so many shoes I chuckle. Flip Flops in lots of colors, sandals, slip ons, dress shoes to name a few. I have cute shoes, actual girly girl cute shoes. These are just a few of the things that most people take for granted. And for me I have to sit back and chuckle to myself and remember where I was a year and a half ago. I have a couple boxes going of clothes and shoes that no longer fit me that I plan on taking to Goodwill when they get full. I still have a couple bags of things my mom gave me that I need to hang up and get rid of some more out of my closet. I actually have choices of what I want to wear. I am doing things now that I never actually thought I would have an opportunity of doing. I am sorry I got myself in the situation I was in but I am happy, so very happy that I had the opportunity to get where I am today. I still have more to lose and things are at a standstill at the moment mostly because of my work schedule but I am happy that I have lost 170+ lbs and over 70+ inches. I went to an Avon meeting tonight and my district manager didn't even recognize me. I hadn't seen her since end of Jan so when she came up and introduced herself to me I had to laugh and tell her who I was. She stepped back, smiled and gave me a big hug. She even made a comment during the meeting on how great I looked and had me get up and tell a little about how much I had lost. It was embarrassing but yet rewarding. I had a lot of people tell me how proud they were. All in all it does make me feel good. I still want to lose about 40-50 more and also have the skin removed from my stomach area. Which will take off between 30-40 lbs from what I hear. So by this time next year I will be smaller then I was in high school!!!! I can't wait.

Drill + Thumb = OUCH

My daughter and I were putting some braces on my gate due to the post being split. Well as I was holding the brace while she was using the drill putting the screws in, the drill slipped and yep got my thumb nail. OUCH OUCH OUCH!!!!! It didn't go through my thumb but it did bruise it and my whole thumb is still throbbing. This happened about 7hrs ago. I am wondering if I will end up losing my thumb nail. I hope not and of course its on my right hand. Any pressure whatsoever that is placed on my thumb brings back the pain. I hope it is better by morning. I always knew there was a reason I didn't like power tools.

Awwwwww!!!!

Here is the way my son proposed to his girlfriend. Awwww isn't he romantic.

It's Official!!

It's official, my son Bryce is now officially engaged to Kristal. They came by my work last night and showed me the ring. They say they are not getting married for a couple years because they want to finish up some things on their house and Kristal is going to school and working full time at the moment. I think it will be sooner then 2yrs but time will tell. I ask how he proposed and it really was very sweet and romantic. Bryce took Kristal out for dinner and then they went to her grandmothers and had a bonfire. He took her for a walk and he had gotten 4 pumpkins and carved "Will You Marry Me" onto them. I thought that was very romantic and really what they are both like. Very much nature lovers. I didn't think he could be that romantic but I guess all those years of living in a house full of females finally paid off. He did keep notes in his head on what to do and what not to do. LOL I wish them both luck and look forward to their wedding. This has been a long and stressful couple of years with Bryce and I am glad we are where we are.

This picture also includes my 2 granddogs Oliver and Leonard. They are both adorable and they came to visit me at work last night too. They know me and love to give me lots of kisses.

Midnight Shft

Working the midnight shift is not a fun thing. Your body does not know how to react. For me that is. I have been on this shift now for 3 months now and I still can not get used to sleeping during the day. And even worse is trying to sleep more then a couple hours at a time. I feel like all I am doing is sleeping here and there when I am home. On my days off I don't sleep all night because I am used to being awake but then still can't sleep during the day to try and get some rest. Basically it sucks. I have been stuck on 170lb weight loss from my surgery now for about 4 months. My eating is off, I am not eating enough I don't think or as often as I should. I try and try to come up with a schedule so that I don't get my metabolism back to not working again. I am at a loss and am frustrated. Needed to get that off my chest, or rather whats left of my chest. LOL

Pets

I was going through some pics on my computer trying to rearrange them and ran across this picture of my daughters dog Peyton. He is a puggle and she got him at the animal shelter. He is such a good dog. She couldn't have asked for a better pet. My daughters friend from high school comes over and visits a lot and brings her two kids. They love the dog and show it everytime they get an opportunity. Peyton just takes anything these kids dish out without complaint. But...this picture reminds me so much of the look he gets on his face each time...HELP ME! LOL I thought I would share this picture and make someone else to smile and chuckle like I did when I ran across it. Enjoy and have a wonderful day.

