All the best to both of you. May everything you wish come true.
ivamae

Happy Birthday, Jen and Milkdud! Hope it's a very special day for both of you!

Wow! Two birthdays a week two weeks in a row!! More wine more cheese please.

Happy birthday dear Jen and Milkdud. Wishing you both glorious days. Jen it would be nice to hear from you soon. Let us know how you and the girls are doing.

Wow is right! Who knew that we had so many August birthdays!

Happy birthday Jen! I haven't "seen" you in such a long time. How are you and how are those beautiful girls?? Please check in! I hope that you have a wonderful day.

Milkdud!! May tomorrow be a day of pure enjoyment! Out with the old, in with the new! You deserve a real celebration, a renewal! I hope that you have a very special birthday, indeed.

(((HUGS))))

Tikanis

Hi all!

Happy Birthday Jen & Milkdud! I hope your birthdays are as wonderful as you two are!

And...Happy Belated Birthday, Tikanis! (((Hugs))) You're such a wonderful lady, and I'm so very glad that you're here!

Not much time to post, but I am asking, begging really, that you all send good thoughts, good vibes, and prayers my way. I have a huge, important test tomorrow, and while I have studied my behind off, I feel totally unready for it. I need all of the help I can beg, borrow, or steal.

Wish me mucho luck!

Hugs,

Maddie

You can count on me Maddie. It's a done deal you have already aced the test! Believe it!

Happy Birthday Jen! I am sure you are celebrating with those two cuties!

Happy Birthday Milkdud! I hope this is a year of great beginnings for you!

Maddie, consider it done! You can do it!

ox

Happy birthday Milkdud and Jen!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maddie, good luck!!

Maddie, good thought, good vibes and big prayer coming your way! May I ask what big, important test this is ??
We know you'll ace it! You MUST report back, though.... : )

Tikanis

Happy Birthday to yous.................
Happy Birthday to yous.................
A very very Happy and Healthy Biiirrrttthhhdaaay to our duo-birthday-gals-Jen-and-Milkdud..............
Happy Birthday to yous!!!!!!!!

Enjoy the week ladies. Keep coming here for the love (and the wine, cheese, crackers, and cake!)

Dee

Hi Ivamae! I know that today is your usual weigh in day. Do you see me waving and hear me cheering loudly for you?? Check in and let us know!

I hope the Birthday Girls are having a fun week!

Back later to catch up. I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel!! Yeah!!

Tikanis

I failed this week. Up 1 pound but I'm still in my wiggle room. Not by much but still there. How are you doing?

Happy Hump Day, everyone!

Thank you all for the birthday wishes. I had a lovely day, first with family for lunch, quality time holding my new grandson afterwards, then a lovely dinner with a terrific friend.

Got new tires and wheel balance, etc., this morning, then a great haircut at a salon named "New Beginnings". I chose it for the name, but I'll return because I love my haircut!

Off to Beaumont/Crosby tomorrow for my last trip to retrieve my things. Almost-xh is renting a truck and driving my things up here to another storage locker as part of the settlement! My lawyer was proud of me for negotiating that. The divorce is proceeding on schedule, which means that this time next week, I will be a single woman, reverting back to my maiden name, and without health and dental insurance. That last part just boggles my mind, but I'm trying to hang in there with everything. Thank you all for your constant support. It helps so much!

I'll check in sometime this weekend. Meanwhile, I wish everyone a wonderful rest of the week!

Ivamae, 1lb is not bad. Not what you wanted, but we ALL have fluctuations. Women can hold onto and then let go of 5 lbs in water weight alone VERY easily. I wouldn't worry! Me? I am holding steady. I still write down everything I put in my mouth (keeps me honest) but I have aimed to just learn healthy maintenance this summer. I will start back to lose the last few in October after my vacation.

Milkdud, if you are giving back your Xh's name, can I presume that the Dud's gotta go? I say you change it to CHOCOLATE! Now who among us does not like "Milk-Chocolate"? Hmm? I'd give it some serious thought : )

Glad you are enjoying your B day! and new beginni9ngs is a PERFECT place to get a new do!

