~~ A Celebration of Life-long friendship ~~ Sew Sweet 16 ~~ Now N' Thens 3/11

[kittylady1972]

GREAT GREAT updates! Fabulous photos! We just don't take enough photos when we are there. We did Blizzard Beach back in Sept, and I'm so sad that not ONE Photopass Photographer was there. 3 of my family members did Summit Plummet (which they named the the most painful experience EVER for their butts!) and I would have loved to have had photos from it!

Seeing your fun in August definitely makes me okay with a July trip. I truly think we'd have a great time just spending lots of time at the waterparks and the pool. We just need to all come up with a consensus on which DVC resort to stay. Kids want Bay Lake Tower again, DH wants Beach Club, I think I'd enjoy trying OKW again, or Wilderness Lodge or even Boardwalk.

Can't wait to read more about your trip!!

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

Love the updates. We had the same issue at the water parks. Jacob and Marissa would be gone and all Chelsea wanted to do was lazy river, so we were never in one spot. I would love to spend more time there, but the kids are done in 3 hours.

Headache is gone for now. Still not much energy. I think I may not be eating enough veggies. I don't know. I ate a ton last night.

We were at Animal Kingdom the first week of September and tried to find the ellusive baby gorilla. We never did see it either, but we ended up seeing parts of Animal Kingdom we ignored the first trip, so that was good. I have about 100 pictures of naked mole rats.

We aren't big NYE people either. I have been trying to find a friend that has ESPN so I can watch the Rose Bowl tomorrow, but haven't had any luck yet. That is my mission for today.

Marissa did seem to have a great time at Disneyland and she had been misinformed, because she did get to go to California Adventure as well. So, I am anxious to hear about it. She is not a picture taker.

Have a great New Year.

 

[Texan]

Well howdy Miss D - I sent you a PM earlier this week and when I did I was on Page mid-30's - I have done a speed read except for your TR updates and have now caught up - I flew threw Halloween, Alli getting her hair cut, Gus giving Alli flowers, Alli eating meat; Thanksgiving, your most romantic Anniversary, new floors, visit with your Dad, Christmas and now NEW YEARS. I wanted to get caught up so bad and wish you and your beautiful family a very blessed New Year.

I love your updates; life has just taken such a chunk out of me lately; I feel like I am not control; work has been awful since the only other secretary just up and quit with no notice early November; I have been working 10 hour days; and family has kept me busy; but, I still peak in and peak in your FB but I love your updates; please don't stop! Also, on my PM I am asking for some exercise advice!

When you talked about your Dad looking like Burl Ives (he does), it brought me down memory lane; there was a Disney videotape (yes, video, not CD) when the kids were little, I think it was one of the music ones, where Burl Ives sang the best song, The Ugly Bug Ball, it was great; I am glad your Dad had a wonderful Christmas get together at his home. Can you please pass on some of the restaurants he has near him for GC's?

I hope Allie can slowly get back into eating Primal; I try to eat anti-inflammatory which is close to Paleo/Primal but I do not do as good as I should; I also have a serious sugar addiction which I have to fight all the time; yes, sugar is addicting; I agree with you about the food that they are putting out there in the stores and restaurants; most of it is so processed or shipped overseas it is sickening; I only have a handful of restaurants I like to eat at; and my label reading is getting obsessive at the store; we finally have a TJ's about 20 miles from our house; AWESOME

Well, enough chatter for now; just wanted to add my begging to continue with your updates; love ya Dorine; HAPPY NEW YEAR! Carol

 

[DMGeurts]

[COLOR="Indigo" GREAT GREAT updates! Fabulous photos! We just don't take enough photos when we are there. We did Blizzard Beach back in Sept, and I'm so sad that not ONE Photopass Photographer was there. 3 of my family members did Summit Plummet (which they named the the most painful experience EVER for their butts!) and I would have loved to have had photos from it!

Seeing your fun in August definitely makes me okay with a July trip. I truly think we'd have a great time just spending lots of time at the waterparks and the pool. We just need to all come up with a consensus on which DVC resort to stay. Kids want Bay Lake Tower again, DH wants Beach Club, I think I'd enjoy trying OKW again, or Wilderness Lodge or even Boardwalk.

Can't wait to read more about your trip!![/COLOR][/QUOTE]

That is a bummer - they were all over when we were there. I am sure they were all begging to work at the water parks that week, it was so hot!

LOL - The girls did not complain about their behinds at all...

It is super fun whenever you go - but HOT is HOT and that it is... My best advice, to acclimate before you go - challenge yourself to not use your airconditioning in your car... It's as close as you'll ever get to duplicating Florida heat.

I am sure that any of the resorts would be fabulous!!!

THanks! I am excited to share about it!

