John's Journey 9

I don't know if you guys noticed, but on Sunday - my husband hit the 50 pounds lost mark!!

He was so excited - picture him dancing into the bathroom while I'm in the shower...singing some sort of song he made up about losing 50 pounds... yeah, yeah, yeah. HA!

He's doing so great, and I couldn't be more proud of him... and happy for him... he totally deserves the success that he's getting right now.

The last couple of days for him have been rough - it's probably a combination of dehydration from this weekend... he's a man after all, and over-doing it comes naturally. The difference now though is that it is MUCH harder to catch up on the fluids if you miss out on them during your allotted drinking moments.

The not drinking 30 minutes before or after a meal - and having to eat every 2 hours... it's tough to do outdoor projects and things while keeping with that schedule, and when you can't gulp down a bottle of water/Gatorade because it won't fit into your pouch... it makes for a challenge.

So he had some trouble getting most of his food in yesterday - and looked/felt horrible this morning. I just talked to him and he says that he's feeling better, but we'll see... I fully intend on banishing him to his chair this evening and making sure that he constantly sips on some water or tea... I need him better before I leave on retreat Friday.

Tuesday Random Thoughts

For lack of a better topic - or the inspiration/desire to research the ones that I want to do justice... here are some random thoughts for today...

• While the chances are slim - the possibility of having multiple babies is sort of scary! I mean I really want A baby... but am I fully prepared if multiple become part of the picture? Who knows... I guess you can't know that until it happens... and then - you just better get used to it!! (*WINK*)
  
• The nausea and side effects from my medication changes last week are still crippling me on a daily basis - and the idea of making them worse with the hormone changes freaks me out... but again - it's totally worth the little bit of pain now for the greatest reward that I can ever imagine.
  
• The same said side effects have kept me from working out for almost a week as well - with the exception of the manual labor that was done this past weekend... and ummm... by manual labor - I'm not kidding. While John cut all the landscape timbers and things to the correct sizes on Saturday - I carried 25+ 8 foot landscape timbers from the front driveway to the back yard... one at a time. My arm muscles certainly got a workout!
  
• I am completely 100% bored with the projects I'm working on at the office, but unfortunately in order to be able to do the things that interest me... I have to get through this junk.
  
• I am looking forward to seeing my Dad, step-mother, little brother, and little sister tomorrow - but not looking forward to cleaning up the house tonight... I'm still struggling to recuperate from this weekend.
  
• The sunburn that I got this weekend has been completely miserable... and it doesn't even look that bad! It does on the other hand feel THAT bad... yikes!
  
• I haven't been able to find the time to do my daily quiet time in several days - which saddens me... I need to be spending as much time with God right now as possible... because I'm putting the most basic of my heart's desires in his hands this month, and I need to make sure that he knows that I'm committed to following his plan for me...and teaching whatever children he gives me about him and his glory.

Just a few things bouncing around in my head today.

Q&A Reminder

Remember - tomorrow is Q&A Wednesday... send me your questions! I'll be back tomorrow to answer all the burning questions for this week...

Keep them PG rated though... we're a family blog afterall!

Dyslexia

Let me preface this by saying - I truly have a soft place in my heart for people with learning disabilities... and while I've never been officially diagnosed with dyslexia - I firmly believe that I have it in some mild form.

Case in point - 99% of the time, if you give me a phone number or a series of numbers to remember... I'm going to transpose them!

When I got my first full-time job in 2000 - it took a couple of weeks for John to actually be able to call me in the office because I couldn't seem to give him the correct phone number... after many different attempts.

This weekend, we were watching a movie in the living room and wanted to switch it to the bedroom television... and once again - my number dyslexia came in to play. I kept telling John it's on channel 1326... and every time he'd punch it in... it would go to some random channel because 1326 didn't exist.

Finally, I went to the television in the living room to see in fact what channel it was... and it was 1362! It's become such common place that we just laugh about it - and know that it's just one of those cute lovable things that I do...