(((HUGS)))

Tikanis

Happy Thursday!

Make today count.
Dee

Good Thursday all,

Milkdud, I love Tikanis'name change suggestion! Good one Tikanis. Milk Chocolate, how did your soon to be xh manage to get away without providing you with health insurance? That stinks.

Tikanis, tell us about your maiden voyage with your new kayak.

Ivamae, I am sure you are just having a fluctuation of water weight! You are doing so well.

Maddie, come and tell us what we already know! That you aced your test!

DH just came back from British Columbia had been almost three weeks. Came home and was expecting to stay at least until next Monday but was called back to go back out to British Columbia! So, I got to spend less than 24 hours with him! I hope he isn't gone so long this time. Hey, I can hope!

I am having a dinner party for girlfriends tomorrow night. (Hags with Nags) That will be a fun distraction.

I am missing Besh, Raeanne, BJ, Jen, Marci, Jan, and others that have not checked in like brother JOHN for example!

Tikanis >>>> HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!!! Enjoy the kayak! I have YET to venture out in my kayak - pathetic. I got it 2 years ago for Christmas. Isn't that sick? There is only open water here and I haven't had the time or $ to get an open water lesson.

Jen! Happy Birthday -- belated as well!!!! I hope you had a wonderful "YOU" day and your little princesses were good to you! You are a fantastic mom!

Milkdud! Happy, happy birthday to YOU as well!!!! Wowie! I think New Beginnings is a great choice, especially given the circumstances - and what a treat for you - a new style, a NEW YOU! Your divorce went very quickly - congrats. It's a (mentally) long process. I'm proud of you, too, for negotiating an amicable personal property split. That's tough to do. You should see some of the stuff we run into when the "end" is near...! I am happy to hear you're giving his name back...that's part of the healing process. Most of our clients don't get - and aren't required to pay health insurance - I don't really "get" the justice in that, but that's how settlements work...

Maddie----RESULTS of your test now??? :-)

George- If you could just introduce me to Brad Johnson, the Cessna pilot from the movie Always, I'll be forever in your debt! Is that too much to ask?

Bee! WELCOME! I saw you on the tail-end of last week's postings - I don't know much about what sorts of foods you can have on the plan you're on, so I can't help with the hunger pangs you're having...sorry...

I am still exercising weekly. I eat exactly the same thing for brekky and lunch and snack every day, then have a variety of things for dinner with the family. This is working well for me for now.

Ivamae- Don't sweat the weigh in...you'll drop that pound now that you're aware of it!

Well, all for now. We are meeting with a realtor to talk about selling the dream house we designed had built and are living in. It's sad but the builder underestimated the cost by SO MUCH that it has put us in a very bad financial place. The economy is still so bad around here, we can no longer hope it'll get better any time soon. We've had a year in the house and love it, but we have to face reality...at least we got to LIVE in it! :-)

Hey Ladies!!!!

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes.

Things around here are crazy as usual. I honestly feel like a ping pong ball bouncing from here to there, and now the girls should be starting soccer next week, so the fun will really start.

How is everyone? Is anyone still doing sommersizing? I went on some medicine last January which caused me to gain over 40 pounds. So I went off it in May and am now trying to get it off. I opted to go back to sommersizing on Aug. 9 because I knew it worked. So far, I have lost 6 pounds with about 50 more to go. ughhh But, I am going to get it off.

The girls are doing great. Erica is in the fourth grade and Tara is in the first grade. Unfortunately she missed the September 1 deadline so she is the oldest in her class. But, they are both doing well in school. Tonite is open house, so it will be interesting.

I finally got the internet at home, so I will try to start posting more often. I could really use all you fine ladies support. Is John still around?

Have a great evening.

Jen

jen823, you sound like me.

I was on meds that made me very quickly gain 32 pounds. I'm still on it but on a much lower dosage. I finally made up my mind that it was going to come off. I have been tabulating everything I eat and am trying to keep it level every day but with a lot of variation in foods. I also have atrial fibilation and on blood thinners. I was having trouble keeping that testing at an even level so have been tabulating the amount of Vitamin K in every thing I eat and keeping it level every day. It has really helped and I have lost 43 pounds. I've lost enough but want to lose another 4 pounds so that I have a bit of wiggle room. You can do it. You just have to make your mind up to be determined. My weekness has always been sweets. I'm still eating some but not as many.