[quote="OregonMomToWDW, post: 52814797"]Love the updates. We had the same issue at the water parks. Jacob and Marissa would be gone and all Chelsea wanted to do was lazy river, so we were never in one spot. I would love to spend more time there, but the kids are done in 3 hours.

Headache is gone for now. Still not much energy. I think I may not be eating enough veggies. I don't know. I ate a ton last night.

We were at Animal Kingdom the first week of September and tried to find the ellusive baby gorilla. We never did see it either, but we ended up seeing parts of Animal Kingdom we ignored the first trip, so that was good. I have about 100 pictures of naked mole rats.

We aren't big NYE people either. I have been trying to find a friend that has ESPN so I can watch the Rose Bowl tomorrow, but haven't had any luck yet. That is my mission for today.

Marissa did seem to have a great time at Disneyland and she had been misinformed, because she did get to go to California Adventure as well. So, I am anxious to hear about it. She is not a picture taker.

Have a great New Year.

I know - it's super easy to make the waterparks a half-day park, which was kind of my goal with this trip, since we didn't have any scheduled days off.

Glad to hear your headache is gone. Are you eating enough fat? It's super important to have that in your diet too, to keep you satisfied - it truly helps.

Hahaha about the naked mole rats! That cracked me up!

I hope you found somewhere to watch ESPN last night.

And Yay!!! So happy Marissa got to do CA as well! I am sure this was a fun trip for her!

Well howdy Miss D - I sent you a PM earlier this week and when I did I was on Page mid-30's - I have done a speed read except for your TR updates and have now caught up - I flew threw Halloween, Alli getting her hair cut, Gus giving Alli flowers, Alli eating meat; Thanksgiving, your most romantic Anniversary, new floors, visit with your Dad, Christmas and now NEW YEARS. I wanted to get caught up so bad and wish you and your beautiful family a very blessed New Year.

I love your updates; life has just taken such a chunk out of me lately; I feel like I am not control; work has been awful since the only other secretary just up and quit with no notice early November; I have been working 10 hour days; and family has kept me busy; but, I still peak in and peak in your FB but I love your updates; please don't stop! Also, on my PM I am asking for some exercise advice!

When you talked about your Dad looking like Burl Ives (he does), it brought me down memory lane; there was a Disney videotape (yes, video, not CD) when the kids were little, I think it was one of the music ones, where Burl Ives sang the best song, The Ugly Bug Ball, it was great; I am glad your Dad had a wonderful Christmas get together at his home. Can you please pass on some of the restaurants he has near him for GC's?

I hope Allie can slowly get back into eating Primal; I try to eat anti-inflammatory which is close to Paleo/Primal but I do not do as good as I should; I also have a serious sugar addiction which I have to fight all the time; yes, sugar is addicting; I agree with you about the food that they are putting out there in the stores and restaurants; most of it is so processed or shipped overseas it is sickening; I only have a handful of restaurants I like to eat at; and my label reading is getting obsessive at the store; we finally have a TJ's about 20 miles from our house; AWESOME

Well, enough chatter for now; just wanted to add my begging to continue with your updates; love ya Dorine; HAPPY NEW YEAR! Carol

Hi Carol - Happy New YEar to you too! Thanks for taking the time to catch up!

I will go take a look at your PM after I am done here this morning - I have a few of them in there waiting my attention, I've just been a little distracted this week.

That is such a bummer that work has been so stressful for you! Especially this time of year. I hope everything else is going OK - anxious to read your PM.

I KNOW that video!!!! I love Burl Ives, just love him, his voice is so relaxing and charming... I am certain the video you are referring to is from Gymboree - we used to play it in our store all the time (it was the one we had to play) - so I have it completely memorized still, and the Ugly Bug Ball was one of my favorites... I was trying to think of the name of that song when I was posting about Burl Ives the other day, and I just couldn't think of it. But yes, wonderful memories for me too, of the girls' childhood. Thanks for the reminder and the smile. Here's to Burl Ives...

I hear you about the sugar addiction... It's so hard, especially this time of year! One of the reasons I am doing the Whole30... Trying to shake off that sugar dragon... I am doing very well so far. The more I eat like this, the more I love it - I have never felt so satisfied with my food ever... People look at me like I have 3 heads because I don't eat anything processed, especially no breads/cereals/pastas - so many people think they can't live with out them, but what they don't realize are the addicting chemicals that are hidden in there, keep them hungry which in turn keeps them eating all the time. I remember when I used to do weight watchers - My diet was a LOT of grain products, I would eat a full meal and I would be STARVING in an hour - I just never understood it... I wish I would have researched why that was back then (oh well), now I know - those foods are "filler foods" the vitamins and nutrients in them are chemical versions of the real thing, which our bodies can't absorb - so essentially, even though we are eating, our bodies are starving. I don't miss those foods at all - mostly because I am satisfied all the time. I've never had complete "joy" from eating before this, never... But now, when I think of food - it's just this calm nourishing time for me, where I am comfortable and confident about what I am putting into my body and what it's doing for me... The size loss is great - but I am convinced there is so much more to this - you can see my energy and zest for life in all of my photos. Who would have ever thought a simple diet change would literally turn back the clock for someone and make them younger - I never would have believed anyone if it wouldn't have happened to me. It's crazy and wonderful at the same time. <---- Wow, that got long... Sorry about that.

