Amy's New Start : Comments Welcome!

[eyor44]

Hope you had a good weekend Amy and that your cold is getting better. 3.6 will be off in no time.

 

[toystoryduo]

How are you feeling, WISH sis? I hope you're feeling much better now!

I think you did a great job on vacation, Amy! With a little bit of exercise, lots of water, and some healthy eating, those 3.6 pounds will be gone before you know it! You CAN do it, Amy!

I hope you have a nice evening!

 

[eyor44]

Hi Amy I hope you are feeling okay and haven't had a relaspe.

 

[DisDee]

Hi Amy, Hope all is well and you're feeling OK. So glad you had a nice trip! I do love Port Orleans. Our first stay on Disney property was there when it was still Dixie Landings and I've recommended it to many family members and friends. I also enjoy French Quarter, but Magnolia Bend is my favorite.

Have a great day and post soon!!!!!!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thank you so much everyone. I am sorry I haven't been on, I haven't been feeling that great with this cold (which has been very aggravated by allergies) and I have also been really depressed and out of sorts.

Nothing much to report on the job front. He has sent out some resumes and talked to some contacts. He has no idea what will happen on the 23rd, he may get laid off or he may have to take a very severe paycut. I am hoping for the latter, a paycut would be more than umemployment and he would have benefits which we desparately need. I am betting he'll be kept on until mid May, which would be great since that gives us benefits through May. I know he can find something by June. I may also find something between now and then, I have filled out some more applications. Dan really wants me to wait until the kids are out of school since I have to pick up and drop off dd at school and also to be home when his aunt and cousin come out for his dad's long awaited memorial service. We have some savings, I guess this is what its for! Still, if something good comes along we both agree I'll take it. Ds can walk the couple of miles to pick up dd after he gets out and she can wait for him to get to her and then walk her the mile and a half home. I am fine with that, I just don't want her walking alone and having to cross a four lane busy street with no light. The place she would cross literally has a memorial sign up for a boy who was run over doing that very thing. Why oh why, will our city not put up a stoplight when this road connects three schools to various neighborhoods?

Food has been good, I aqusized yesterday and intend to go later today. I need to get back to walking but my level of enthusiasm is not very high right now. But I am getting there.

So that's my latest. Thanks for reading and I'll try very hard to get to your journals later today. Right now I need to get some things done and then get to my aqua class.

 

[eyor44]

Understand the depression, but walking may help with that a bit. Think about it. Sounds like you have a good working plan in place and I do hope they keep him until he can find something else. Remember a closed door means there is an opened window. Yeah, doesn't pay the bills, but you have a very strong faith, hold on to it.

 

[toystoryduo]

Oh Amy,

Sweetie, I so understand what you are going through right now. We both have had our ups and downs with employment issues through the years, haven't we?

I want you to know that we are keeping you and Dan in our prayers. Like Lisa said, when a door closes, a window often opens, but I know firsthand that the waiting can be very hard. Keep looking to the Lord for strength. He will sustain you.

I'm also praying that you start to feel better soon. Sending some get well your way.

If you need anything, please let us know. We're praying for you!

 

[eyor44]

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thank you Lisa and Tracy. Right now my faith is really coming into play and I am glad I have it and my good friends around here to see me through.

At first I was so optimisitc but now its more of a reality has set in sort of mode! For one thing, we have good friends who are both umemployed, he's been out for around 8 months, she's been out for 15 months. They lost their home and survive on unemployment and some help from family. But with only one person's worth of unemployment and no family that can help, there is no way we can go that long. I don't think that will be our case however. This guy is in a very specialized field and she admits she's not looking too hard because she's in school right now. But when I see them and all that they have lost and what they've been through, I get discouraged. On the other hand, they are still surviving so it can be done!

Lisa, the walking did help. Or rather the aquasized did. I did that three days in a row plus two walks and I am amazed at how much it helps. I also filled out an app at the rec center, right now they only have insturctor positions open but if something at the front desk or in the daycare opens that would be nice. And I'd get my membership for free!