The irony comes in when you realize that for my full time job... I deal with numbers all day long! I keep the donation records for a LARGE non-profit organization... so the potential for major mishaps is there - but it somehow only happens with telephone numbers and t.v. channels... go figure!

Does anyone else have some sort of weird issue like this?

Train Station 2

I wasn't entirely sure that our fertility train was going to get out of the station this morning when they hit me with the financial numbers. See, when I talked to them on Friday - they told me that the ultrasounds would be covered, but the medications would not.

While on the phone with them on Friday - I was careful to ask them what the costs would be for the medications so that there wouldn't be surprises... well, guess again!

I walked in the door expecting to pay my $20 co-pay and the $50 for the medication as I was quoted... only to quickly have the receptionist burst my bubble with a sheet that had all sorts of pricing numbers on it.

We went round and round on it, but in the end after two phone calls to our insurance company... they don't cover anything - except, ironically the medication that I was told they wouldn't cover. They don't cover the injectable drugs... but pills, they do cover. (Thanks Aetna for the $19.99 that you saved me today... really... thanks!)

After my head stopped spinning, and I let myself move past having to be called in to their business manager's office (sort of like the principal's office!) - we moved forward.

I'm estimating that this first cycle will cost us about $600 - so PLEASE PRAY that this works! If it doesn't and we have to add in inseminations and "other procedures" (I'm sparing my Dad & John here) it only gets more expensive. The business manager was quick to tell me that this wasn't even an aggressive treatment - as if that makes the shock of the "sticker price" any better.

Had I known and found out this information on Friday - we would have had the weekend to prepare for it, and probably would have had some other questions prepared to ask them in terms of what happens next...

Anyway, the ultrasound this morning (those that want details - this is the procedure that was done - again - sparing my Dad from the gory details) and lets just say that torture devices may or may not have been used... they found a cyst, but it is believed that it is on the outside of my left ovary and is not the type of cyst that they worry about preventing pregnancy.

After talking with the doctor - they decided to move forward with the Clomid 50mg twice daily starting Friday - and some of the things they told me to look forward to are:

• Dizziness
• Light Headedness
• Changes in Vision
• Hot Flashes (I was told this was particularly common)
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Breast Tenderness
• Headache (another really common one)
• Mood Changes

Lucky for Renee she gets to go on retreat with me this weekend! Pray for us people... I like her too much for this drug to ruin our friendship! (HA!)

The other big disclaimer on the stuff from the pharmacy says that "Using this medicine may result in multiple pregnancy (twins, ect.)" - yeah - because seriously we'll all know that God has a great sense of humor if I end up having a multiple pregnancy!

So here we go - I return on the 13th for another torture session and at that point we'll see if I've responded to the drug and if the injectable medications can be used to force an ovulation.

Every prayer we can get is needed right now folks... from the bottom of my heart - I appreciate each and every one of them!

Hypocrisy

If you haven't already - I suggest you go back and read the post about Comfort Zones before moving forward with reading this conclusion to the message.

Yesterday, the t-shirt experiment went on at our church - I didn't see anyone get really upset about seeing people walking around with the shirts on... but I also didn't see a lot of people talking to the shirt wearers either.

The title of our message yesterday was Fired Up About Hypocrites, and is part of a series of messages we're going through about the Passions of Jesus.

For starters, lets define what a hypocrite is: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion, or a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.

Hypocrisy literally means to act a part.

Our pastor burst all our bubbles yesterday when he clearly showed us that we are all hypocrites - including himself - when we choose something other than God's plan or go against his teachings. Basically when we act like our human selves and sin.

We really dove into Matthew 23:13-32 for the scriptural readings behind the day's message.