Yay for having TJs near you!!! I love TJs so much!!! It's one of my favorite places to shop. Sadly - it's about an hour drive for me, through the metro, so I only go about monthly/bi-monthly, and when I go, I stock up. Glad to hear you have one near you... Try their non-salted crunchy almond butter - it's a staple in my life. Just be careful - it's addicting.

Thanks for stopping by, it was great to see you Carol... And Happy New Year to you and yours!

**********************************************************

Good morning everyone! I hope you had a wonderful New Years!

I had a nice day yesterday...

I did my work out right away in the morning...

Then I cleaned...

Then I cooked...

Alli woke up and wanted to run to town... So her and I got dressed and ready...

I have to add here, Allison has been teaching me how to do my make-up... I know, funny right? Well, she always has this perfect flawless make-up, so for our anniversary, I had her do mine, and I loved it so much - I asked her to teach me... So, I've been honing my skills. Not nearly as gorgeous as she is, but it's really helped - especially my complexion... Can you believe, just applying your normal foundation with a brush (vs. your fingers or a make up pad, like I used to) gives you an awesome complexion? I didn't know that. So, anyways... I had to talk about it for a minute, because we've been having fun doing our make up together lately.

Which has nothing to do with us going to town... Except... Here's a selfie for you... We are goof balls...

We came home, and I made dinner... Last night was suffed peppers. Mine were with out cheese and rice. I do have to say - there was nearly no fat in this meal and it didn't keep me satisfied for very long at all... I wound up having another small meal at about 9pm... Whole30 compliant, of course - but another meal none-the-less. Lesson learned (again) those fats are super important!~

Gus came over to celebrate the New Year with Allison...

We started off with a game of Apples to Apples, but quickly got bored with it...

So we moved on to Monopoly... Let me just say... Gus is good. Really, really good. Technically - our game is still going, it's still set up on the kitchen table... But he had a really good strategy. Now, I also have to add, Allison is very good, as well - considering we have NOT played Monopoly one single time since their Monopoly Jr. days - she did not remember the rules or anything... Well, she caught on and caught on good... We had a great time - I just love family board games - especially on nights like that. So, here's a few pictures from last night (please ignore the patches on the walls behind us - we are still working on the kitchen, and the open cupboard door - biggest pet peeve, close the cabinet doors people!)...

And MM feeling neglected... Poor guy!

We had a great night... I did not make it to Mid-night (I rarely do), but I did make it past Mid-night on the East coast.

Gus slept on our couch last night... His parents don't allow him to drive on drinking holidays like this - which we understand... We'd rather have him safe too. Which is something I am going to institute as well, when the girls start driving. Go somewhere and park for the night - at least I know they are safe.

Today... It's a heavy lifting day for me... So, I must lift.

We might resume our Monopoly game for a little while?

The girls and I are meeting BFF and Olivia for lunch today to celebrate her birthday a few days ago. We are all looking forward to this!

I don't think we have any other plans today. I am just looking forward to having a day with the girls.

I hope you all had a wonderful New Years! Prayers and good thoughts go out to all of you!

D~

 

[Wood Nymph]

Hi Dee -

Happy New Year! I'm just coming back to the Dis after two weeks of having house guests, so it will take me a bit to catch up.

We have a tradition of never making it to midnight. We always seem to fall asleep before that. Your evening of board games looked like fun. I was playing board games with the grandchildren. We even tried Monopoly, which had to be simplified for a seven year old, but we made it work.

I'll be back when I get a chance to get through all the posts I missed. We still have one more Christmas party to go to today, and then the holiday celebrations are officially over.

 

[Terkina]

Happy New Year.

Sounds like you had a nice day and celebrating yesterday

 

[Texan]

Had to pop in D - I worked until 4:00 - but - DH and I made it past midnight and he even drank sparkling wine with me! - youngest DS was sound asleep and oldest DS was in Houston with the GF - quiet and uneventful - so glad Gus stayed on the couch - I am always so worried about oldest DS - he is my social butterfly and is always out - too much drinking going on

I have learned quite a bit about food between you and oldest DS - since he joined Crossfit he has shared so much - I just wish I could be more consistent about incorporating it in my life - like you say, slowly but surely - just curious, why is cheese on the naughty list? I haven't figured out that one yet - and yes, I am addicted to that crunchy yummy almond butter at TJ's - its a staple

Hope you have a wonderful day with O and BFF - enjoy!