I have worked around the house, in my yard and spent a lot of time with some of my faith based motivation books (Tracy the one you gave me for my bday is being reread for the third time, it always makes me feel good). Stuff like that helps.

So today is much better, the sun is shining, I have done well with food and exercise this week and the weekend is almost here. We are going to a friend's for a bbq tomorrow night and I am looking forward to that. I just need to focus on the positive and not allow this thing to make me come unhinged with my food.

And I WILL be getting to journals later. Tonight is low homework night for both kids and I think the Avalanche are playing which will keep both of my guys out of my hair and off my computer!

Thanks so much for the support and prayers. They keep me going and make me feel very nurtured.

 

[Amy&Dan]

So today I ended up doing pretty well on food, not quite as well as I wanted to but still within points. I had lunch with a friend, we went to wendy's since they have a dollar menu, I got a plain potato and a small chili which is good on points and loaded with fiber. I also had two ice teas with lemon because I am steering away from diet coke as much as possible. Tonight's plant was to eat cereal and a big bowl of fruit but I skipped the fruit and had some mac and cheese. Not a lot but not the fruit I should have had. I made it from scratch, its the kids favorite and I don't make it often. I had a bite, then two and well, you get the idea.

Tomorrow is weigh in so wish me luck with that. My goal was to have most if not all the 3.6 off but since I only worked out three times and had a few food struggles here and there, well, we'll see.

Realized that I am very depressed about not having any Disney trip planned. Dumb I know when we just got back but I always have something planned and now I don't. Disney is what makes us happy and after we sold our DVC Dan and I had wondered if maybe we'd branch out and do other things. But nope, this trip just iced the cake that this is what we love and this is what we will probably continue to do. Probably seems strange to some, but to me, travelling is for relaxation and fun, and if this fits our bill, well why not? Its totally insane to be most sad about maybe not getting to WDW as soon as I'd like when there are bigger fish to fry. But there you have it. Dh confided to me he feels exactly the same. I guess we are truly a match made in heaven. Oh yeah, both kids fessed up they hate not having a Disney trip officially planned. So we have passed the insanity onto the next generation.

 

[solar]

Amy, I'm sorry to hear of your struggles...it can be so hard to see the light when we go through rough times. just know that these struggles teach us "how to survive in new ways", and that we can learn from them...learn what we need and don't need...what we can go without, and what we can't go without (ex: cable vs. quality family time) -- I went through a hard time after my divorce years ago, and it reset all my priorities and helped me grow to be a stronger and better person through the struggle.

as for Disney - i know it's not on the front, but why not start a fun family game of how you can find a way to do a Disney trip in the future as cheaply as possible...stay off-site, plan a shorter stay, see how many free things you can do without going to the parks (meals at favorite resorts, downtown disney), scavenger picture hunts, hidden mickeys, so you get the disney vibe without the big ticket pricing...while it may be a pipe dream right now, planning it could be great fun or a project for you all as a focus and you may just discover something cool and new -- and find a way to do something uniquely-Disney, but different. My DH and I did Disney/Princess and our goal was not to go to any of the parks this time!! I knwo it sounds silly, but we were so relaxed, explored the hotels, did DTD, etc...low-key, but found totally neat things we would totally overlook othertimes

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks Deb. I think its just been hard because this is not the first set back we have had in the past couple of years on his job and also in our family with stuff that has happened with our son and both my husband and I losing a parent. I think I my typical WDW post trip blues are just sort of ramped up right now. I am a nut when it comes to my Disney trips. Dan and I both said we will probably do the parks slim to none when we go just the two of us. My plan will be to get non expiring park hoppers and milk those over several trips. But while the kids are still going with us, I don't think that would work. They are still all about the parks. Plus we have airfare for four and from Denver, we cannot ever get that for less than $1500. I need to move closer to WDW or at least to a place where I can fly there cheaper!