Kevin showed us Key Thoughts that came out of his scripture:

1. Hypocrites make salvation difficult. (When we don't obey God's word - or don't step out in faith.)
   
   Matthew 23:13 (NIV) "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
   
   Kevin asked us, "Would someone want to become a Christian because of seeing God's word in/through your life?" Ouch, honestly - sometimes... but other times, probably not. He also asked, "Would they see the difference between being a Christian and not?"
   


2. Hypocrites use people to get what they want. (They see people as a means to an end - or a way to get something for yourself.)
   
   Matthew 23:14 (NIV) Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Therefore you will be punished more severely.
   
   Matthew 23:15 (NIV) Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
   
   I found the second passage almost scary - because it is a scary thing to think about converting people to Christ, but in their quest to be better Christians than those that converted them - they can miss the message even more than their teachers.
   


3. Hypocrites try to wriggle out of any promise they don't want to keep.
   
   Matthew 23:16-22 (NIV) "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.
   
   Kevin asked us if we remember being kids and promising things - while crossing our fingers behind our backs - as if our word was voided by that simple action. It is often better to come clean about things that you can't accomplish or help with - instead of promising to do more than you can.
   


4. Hypocrites make a big deal out of little things and give little attention to the things that matter greatly.
   
   Matthew 23: 23-24 (NIV) Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
   
   Interesting here how these people in the passage take great strides to tithe from the spices that they aren't required to tithe from - in order to show their generosity, but they miss the big things... the big principles that mean more than the bit of extra money.
   
   In addition - our memory verse for this week goes along with this principle:
   
   Micah 6:8 (NIV) He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
   


5. Hypocrites are concerned with the outward appearance and not worried about what is on the inside.
   
   Matthew 23: 25-26 (NIV) Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
   
   This is where he drove home the point about the shirts... you see, God can see our hearts - he can see the things that no one else can. He knows when we've struggled to get to church - even when we're not happy to be there... or when we've fought with our spouse the entire way there...
   
   At the same time he knows when we get there the heart attitude underneath the pretenses we put on our face and in our voices when we get there. The whole "everything is great" attitude... even when things are falling apart.
   
   Kevin asked us, "What do you do when no one is watching?" "If God were looking into your heart right now, what would your t-shirt say?" Ouch... yesterday - I know my t-shirt wouldn't have been flattering. Honestly in that moment - I felt guilt for not having focused my heart on God more... and for being so overwhelmed by all the other things I needed to get done yesterday. After all, there is nothing more important than learning a lesson God had prepared for us.
   
   Clearly, sometimes the message is painfully clear.
   


6. Consistent, unrepentant hypocrisy is evidence that the new birth has never taken place. (This may be an indication that your relationship with Christ is not as you thought.)
   
   Matthew 23: 27-32 (NIV) Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
   
   Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!

You might be thinking "Okay, I'm a hypocrite... now what?"

1. Examine your faith to be sure it is real.
2. As the Spirit reveals His truth and your lies, repent.
3. Seek to live under the control of the Holy Spirit daily; by reading the Bible, praying and getting connected with other believers for encouragement and accountability.

I leave you with our last scripture of yesterday's message... and possibly the most powerful:

Galatians: 5:24-25 (NLT) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

It is hard to give it all over to God and for our human nature to not step in from time to time... the key is in recognizing it when it happens, repenting, and seeking God's message in the moment... seek his teaching and follow him.

Food News 9

I read some great stuff this weekend - in the few spare moments that weren't spent working on the garden... I found some great tidbits to share with you!

In Woman's Day magazine - they had a list of some metabolism boosters:

• Tea
  Researchers have discovered that catechins, which are found in green and oolong teas, can really get your metabolism going. In one study, women who had just one large cup of oolong tea a day burned up to 10% more calories. Other studies have shown that drinking 3-4 cups of oolong or green tea daily can help you burn an extra 50-70 calories. (I have a favorite oolong tea - email me if you're interested and I'll hook you up with a link and $5 gift to go toward your order.)
  