Carol

 

[Sweetly]

Just wanted to stop by and wish everyone a Happy New Year
Things have been busy, all is going well. Hope to be back to catch up on some posts!

 

[DMGeurts]

Hi Dee -

Happy New Year! I'm just coming back to the Dis after two weeks of having house guests, so it will take me a bit to catch up.

We have a tradition of never making it to midnight. We always seem to fall asleep before that. Your evening of board games looked like fun. I was playing board games with the grandchildren. We even tried Monopoly, which had to be simplified for a seven year old, but we made it work.

I'll be back when I get a chance to get through all the posts I missed. We still have one more Christmas party to go to today, and then the holiday celebrations are officially over.

Good morning Sue! Thank you!!! I sure hope you enjoyed your time with your house guests!

Hehehe... We did have a great time! There are very few new years that I have made it to mid-night. LOL I really don't even try anymore.

No worries, thanks for checking in - it's good to see you!

Happy New Year.

Sounds like you had a nice day and celebrating yesterday

Thank you Lillian - same to you!

We had a very nice day, it was lots of fun!

Had to pop in D - I worked until 4:00 - but - DH and I made it past midnight and he even drank sparkling wine with me! - youngest DS was sound asleep and oldest DS was in Houston with the GF - quiet and uneventful - so glad Gus stayed on the couch - I am always so worried about oldest DS - he is my social butterfly and is always out - too much drinking going on

I have learned quite a bit about food between you and oldest DS - since he joined Crossfit he has shared so much - I just wish I could be more consistent about incorporating it in my life - like you say, slowly but surely - just curious, why is cheese on the naughty list? I haven't figured out that one yet - and yes, I am addicted to that crunchy yummy almond butter at TJ's - its a staple

Hope you have a wonderful day with O and BFF - enjoy!

Carol

Glad to know that everyone is home and safe. I don't mind Gus sleeping on our couch... I thought Josh would, but he understands too. We would much rather have him safe and know he is safe than to worry. I always worry about him driving home so late at night on any given night he is here - some nights he stays pretty late. But my thought on that is, I would rather have them here, under our roof (and watchful eyes), than "out there somewhere" doing God only knows what... Ya know? So, our house and family is a very welcome place for them to be and to hang out - and they both seem to be comfortable here, so that's good.

Well, cheese is dairy... and dairy is a little complicated. Here's a link I found for you with just a basic google search. For the record - normally I eat chesse, but I am not eating it during the Whole30 - as I am trying very hard to be 100% compliant (so far, so good). http://ultimatepaleoguide.com/dairy/

Thank you - we had a blast, it was a lot of fun!

Just wanted to stop by and wish everyone a Happy New Year
Things have been busy, all is going well. Hope to be back to catch up on some posts!

Hi Lynee!!! Thank you, same to you! Thanks for stopping by and checking in.

**********************************************************

I had a great day yesterday...

Gus spent the night on our couch, and of course - I can't sleep past 5am... So my morning was spent trying to make coffee/lift weights/eat breakfast as quietly as I could. It didn't go well - but like any true guy - he slept through it. Phew!

I let the girls sleep as long as I could and I woke them up to get ready for lunch with BFF and O...

I felt badly leaving Gus behind, so I invited him with us... He seemed very excited to be included, so I am glad I did. As a side note, it was their 4 month anniversary yesterday (which I'd forgotten about), so I am even more glad I invited him with us.

We met at BFF's house, but we drove separate vehicles to lunch... We went to my favorite place... I have to add, BFF is soooo accomodating to my food weirdness, and I am so thankful for that. There is only a handfull of places I will consider eating, and she is so careful that we eat where I want to eat. I am very lucky to have her!

We all went to Burger Jones for Olivia's birthday... The cast was: Bff, O, Bff's boyfriend (Jay, whom you all will be meeting via the below photo), me, Alli, Gus & Victoria. We had a great time, enjoyed our food and the company.

I snapped this picture of Alli and Gus while we were at lunch... It's just so cute - I couldn't resist. I really enjoy seeing them so happy... I know I probably shouldn't - but I am such a romantic. LOL

Afterwards, we all took our separate vehicles back to BFF's house, and played Cards Against Humanity... Ummmm... A totally NOT appropriate game for my girls - but on the flip side of all the awkward moments - it did help create some dialog about some pretty off the wall facts of life. So, it wasn't all bad. Not sure I would/could play it again with them though. Despite that, we had a good time.

Jay left for home and we left shortly after.

Gus took the girls to town after we got home, Victoria wanted to go to Target, and I didn't feel like stopping - so Gus offered to take her. He is such a nice kid.