I weighed in and was exactly the same. I know it was because in essence I was stressed (and that always wreaks havoc on my weight loss) and also I had some sloppy days. Days where I didn't track all that ate, didn't exercise and didn't get all my water in. 2-3 of those will tank me every time. But Iam glad I went, I feel refocused and recommitted. Basically I am setting the same goal for this week: lose the 3.6 I gained on vacation. If I do that, I will have gotten back in four weeks to what I was the day we left for WDW.

I won't get a work out in today, I have a lot of work to do around the house and I also worked out in the yard for a couple of hours when I got home from WW. But I am insisting I work out tomorrow no matter what! At least I am getting in some activity, with that yard work in particular.

I am feeling better but I am also sort of realizing that the old "I have good days and bad days" is going to be the norm for awhile. Once we know for sure what will happen, that right there will make me feel better. The not knowing is the worst. I assume his boss in India will maybe give him a jingle one day next week to let him know what is up. In the meantime, he has already gotten a really good start on getting his resume out and making calls to contacts he knows. He's very proactive and I respect that more than ever. I know we'll get through this and I am determined that at the end of this, I'll weigh less than I did when it started!

 

[goldcupmom]

Oh, Amy, I'm so sad for you! I totally understand your 'not knowing' pain! It is the worst!

And I've been dealing with the 'no trip planned' syndrome as well. NOT FUN!!! At least with something planned it gives us something to look forward to.

Don't worry about the weight...stress is a horrid thing! You are doing the right things & exercise really helps the stress!

Hang in there! If there is anything I can do, lmk! Praying for you both!

 

[toystoryduo]

Sending a and more prayers your way, WISH sis. That is wonderful that Dan is being proactive and sending his resumes out and talking to his contacts. I hope you hear something about his job soon. It's hard not knowing. I remember when my DH went through this, it got to a point where I just wanted an answer so we could make our plans and move on. I'm praying for you!

No worries on the weight, my friend. You've got a lot going on right now and stress can affect the number on the scale. Keep up the good work with the food and exercise and don't forget: exercise helps alleviate stress!

I understand how you feel about not having another Disney trip planned. Maybe you can start a change jar or start doing some rewards programs to help you earn some extra money while waiting for your next Disney trip. In the meantime, I'll send some extra Disney your way. Maybe once the dust settles with Dan's job situation, you'll find that you may be able to squeeze another trip in sooner than you think!

Sending lots of love and prayers your way, my friend.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks so much everyone. I really don't know what I did in life before I joined the WISH board and found all of you to help me through life's bumps.

So I thought a lot about what you said Deb, and told dh this morning that we should try to go to WDW sans parks sometime in the next year. We know we want to go in October of 2011 with our friends and that visit will definitely need to be parks since they have very young kids and have never been. But maybe, just maybe we could go in June of 2011 just the four of us and stay at POR without visiting the parks. My sil works for Disney (well ABC) and she gets some free passes she might be able to pass onto us. We might get as many as 8 tickets from her, and if we did some serious commando touring could all four parks for our favorites in those two days worth of tickets. I read Dan Deb's post and he agreed that there are so many little things we could do and POR in and of itself is a great place to visit and enjoy. He thinks the kids would be fine with this, they both love to swim and dd would probably happily ride a surrey bike every day for a week which is pretty cheap. So I am not telling the kids but I am going to just hope that Dan gets a new job soon (and its looking good for one thing in particular) and that we could do this. If I have even a concrete plan in my head of something to maybe make happen, that even makes me happy. I also think I could do some stuff with ff miles by dumping all of the kids miles into Dan and mine's ff account (they charge but its not that much) and have enough for maybe two ff tickets on Frontier. So that would help too. Just him and I talking about that today made us both pretty excited.

So back to the real subject of Wish, we went to friends last night and I did very well. Didn't have any beer or cocktails and I had a few chips, a half of a burger with no bun, a bunch of water melon and carrots and one small piece of this peanut butter pie. I took my own herbal ice tea and chugged that. I couldn't drink anyway because I had to leave and come back so that dd could do her bible study. I am determined to get this 3 pounds off. Today is cool and rainy, tomorrow will be nice so Dan and I plan to take a nice walk after church. We also are going to grill some stuff this evening, enough for three meals worth of food. I have my menus all planned for the week. No more sloppy days to mess up my weigh in next Friday!