Fall, My favorite season!!!

I love fall. I love all the beautiful colors that come out this time of year. I love decorating my house for fall. I love the crispness in the air. I love to have the windows open and hear all the nighttime noises like the crickets chirping. I work the midnight shift so when I get ready to leave the air is cool and is still cool when I get of in the morning. The car windows are fogged up, the world is all dewy, clean and fresh smelling. I love the sky this time of year. You never know what color it might be. This picture was taken from my front yard last year right about this time. So cool looking. Did I mention that I love fall??

Nostalga

Not sure why but the last couple of days I have been thinking about my childhood. I have been remembering all the good times we had as kids. All the fun things we had to do long long before all the electronic things kids have today. We made our own fun, used our minds and what we had from our surroundings. We went visiting family and friends, drives on Sunday afternoons, playing games or putting a puzzle together or layed in the grass and looked at the clouds and tried to figure out what shapes the clouds made. While growing up I swear every time someone sneezed my fathers side of the family got together for some reason or another. We had picnics every 4th of July and still do till this day, we got together around Christmas and Santa even came and brought all of us kids presents, got together on New Years Eve to celebrate my grandparents anniversary and my grandfather would shoot off his rifle. Grandma & Grandpa K's house had lots and lots of property for all us kids to run to our hearts content. There were anywhere from 5-20 grandkids running around. I believe there were 24 of us total. There was this big white chair that sat in the side yard and we all would fight over who would sit in it. But we all got a turn. My dad and my uncles would set up a table and play cards outside during the warm weather. There was a shed that had a faucet on it that we had to use to get a drink of water and we all used the same glass that was kept on the little shelf. No one ever got sick from drinking after each other. I can remember my grandmother setting any number of us around the kitchen table and teaching us how to crochet. When you sat beside grandpa at meal time you had better keep an eye on your food because if you looked away he would slip some horseradish in your food. UGH LOL but we all loved sitting next to him. Oh to get those days back. To show my children and grandchildren what it was like. The memories are forever etched in my mind.

One picture is of the chair with my mother sitting in front of it on the blanket and my brother, not sure who the baby is. The other picture is a side view of the chair and you can see the card game going on. Enjoy.

Remembering

As I drove home from work this morning I was remembering this day 7yrs ago. I remember waking up to the telephone ringing and a friend of mine asking me if I had heard what was going on that day. I had just woke up so I turned on the TV just as the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower. I was stunned and shocked but thinking I was seeing a replay of what had already happened. Little did I know that is what was happening at that moment. My daughter and I were going to go carpet shopping for our new house that we had just bought. Everywhere we went that day TV sets were on and we were glued to it. It was something everyone was talking about and couldn't believe that it could happen here in America. It still to this day seems so surreal to me. We were glued to the TV at work also, just trying to make some sense out of this tragedy. The countless number of lives that were lost that day. So many innocent people, so many families affected, and such a senseless act. I think this changed our nation and changed how we do things. Growing up I just always believed that we were safe living in the United States, nothing bad happens here like it does in foreign countries. Now that feeling of contentment, safety is gone. We are forever changed because of this one fateful day. Some good changes have come about and thats a good thing. I have always believed that things happen for a reason, but I just can't figure out what this "reason" is. I just hope we all take the time and say a prayer today for all those lost and for the families that are left behind that everyone gets the things they need. I hope and pray that this never happens again.

Fall is in the Air

It's been a long time since I have posted anything. I honestly don't know where the time went. Well partly I think I slept it away. Working these midnights is not a good thing. But for the moment I need to make the best of it. I am going to try and catch things up and try and keep up with this blog and just start documenting what has been going on in my life. Well here goes.

I am still losing weight. Its going slow now which I knew it would. You get to a certain point and it goes slower and slower. I am not complaining, this past year has been a very wonderful journey and I wouldn't trade any of it for anything. Its always a different challenge daily to see what is going to fit and whats not. I really am going to have to get on the ball and get some winter clothes and shoes. Sandals and capris are not going to work when the snow starts to fly. I think I will be able to get through this winter with the coat I have. Its big but that will work so that I can wear sweaters/sweatshirts for extra warmth. Did I mention that the more weight I lose the colder I get. I hardly had my AC on over the summer because I was just fine with the air coming in. Now the humidity, well I can do without that.