They all came home, we all had dinner together. Gus helped Josh with getting our TV hooked up to Roku. Then he went home. We all watched Guardians of the Galaxy - which I fell asleep about an hour into it - so I couldn't even tell you anything about it or if I liked it or not. LOL

Today... Well, I am working out shortly here.

Then I will be getting ready to go.

The girls and I have planned a day at the MOA today, they received some $$ for Christmas that they'd like to go get rid of. We are all very excited for this, we've been planning it since Christmas.

Allison works tonight... Gus is picking her up after to hang out here.

Not sure if Josh, V and I are doing anything?

I know, for sure, our tree HAS to come down this weekend - it's super dry this year. Which means, we'll have to put our living room back to rights again.

My Whole30 is still going well, yesterday was day 4, and I was compliant all day - despite eating out for lunch.

Otherwise, nothing new or exciting. I hope you all enjoyed your New Years Day! Prayers and good thoughts go out to all of you!

D~

 

[kittylady1972]

That is a bummer - they were all over when we were there. I am sure they were all begging to work at the water parks that week, it was so hot!

LOL - The girls did not complain about their behinds at all...

It is super fun whenever you go - but HOT is HOT and that it is... My best advice, to acclimate before you go - challenge yourself to not use your airconditioning in your car... It's as close as you'll ever get to duplicating Florida heat.

I am sure that any of the resorts would be fabulous!!!

Yes I would guess that most photographers aren't begging to work water parks when it is raining in the morning, but it was a light rain that cleared up very quickly and brought about the perfect day for us! It wasn't HOT HOT HOT at all but it was comfortable enough that even floating around the BB Lazy River was nice, but with all that shade and the cold fountains along the river I'm sure it is much more refreshing on those HOTTER days!

Yeah a good day at Disney, even in the heat, is better than being at work! We are not enrolling our kids in two weeks of summer camp, and that savings ALONE will cover a lot of our trip expenses since our room for the most part will be paid for via DVC and we already have passes.

We pulled the trigger and booked a 1BR at Old Key West yesterday, so now the countdown begins! We really do plan on doing a lot of eating in the room and packing food with us to save money, so having the 1BR with full kitchen will be helpful. We will still have to augment that with one or two paid nights before switching over to the DVC room on July 4th, but that's okay. We haven't chosen a confirmed day to leave yet and booking both Fri and Sat night was a LOT of extra points, so I just booked July 4th (Sat) instead. We can do a night or two at Shades for not too much.

LOVED all your New Year's eve and birthday lunch photos. Such fun!

Can't wait for more updates.

 

[DMGeurts]

Yes I would guess that most photographers aren't begging to work water parks when it is raining in the morning, but it was a light rain that cleared up very quickly and brought about the perfect day for us! It wasn't HOT HOT HOT at all but it was comfortable enough that even floating around the BB Lazy River was nice, but with all that shade and the cold fountains along the river I'm sure it is much more refreshing on those HOTTER days!

Yeah a good day at Disney, even in the heat, is better than being at work! We are not enrolling our kids in two weeks of summer camp, and that savings ALONE will cover a lot of our trip expenses since our room for the most part will be paid for via DVC and we already have passes.

We pulled the trigger and booked a 1BR at Old Key West yesterday, so now the countdown begins! We really do plan on doing a lot of eating in the room and packing food with us to save money, so having the 1BR with full kitchen will be helpful. We will still have to augment that with one or two paid nights before switching over to the DVC room on July 4th, but that's okay. We haven't chosen a confirmed day to leave yet and booking both Fri and Sat night was a LOT of extra points, so I just booked July 4th (Sat) instead. We can do a night or two at Shades for not too much.

LOVED all your New Year's eve and birthday lunch photos. Such fun!

Can't wait for more updates.

Hahaha... I don't even enjoy those cold fountains on the lazy river on the hottest days. The girls are always kind enough to "steer me through".

Congrats on booking your trip. It sounds like you are getting it all figured out. I would really LOVE to have another trip this year, but financially, it just isn't in the cards for us... BUt I would love to see how my body responds after another year of taking care of it.

You guys will have a great time! I've heard that the 4th of July is pretty busy - but I am sure you will navigate just fine.

Thanks! I love posting things like that here... Especially when it involves all of us who were on the trip together.

Thanks for stopping in and updating me on your trip!

**********************************************************

The girls and I had so much FUN yesterday!!

We ran out the door and were at the mall 6 minutes after opening... So glad we were. I always apply WDW rope drop to my personal life - and if I am going anywhere that's going to be busy - I will get there early and get it done.

Of course, our first stop was Starbucks... Now that I am doing the Whole30 - I can't have my normal chemical concoction... So, for me - it's plain coffee with Cinnamon (thanks for that idea Suzi - it's been a lifesaver!)...