I weigh in and post every Wednesday. Why don't you do the same thing? This group really does help and reporting in certainly helps with the will power

All the best
ivamae

Jen~ Great to "see" you! You and I have about the same amount to lose, and it's ONE pound at a time! I have basically using a lot of the Suzanne Somers rules...they work for me. Especially the "eat fruit-alone" one...I love my fruity breaks!

For those not familiar with the SS plan:

Avoid funky foods (sugars, white breads, carrots, etc.); eat proteins and fats separately from carbs; eat proteins and veggies together; eat carbs and veggies together; eat fruit alone on an empty stomach; wait three hours between meals if switching from a protein/fat meal to a carb meal; do not skip meals.

I've been exercising a little every day if I can. I'm feeling better from the exercise, if nothing else!

Ivamae is right - check in and it works. The moral support here is AWESOME!!!! :-)

NHSuzanne - 3 weeks away from hubby? WOW. That's a ton! Hope you get more than 24 hours with him SOON!!! Hang in there, sistah!

TGIF! CHECK IN!

Happy SATURDAY!!!

I have the house to myself today. DH went out the Corvette show in PA. I got to 'host' the air conditioning man for our annual checkup at 7:30am, so I'm already on my 3 load of laundry. haha

I'm kinda stuck in the house until almost Noon, as we have a triathalon around the lake this morning. We were warned that there would be mucho cyclists and runners after they complete their swim. I can see them out my window now, and I am jealous of those bodies, I can tell ya! LOL!

[[[[Suzanne]]]] Hope hubby gets home soon.

Jen, I hear ya. My battle with this weight and my meds gets me down often, but the alternative is not good either. My dad died at 52 because these meds were not available to him, so I consider myself a lucky "fluffy" gal (DH's term!)

Have a great weekend!
Dee

Hey everyone - The weather here has been so unbelievably gorgeous that I am spending as much time outside as possible. I am trying to balance preschool work, housework, and relaxtion time evenly. But as the summer draws to a close and I know my relaxation time will quickly end, I am trying to squeeze in as much reading time as I can.

The new head teacher/director is very, very nice. She admits to having OCD and I had to laugh. I know I have a mild case and I know I drive people around me nuts sometimes. Maybe we will get along famously or drive each other nuts if our OCD doesn't match! LOL

One time my fortune read, "Your attention to detail is both a blessing and a curse." That's me to a tee.

Next week I will be up at preschool every day, but at least this year, I know the work load will be evenly divided. In the short time Laura has been at the school, she has show more of an interest in how it is run, what resources we already have and where things are kept than the former teacher showed in an entire school year. So my level of stress has eased considerably and I am looking forward to a good year.

I hope everyone is outside enjoying their weekend. I am heading back out now to sip on a coffee milkshake and read for a little while.

Marci

Good Afternoon, a few minutes of peace finally. Had 5 ROUDY fourth graders over for a slumber party last nite. Erica owes me bigtime! Some of those girls never shut up! lol Oh well, glad they had a good time. Tara spent the nite at a friends, so I need to go get her pretty soon.

Sommersizing is going well for me. I am dying to make the sugarfree cheesecake. It's been a little while and I have a hankering for something kinda sweet..but not a cheat. I did well for my birthday. They brought me a brownie ice cream sundae at lonestar and I never touched it. My coworkers ate it for me! Very generous of them, if I do say so myself. Better their butts than mine! lol

If I can get thru homecoming tomorrow at church, I will have it made for the weekend. Shouldn't be to hard. A piece of chicken and some green beans will do me just fine.

Ivamae, I will definately weigh in with you on Wednesdays. Sounds like your bout finished though! Great job!!!!

BJ, you can do it. We will do it together. I like the fruit rule too. Usually the only time I eat it though is after a 60 minute walk. That's when it tastes the best.

Have a great weekend! I am sure Monday will show it's ugly head way to soon!

Jen