Thanks for the prayers and good thoughts. Again, I just appreicate it so much. The tough times bring out the good friends!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Uh oh, Deb created a monster (or rather three of them)! Dh, dd and I cannot stop talking about how much FUN we'll have when we go to POR/WDW for a no parks trip. Dd at first was a bit "dunno if I could do that" but when I reminded her of all the things we missed out on at POR, she got on board quickly! Ds is already planning his toppings for his build your own pasta bowl.

Ds has been aerating lawns all day with his youth leader to earn money to go to camp this summer. Poor kid, its raining and freezing and he's been doing this since 8:00 a.m. He'll split the money with the other boys doing it too. He did this last Saturday too, I hope he earns some. I made my deposit before this all came up and the money I still owe is looming large. They are going to Southern California for a youth conference at Biola University and a bunch of community work around L.A. They get one, two hour break to go to a beach the whole week, that is the only free time. He's also hoping to earn some money today for one of the girls whose dad is disbabled and can't do the aerations to help with his dd (the dads do this for the daughters since those machines are so heavy). That's my son. The kid who would gladly give up his whole saturday to help someone else but can't get his school work caught up to save my life!

Okay, true confession time. Dan and I decided we both wanted steak tonight. I of course in the old days of life gone by, would have had us eating out at Outback but that is out of the question (we haven't been to OB in probably four years and I can still taste their filet). I told him maybe we could find some cheap steaks at Sams. So I poked around, they had some very cheap cuts for not too bad then I see this pkg of T-Bones (two huges one) for under $7. I am like, oh man, how great they must be on special. I buy them, gushing to dh about my great deal. When we get home, he notices the label says "stew meat". They are definitely tbones. I guess some overworked Sams Butcher hit the wrong code when he packsged them up. If I was honest, I'd take them back but I"m not that honest. If I get food poisoning, I'll take that as a sign from above I was a naughty girl!

 

[eyor44]

Amy

First about Disney.....I am the same way. I have to have a trip in the works. We used to go just every 3-5 years, and I was always so sad about not going. and we didn't do other vacations other than going to visit family in NY. I finally told DH, we always have so much fun there and I need something to look forward to. We'll see how long it last, but for right now I feel very fortunate.

Many prayers are being said for Dan's job situation. With how proactive he is being, I really can't see him being out of work (if that is what happens) for very long.

Sounds like you did really good at your friend's house with eating. I think you did good this past week. Given what you are dealing with you didn't lose, but you didn't gain also. Now that you are back on track, next week should be much better.

How wonderful that DS is helping to earn his $$ for his trip. and that he wants to help someone else also. That show great strenght and caring for others. You have a great DS.

I'm thinking that Sam's wouldn't let you pay the difference if you went back. I was charged the wrong price t WalMart once and they thought I was nuts for coming back to pay. They said it was their fault. Look at it as a bit of pixie dust.......from Sam's.

 

[toystoryduo]

How very exciting about your possible POR trip next June!!! Don't forget you can sign up for SR for some extra Disney money... They have 5 surveys over there now that you can take everyday. That's $3.40 a day if you get all 5!!!

You did a great job at your friend's house! If you don't mind me asking, what kind of herbal tea do you drink? I'm on an iced tea kick and looking for some different options.

That's wonderful that your DS is earning money for his trip! That is so sweet of him to want to earn money to help a friend out too.

Sending lots of love and prayers your way, my friend.

 

[toystoryduo]

Sending prayers your way, WISH sis. Any word yet?

 

[DisDee]

Amy, We've done 2 Disney trips without going to the parks. Sometimes its a pleasure not to have to rush around and there are so many other ways to enjoy yourself. You could always hit a water park and if you have a rental car there are lots of other places in the Orlando area to visit. I just love being on Disney property even if I don't go into the parks. Port Orleans is a great place to stay if you want to relax and enjoy the resort.

You've raised a very hard-working, kind and compassionate son. You should be very proud of him!!!!!