The main reason for this shopping trip was so the girls could spend some of their Christmas money...

They are both into Victoria's Secret PINK brand... So, to be honest - we spent most of our time in the 3 different VS stores and the PINK store. Each of them were able to get a few things they wanted. I know Allison really wanted another pair of yoga pants, but she was very unimpressed with their choices, so we will keep checking back to see if we can find something better when their selection isn't so picked over.

We also went to a few makeup stores... Didn't buy anything, but we did look.

We went to the Sigma brush store... That was cool. I didn't realize that Sigma is a MN company. Gotta support the local guys. Hehehe... I got a brush and the girls each got a brush or two themselves. Remember what I said last week - brushes are super important. I never would have guessed.

We had Chipotle for lunch at the mall - since it's the only "fast food" I can eat right now... The line was 30 minutes long, and the mall was insane by lunch time. Thankfully we were done shopping once we had lunch.

We came home, relaxed... The girls tried on their goodies.

I took Alli to work, then I came home and had dinner. NOthing special, just a bunch of leftovers from the last few days.

I successfully completed Day 5 of the Whole30. I am feeling great and not suffering any of the symptoms (yet) that are typical of the program. Which is a little puzzling to me, I find it odd and I am not sure why that is. I feel good, really really good. So, I am happy about that. I am sure there are some very hard days ahead though.

Gus picked Allison up from work last night and they came here. I was able to finish his seat cover that he wanted embroidered for his car, and he was super happy with it. I was a bit disappointed in some of the font I'd used, but oh well. As long as he was happy with it, that's what mattered.

Today... NOt sure what is going on?

I know, the closet is on the agenda... The inside needs to be finished so I can hang this pile of coats on the floor of my office - it's driving me crazy - I've been working out around them for 2 weeks now... They need to go! LOL

Also, we are taking down our tree... It's soooo dry and I am sure it's a fire hazard. It's been unplugged since the day after Christmas.

Otherwise, nothing else exciting. I hope you all have a nice weekend! Prayers and good thoughts' to all of you!

D~

 

[Iamthequeen]

I think that since you've been mostly Whole30 compliant all along that there is not much of a change to your diet or your system. If you haven't experienced any "side effects" yet, chances are you probably won't.

Charlie wants to leave the decorations up until next weekend. Luckily our tree is still in good shape. I'm trying to get some quilting finished today, but I keep getting distracted by the computer. Guess I should get back to work.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I successfully completed Day 5 of the Whole30. I am feeling great and not suffering any of the symptoms (yet) that are typical of the program. Which is a little puzzling to me, I find it odd and I am not sure why that is. I feel good, really really good. So, I am happy about that. I am sure there are some very hard days ahead though.

It sounds like a healthy way to eat. Is this a permanent diet change or just a temporary thing?

We had a very nice Christmas. Everyone was together for the first time in ages. It made for a very crowded house, with kids running everywhere, but that is what Christmas is all about, isn't it?

 

[justliketink]

Happy New Year!

I have truly loved reading your report and getting to know you and your family! I have to tell you that I find your enthusiasm so inspiring. It's been a really tough year for me in all kinds of ways. I had to have spinal surgery a year ago and that makes exercising tough. Anyway, I am seriously considering checking out the 30 day program. I would love to feel better and have more energy!

Thanks for being such a positive FUN trip report writer!!

Pam

 

[DMGeurts]

I think that since you've been mostly Whole30 compliant all along that there is not much of a change to your diet or your system. If you haven't experienced any "side effects" yet, chances are you probably won't.

Charlie wants to leave the decorations up until next weekend. Luckily our tree is still in good shape. I'm trying to get some quilting finished today, but I keep getting distracted by the computer. Guess I should get back to work.

That's what I am thinking too. I am hoping I don't, I just like the fact that I am cruising right along, I hope it continues to be this easy. Everyone talks about their boredom after a week or two, but I am kind of having fun with this. I feel great though - and that's a lot of motivation for me.

I hope you were able to get everything done that you needed to yesterday. I go back to work in my sewing room on Tuesday... I am sort of looking forward to it, and sort of not. LOL It's been nice having a break to be able to concentrate on me.

It sounds like a healthy way to eat. Is this a permanent diet change or just a temporary thing?

We had a very nice Christmas. Everyone was together for the first time in ages. It made for a very crowded house, with kids running everywhere, but that is what Christmas is all about, isn't it?

Well, the Whole30 is super strict Paleo - it's intended to be a temporary thing, but many people enjoy the benefits so much, that they continue on for months/years after. Most people, however, finish out their 30 days, then carry on with just a few adjustments... Which will probably be me. I know there are a few things I will probably add back in once my 30 days are up. We'll see when the time comes though, maybe my benefits will be enough for me to keep going too? I am not sure?