I was able to go to two Nascar races this year. One in June with my mother and then another in August with my mom, my sister and my daughter. We had a wonderful time. I think I have my daughter hooked. She is even talking about going to Daytona for a race. WHOO HOO bring it on. I am up for that without a doubt. Both races we went to were in Michigan. The weather was beautiful, Hot, but beautiful. We had wonderful seats both races and I think we are going to try and get these last set of seats the next time. It is so exciting to be sitting that close to the track and feel the cars as they go by at 180+ mph. You have to be there to believe it and understand what I am talking about.

I have been trying to do some crafts for around the house. Not that I don't have a lot already but I am wanting something to keep me busy and something new to put around here. I seem to get this way when the fall season comes upon us. Maybe its just the cozy weather, all snuggled under the blankets and trying to keep my mind sharp. I have some new ideas floating around in my head and am going to try and work on all them.

I got to see my grandson on my birthday. My granddaughter and I drove out to his house and saw him. I had not seen him in over a year. But thats a story in itself and I hope it all works out. He is getting so big, so tall. Still skinny but looked wonderful. This year he is in 9th grade and Morgyn is in 11th so they get to see each other daily at school. That is a good thing and they both need that. Brothers and Sisters should be able to have a relationship no matter where they live.

I have been reading other blogs and have really been inspired by them. There are so many out there and most have some really good ideas. I love reading them and seeing what others are doing. Some make me laugh the moment I start reading, some make me cry in sadness and happiness, some are informational and some are just good reads. Who would have thought even 10 yrs ago what the internet would bring. It is amazing to me at times. But hey I am glad its here.

I am really going to try and keep up this blog as more of a journal of sorts. I think in many ways it will be good for me. Even if no one ever reads it, putting things down in writing is a good thing for everyone.

The pics are of me at the race in August, Morgyn & Kharson, and the 4 of us at the race in August (lt to rt-mom, lisa, amanda & me) I hope you enjoy.

And today is...

With the way my life has been going lately, I don't know even what day it is anymore. Nothing bad has happened, which is a good thing. But my work schedule has been hectic. We were on a swing shift since Jan of this year. Then it was decided we would go back to a permanent shift but there would be some staff changes. Man here we go again, disrupting everyones lifes to benefit a few people. After all the dust has settled I now work the midnight shift. I honestly don't mind this shift. Now getting used to a new sleeping pattern, thats the hard part. So far I am doing ok. With as much trouble that has been going on, I am happy and content to work this shift. You don't see any of the administrative powers that be. You don't get caught up in any of the drama that is going on. You just lay back and relax and do your job without most of the hassles.

I was able to go again to another Nascar race in June of this year with my mother. I know the directions but they slipped in a new stop light on the road we get onto off of the interstate. I thought we had gone to far so I turned around and ended up going way out of our way. But I now know like 3 different ways to get to the track. I made notes to myself on the directions so I run into problems next time. My mother and I are going again in August and my sister and my daughter are also going. We had wonderful seats right on start/finish line row 3. Its an amazing feeling sitting so close to the track. This next time we are one row closer. Can't wait to go back.

I am still doing great on my weight loss. I am now up to 174lbs lost. I have pretty much had to buy all new clothes. Could not take in my pants anymore. I am now wearing shorts and capri pants. which is something I would have never done before. Its amazing at how much energy I have. Yesterday at the family reunion 4th of July picnic that was held at a park, I actually got an opportunity to swing on the swings. I can't remember the last time I actually fit on a swing. It was a wonderful feeling. One of my aunts asked "who is that lady sitting over there in the pink shirt?". My cousin said it was me, and my aunt didn't believe it. She came over and gave me a hug and told me the story and said I looked great. It made me feel good. There always is a new thing that comes up daily it seems for me in the way things fit, what I can do, how I feel, and the list goes on and on. These things may not mean anything to anyone else, because they are just things people take for granted, but for me they are "WOW" moments. I can't wait to see what the next WOW moment will be.

