Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

New ME

I hear tell I am looking more like my middle sister every day....I take that as a compliment.

This just doesn't look like the same person, even to me. The top pictures is of me taken January 23, 2008, the day my son James got married, a little less than a month before my surgery. The bottom picture was taken September 24, 2008 after 145 lbs of weight loss.

I don't look so bad from the waist up, but still got that fat belly. I saw my surgeon on the 23rd and he told me after another 100 lbs of loss we will start discussions on skin removal, ouch.

I can pretty much eat what ever I want now just in small amounts. I even had a few bites of a Frosty yesterday. I always want to keep myself in check because I never want to go back to the person you see at the top.

When my doctor made the appointment for me to have this surgery I was afraid, I put it off a couple of months, then I finally prayed and asked God if it was His will that I get the surgery He would have to help me get insurance approval. He not only did that but I also got a discount on my surgery because I was able to pay it before hand.

I wanted this surgery because I wanted to better serve Christ, and I couldn't do it from a handicapp parking spot. He has helped me through every aspect of it from the approval to not having many of the side effects that a lot people do. I praise Him for all He has done for me.

I am going through a program at church, that is showing me how to become a better Christian. God is leading my life through many new aspects, I just hope I don't let him down...again. Keep me in your prayers.

Camp out with the girls-thanks Mom and Becca

It was a cool September night, temps went into the 50's. Becca made every one wear socks, even me, so we wouldn't get so cold as the temps dropped. We built a wonderful fire, set there, got warm then quickly jumped into the bed. Libby was the first one out, she had said earlier in the evening she "needed" to talk to Angel for about 15 minutes when she got into bed....NOT. LOL.

Libby not quiet sure about that stick...is it gonna catch fire?

Angel "waxing" her braces.





Our fire!

Lexus "fire king"
Becca always with the camera Maternal one? Becca!? haha
I'm ready for bed now!

Angel - isn't she beautiful

Libby -too adorable

Lexus "fire woman"

Lakin - sweet baby

Dayton Beach

Couldn't get this close without coming in
the parking lot...lol


Our hotel - beautiful view

Early morning sunrise who could believe
in the "BIG BANG"

Sunset on ST Augustine

St Augustine Lighthouse wanted to
climb it but no one would go with me

Finally sleeping after a long 8 hr drive

In the Fort

The CREW

Florida Vacation

Phillip, Phil & JoAnna @ St Augustine

ME
I asked Phillip if I could have done some
of the things I did on this trip 6 months
ago.....he said there is no way.

Two of our favorite people in FL
Johnny & Ruth Tuttle

Phillip @ fort in St Augustine

Sweet babies

Breyden's first day of Pre-K

Lexus and her Poppy

McDonald's Playland

Hi Pam

Well its been a while since I have written any thing...haven't really had much to say lately... but since finding out that someone is actually reading, thought I would post.

This one is just for you, LOL Thanks Pam :-), wanna trade out some fishing junk???!!!

My Journey

Well here I am 127 pounds lighter, much happier and healthier.

I started my weight loss journey June 2007, having my first visit with Dr. Michael Hodge, a gastric by pass surgeon, weighing in at 428 pounds.

On February 19, 2008 I was admitted into Johnson City Medical and the journey began. I am happy to announce that to date I have lost 127 pounds. I won't say that the journey has always been without bumps in the road, but has gone much smoother than I had anticipated. I was unable to tolerate the protein shakes, I would gag at the thought of them. I fortunately did not have the throwing up and dirreah that many people have had associated with this kind of radical weight loss surgery.

The weight has been slow coming off losing only 2-4 lbs weekly, but maybe slower is better. I have had weeks were I lost 7 lbs, but those have been few and far between. Given the weight I started at I was unable to do much walking or exercising, I just didn't have the stamina to do the things I needed to be doing to enhance my weight loss. I need to lose less than 2 pounds to be under 300, a weight I have not seen in many years.

I have noticed in the past few weeks I can do lots of thing I hadn't been able to do in the past. An example of this would be; this past Saturday we were going to the flea market with Phillip's parents, they live 150-200 feet behind out house, normally I would lean up against a car or sit on the picnic table waiting for them to come down with the car, but instead I started up the hill, Phillip said "you gonna walk up there", I was very happy to announce that, "Yes I am, I can do that now":-) Not only did I walk up there but ended up having to come back down the hill to get something out of the car and got half way back up before they got to me.

We got back from the flea market, which I walked thru, once again, normally I would have set in the car waiting for them to get their things and come back, we then went to the grocery store, and later I went out again to Big Lots, looked around then stopped at moms for a while. Never would have happened before the surgery.

Well that just a little about my journey...

ME:-)

Some one told us there would be those small steps that would seem like mountains to us before, it sure does feel good.

Happy Birthday Moma

Happy Birthday Moma! We love you.

Three of my four sisters, the other living too far away to enjoy the festivities :-(, took mom to a Japanese restaurant, this is only the second time she had eaten this kind of food, the first being with some ladies from her church. Her diet usually consist of what ever she can get from either Subway, McDonalds, or Wendys, all without meat of course. We all had a good time talking and catching up on the lives of each.

Enjoy each day, you never know when it will be your last.

Janet

Happy Birthday To Me

Well today is my birthday, happy birthday to me...lol

It started off rocky with me having to apologize to my son at 12:05 am for not appreciating the present he had bought me, a fish tank. He woke me up out of a dead sleep telling me I needed to get up and get it set up, so that ticked me off right away. We have had a couple of tanks in the past, and I really like them, when they are properly kept.

The first one we had was absolutely beautiful, & healthy. We could grow plants, the fish reproduced often, so we really had more fish in the tank than we should have. The last one not being keep clean, (think it had a fungus) or being able to keep the fish from dying, I sold it in a yard sale for $5.

Then after my shower this morning I lost my glasses. (Altimizers (sp?) is setting in early haha) I retraced my steps, looked under the bed, lifted the couch to see if they had fallen under there, no where to be found. I rummaged through a drawer to find an old pair, having to meet some friends for lunch I was stuck with the big old ugly things, one of the girls said they looked like Farrah Faucet glasses. Yeah! When I got back home came to the computer desk, there they lay, I was relieved, but how they got there I know not. That crazy teen had to moved them on me because I hadn't been in that room before I left. Lunch was good, Mexican.

Of couse, Kathy texted and called bright and early, every one know she has to be first. haha. James & Austin came, always good to see the kids. That has been my day thus far.

The Love of my Life

Here is the love of my life, Phillip, in his favorite place, behind a pulpit, preaching the Word Of God. He is going through a rough time having just resigned from his pastorate, but jumped right back on the back of the plow and will soon begin teaching SS at our home church ABC.

We will also be working in the Reformers Unanimous program that is soon to start, and I will be working with the children on Wednesday night in Master's Club.

We are not giving up, but going strait ahead into the work of the Lord. God has been too good to us to stop now, if we can come back from the death of a son, God will help us through all things no matter how small or great.

We are finding out that every thing we go through is for a reason, to make us a stronger person, a more forgiving, or loving person, or just so we can see the rainbow after every storm.

Teenagers

Does anyone have teenagers who absolutely drive you crazy? Dumb question I know...here is mine..Matthew, 18, old enough to know better but does he NO! Still has one more year of high school, training to be a mechanic so he wants to go to Nashville to school, but doesn't want to work to get the grades to get funding. He is a good student, a sweet loveable kid, kind to most people, but drives me absolutely CRAZY!

Round Knob

Pictures from Round Knob:

View from the top & the place we washed our hair as girls.