I am so happy that you had such a nice Christmas Sue! That is wonderful! Yes, that is exactly what the season is all about, crowded houses and screaming/happy children. There is nothing better - IMO.

Happy New Year!

I have truly loved reading your report and getting to know you and your family! I have to tell you that I find your enthusiasm so inspiring. It's been a really tough year for me in all kinds of ways. I had to have spinal surgery a year ago and that makes exercising tough. Anyway, I am seriously considering checking out the 30 day program. I would love to feel better and have more energy!

Thanks for being such a positive FUN trip report writer!!

Pam

Hi Pam!!! It's great to meet you! Thanks for stopping by and introducing yourself!

I love to hear when I've inspired people - it really gives me motivation to continue on myself.

I am sorry to hear that your year was so rough. Praying that this year is much better for you, and you are recovered enough to be able to do a bit more, so you can feel better. I know many people who eat the way I do, and have very similar benefits with out the "moving" portion of it... Give it a go if you have the desire. Keep me updated, let me know how you are doing, and thanks for following along!

**********************************************************

Yesterday was pretty uneventful and boring... LOL

Josh worked on the closet, and was able to get most of the interior finished, so we can finally hang the coats in it. Now for the PILE of shoes in my office... Can't put those in the closet until he finishes that last little bit of linoleum that needs to be laid in front of the door/in the closet... Fingers crossed that he will do that part today, I really need the shoes out of here too, as they take up just as much space as the coats did. LOL

We were going to take the tree down, but we just didn't get to it.

While Josh was working on the interior of the closet, the wall shifted a little bit and cracked the mud on the wall... So, he had to re-mud the closet wall again. I might be able to paint that wall today? Maybe?

Dinner last night was chicken stew... It was very good, however, stews don't normally stick with me for long - this was no exception. I was starving in the matter of an hour. Sigh. I held out though until right before bed and I had a banana with almond butter. I am not supposed to snack on the whole30, but sometimes it's just unavoidable.

After dinner, we watched a couple of movies... The first one was "Miss Potter", a fantastic movie about Beatrix Potter... It almost had me in tears a few times - highly recommend. I really enjoy historical movies like this anyways, and this one was very nicely done.

Then we watched Switched... With Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman... It was a pretty good movie... A little awkward at times, thankfully the girls were not watching it with us. LOL

Gus picked Allison up from work last night... We didn't realize how bad it was snowing because we were busy watching movies. The roads were pretty bad, and when we went to bed, we realized we were in a winter storm warning - and the county below us was in a blizzard warning... So, we told Gus to sleep on our couch. Again, better safe than sorry. It can get really dangerous out here by us, really fast - so I just feel better this way.

Again, no idea what our plans are for today? I am hoping Josh has the desire to finish the closet/entry floor.

Also, the tree MUST come down.

I know Allison and Gus want to go to church... We'll see how the roads look when it's light out.

The girls go back to school tomorrow... Tomorrow also starts the 3 weeks I'll be driving V to and from school. Sigh. Thankfully gas prices are nice right now.

I did an update to my blog yesterday. I also did an update to my size loss post on the first page of this TR - if you have any interest in reading either of those.

Otherwise - have a great day everyone! Prayers and Pixie Dust to all of you!

D~

 

[sewmess]

Been keeping up with the Whole30 thing on FB and, while I'm not diving headfirst into the whole healthy life thing I am sticking to a personal commitment to hit the heavy bag Cale got me for Christmas at least 10 minutes a day. I've been steady on for about 5 days and I have to admit I feel like I have more energy. It may be Psychological, but hey...even placebos work sometimes. And I really did do 3 sets of squat jumps today. When I started days ago....yeah, didn't make it through once.

I've also been thinking about the whole sugar/additives thing. I know I feel better eating real, I just can't get into the habit. Maybe with my rediscovered self control/commitment with the exercise thing...

As for keeping Christmas up, I grew up living by the liturgical household. We never actually put out tree up until Christmas Eve and left it up until 12th Night (Jan 6th) Since marrying, we put Christmas up usually around Thanksgiving/first weekend in December, but still keep it up until the 6th.

It's back to the daily grind tomorrow, but even that's not normal. We're getting new cooling towers and have to close to the public for a day for safety.

Hope all is well, or getting better. Sending extra support Texas way especially!

 

[DMGeurts]

Been keeping up with the Whole30 thing on FB and, while I'm not diving headfirst into the whole healthy life thing I am sticking to a personal commitment to hit the heavy bag Cale got me for Christmas at least 10 minutes a day. I've been steady on for about 5 days and I have to admit I feel like I have more energy. It may be Psychological, but hey...even placebos work sometimes. And I really did do 3 sets of squat jumps today. When I started days ago....yeah, didn't make it through once.