The new pic was taken at the race in June. I have to laugh though, I am so short that my capris look more like pants on me.

Cruise

Going on a cruise is just what I needed. I want to go on another one sometime in the future. It is so relaxing just to sit and watch the world go by. Seeing all that beautiful blue water and the magnificant sky. It really is hard to describe. We had a wonderful time. Even my grandduaghter who didn't want to go in the first place had a great time. Once we made her go into the teen club we pretty much didn't see her except for meal time and at bedtime. Actually Amanda and I were in bed before she even got back to our cabin. She met a lot of people and now has added to her texting friends. We got to see some dolphins while we were docked in Key West. The sea was pretty rocky while going into Mexico. Made me a little seasick but it didn't deter me from having fun. Can't wait till I get to go again. We had this family picture taken one night when we were dressed for dinner. The other picture is of the front half of our ship as it was docked at Key West.

I went to my weigh/measuring appt today. I have lost now a total of 164 lbs and 70 inches total. I am very happy with this loss. I feel great, love that my clothes daily get loose. Amanda and I started at Curves on Monday so will be going 3x a week. This will also help in losing weight and toning up what I have already lost. Everyday is a new WOW moment.

Work is interesting. I work midnights again in May. We had a big meeting on Monday afternoon and pretty much will have to reapply for my supervisor position. So will need to get a resume together and a cover letter in the next couple days. But will get it done and see what happens. Guess everything is changing in my life it seems. So far so good and I hope it continues to go this way.

Where is Spring??????

Where is spring? Where is the warm weather? Why is it still snowing? These are questions I keep asking myself but I don't seem to get an answer. I am so tired of this weather. I am so ready to have the sun shining, the windows open to let the fresh air in and finally put away the winter coat and gloves. I keep seeing robins in my backyard. I always thought that was a sure sign of spring. But I guess somewhere along the line mother nature got things mixed up.

Well I will be getting out of this cold nasty weather soon. At least for a week. I am going on a cruise April 7-11th. My daughter Amanda, granddaughter Morgyn and myself will be flying out of Chicago to the sunny city of Miami and then get on the Carnival Cruise ship Fascination to depart out into the ocean for some sun and fun. I am very excited about going. I have always wanted to go on a cruise. I am looking forward to just relaxing and watch the world go by. I plan on taking lots of pictures, relaxing, sitting in the hot tub, doing a little gambling, and anything else the ship has to offer. We stop at Key West and Calico for a few hours so will probably get off and see the area. It will be fun and exciting.

I have gone to the doctor and have been weighed and measured. I have now lost a total of 150lbs and a total of 60.5 inches. I recently bought some more new clothes because I had to. Hard to walk around constantly pulling up your pants. My clothing size has gone down tremendously. Probably about 5 clothing sizes. It is just amazing to me that I can actually walk into a store and actually buy something right off the rack and have it fit. I am amazed each and every day.

My life is very blessed. This has definately been a year of changes for me. I knew when I started on this journey it would be, I just never imagined how much. I have a wonderful family, especially my oldest daughter Amanda. She is the one paying for this trip. I love her very much and she has done so much for me. Including taking care of me after my surgery. I don't have any idea how I can ever repay her for what she has done for me. She is truly special. I can't wait to see what the rest of my life holds for me. If this past year is any indication, well its going to be amazing.

It's a New Year

Well I have survived my 1st month of working midnights. It actually wasn't that bad and I was surprised that I was able to stay awake without any problems. The problem became when trying to sleep during the day. There are still people at work that are complaining on a daily basis about this new schedule but thats life. Some people have quit over this, but hey whatever works for them.

I have spent numerous days at the sewing machine taking in my clothes. I have bought a few things and have taken those in as well. I am not complaining and am actually loving it. I went to my doc appt. and have lost a total of 137 as of 1-24-08 and 56.5 inches. I am very happy about this. Things are slowing down which is normal. Either way I am still losing which is a good thing.

I have some high hopes for this coming year and I am praying that they come true. This will all take time. Can't divulge any info into what these hopes are, but as they happen I will tell all.

The picture I have posted is not a very good one. It came out to light for some reason, but it is a recent one from a couple days ago. Just thought I would share my progress so far.