I've also been thinking about the whole sugar/additives thing. I know I feel better eating real, I just can't get into the habit. Maybe with my rediscovered self control/commitment with the exercise thing...

As for keeping Christmas up, I grew up living by the liturgical household. We never actually put out tree up until Christmas Eve and left it up until 12th Night (Jan 6th) Since marrying, we put Christmas up usually around Thanksgiving/first weekend in December, but still keep it up until the 6th.

It's back to the daily grind tomorrow, but even that's not normal. We're getting new cooling towers and have to close to the public for a day for safety.

Hope all is well, or getting better. Sending extra support Texas way especially!

Hi Ruth!!! It's great to see you - I am happy to hear that you had a nice Christmas!

You know, it's not always best to dive head first into healthly living - I am all about making sustainable changes, so I think you are doing great!!! As long as you are headed the right direction. Just keep on keepin on and punch that bag! Maybe reading more about the sugar/additives will give you the push you need? I know, for me, being more informed has really made me look at the foods I eat differently, and once I know what all of that means, I honestly have no desire to eat it - I almost look at it as if it's poisonous. If that makes sense?

Thanks for stopping by - I've missed seeing you around! I hope you have a great week back to work.

**********************************************************

We had a really productive day yesterday!

First off - Josh and I took care of that blasted Christmas tree... By the time we got it out of the house, it had pretty much dropped every single needle and branch - clean up took us almost an hour to get all those needles up. Sigh. But, thankfully it's done now. Phew~!

I went and picked Alli up from church after that. Her and Gus were so tired from the night before, she said they were both nodding off in church. I shouldn't LOL - but maybe next time they will learn to go to bed at an earlier hour?

When we got home, Josh was working hard in the kitchen. I put on my painting clothes and I worked on priming the new closet and wall by the front door. Then I did a bit of mud work right by the threshhold, so when he lays that linoleum, it's a nice and flat surface. I did good.

While I was doing that, Josh was putting up the trim. We now have all of the trim up around the floor, except at the closet area. Such a relief to have that done. Our kitchen is coming together nicely.

We are kind of doing this backwards, but I am not going to complain - I really want to get the trim up, because that's what always seems to never get done. But we will have to come along behind the trim and paint - most of it is touch-up painting, but there are a couple of walls that will need the full treatment. Hopefully this coming weekend. It would be nice to have this DONE, DONE.

Last night was the start of Downton Abbey... Sure hope this season is better than last. It was a pretty slow start last night though.

We are all back to school/work today... Sigh. It was nice being lazy with the girls last week - we had lots of fun. I am at Target today, then I go back to my sewing room tomorrow.

I hope you all have a wonderful day today - prayers and good thoughts to all of you!

D~

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

Hello. Loved the updates. I didn't get around to our tree this weekend. Hopefully, I will get it down by Valentine's Day. I had Christmas/Birthday giftcards, so I went shopping. Plus, there was all the cooking for the Whole30. I am really happy to have made it to day 8. I know I can do this.

We watched Downton Abbey too. Marissa kept asking why we liked this show. So, we would agree it was a bit slow last night. We also tried watching Galavant. We are not fans.

Marissa keeps mentioning Cards Against Humanity, but she has not told me exactly what it is.

All the kids are back to school this week. I am super excited. Nice to have them away from the house. However, that means dance starts back up. Busy time begins. Marissa then leaves for Texas, very early on Saturday for the College Football Championship game. She loved Disney. It was supposed to be super busy, but it rained that evening and people left. So, she got to ride tons of rides. The people that toured with her are super thankful. They were amazed at all the stuff they got to ride in 6 hours.

I should get some work done. Have a great day.

 

[Avery&Todd]

D~

Stalker here!! I've been stalking your TRs for years!! LOVE your reports and your family seems fabulous!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE the blogging you're doing for your weight loss/lifestyle change! Such an inspiration!!

My question is you mentioned a non-salted crunchy almond butter from Trader Joe's on the previous page - what does the jar look like?? I thought I'd try it!!

I've never tried almond butter but I'm branching out and trying new things....

I've recently been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, so I'm trying to figure out my new "food life" and I'm looking for suggestions of good tasting sugarless/sugar free foods!

I have to applaud you for taking and posting all of your before/after pictures too - Over the last few months (and before my diabetes diagnosis) my DH and I started walking and I'm down 23lbs with an overall goal of -75lbs..and I am buying the smaller sizes and I LOVE IT!!

I wished I had taken various body measurements before we started walking but who knew at the time I'd actually lose weight??! ), but I know that my 2012 WDW pictures and the ones we take in our upcoming June 2015 pictures will be vastly different!!

Thanks for inspiring us!!

 

[Terkina]

Sounds like you had a nice weekend.