• Ice-Cold Food and Beverages
  Your body burns more calories while digesting very cold beverages and foods, and research has found that drinking 5 or 6 ice-cold glasses of water can burn off 10 calories a day. That may not seem like much, but over the course of a year it equals about a pound of effortless weight loss.
  
• Lean Protein
  Your body uses more energy to digest protein rich foods like skinless chicken, fish, eggs, beans, and lowfat dairy than it does to digest carbohydrates. Protein also helps build and maintain muscle mass. (The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism)
  
• Capsaicin
  Multiple studies have shown that capsaicin, a compound in hot red peppers, can give your metabolism a temporary bump.

Crispy Critter

I'm not entirely sure that I'm the brightest tool in the shed - because building this raised bed garden has almost broken me. Here are some photos of where I've spent the majority of the weekend - well that and Lowe's!

This is the before shot - this is the west side of our yard, and while we originally planned to put it along the back fence - this actually gets the best sunlight.

The end of day 1... I literally wanted to cry that we didn't get any further.

This is the end of day 2 - we still need to secure the middle section's top, and add the sprinkler system... but it's now ready to fill with the soil...

This is the view from the north side...

The middle is higher so we can plant root vegetables there... potatoes and onions are planned for this section.

A view from the south side...

Another full length shot...

We are exhausted, and crispy... but John is my hero!! I think we are both equally happy with how it turned out - and can't wait to start growing veggies!

Train is Rolling

While on the way home this evening - literally in the car in the carpool lane... John was on the phone with Renee's husband K... our world got thrown another curve ball. Only this time it was a happy note.

Dr. Mac's office called and my testosterone level responded VERY well to being back on the pill for the three weeks - my level was cut in half, and thus... we're officially on a treatment plan!!

They are still wanting John to get some tests done, but with his surgery - we'll push forward and see how things go then we'll cross that bridge when he's a little more recovered.

We had to take a little while and figure out how to work around Easter - but basically here is how the next couple of weeks will go:

• Monday morning bright and early - I go in for an ultrasound so that they can check out my ovaries... if they are good - we move forward... if not - I don't know.
• Assuming that things look well with the ultrasound....
• I start taking Clomid on Friday and continue taking that for 5 days
• Another ultrasound on the 13th to see if we have a follicle
• If we have a follicle - they will give me another medication to cause ovulation... and well at that point - all the romance in my marriage takes a little break. (*WINK*)

I've got some research to do on the medication and things - just so I know what to be prepared for - but here we are... another upswing in this constant roller coaster... so we'll be flying high at our house for the weekend, and we'll see what happens on Monday.

Info on Clomid:

Clomid is often a first line treatment to induce regular ovulation. Clomid works at the level of the hypothalamus where it competes for estrogen binding sites. When these "sites are occupied" by Clomid, the hypothalamus responds by producing more GnRH which then stimulates the pituitary to produce FSH. Remember, in a normal cycle healthy follicles produce estrogen, which signals the hypothalamus to reduce production of FSH. Clomiphene is marketed in the United States by Aventis Laboratories as Clomid and by Serono Laboratories as Serophene.

The goal of clomiphene therapy in treating infertility is to establish normal ovulation rather than cause the development of numerous eggs. Once ovulation is established, there is no benefit to increasing the dosage further . Numerous studies show that pregnancy usually occurs during the first three months of infertility therapy and treatment beyond six months is not recommended. Clomiphene can cause side effects such as ovarian hyperstimulation (rare), visual disturbances, nausea, diminished "quality" of the cervical mucus, multiple births, and others.

Recipes Needed

Wonderful blog readers of the world... or well... of my world...

I need some serious help - I need new recipes. I have like 4 magazines of recipes to try at home, but I need some time to get that organized... and the grocery store trip for this week is happening before that will happen.

Here is what I'm looking for: (think high protein)

• Weight Loss Surgery Friendly Recipes
• Chicken or Beef Soups
• Crock-Pot/Slow Cooker Recipes
• Recipes that freeze well

I'm not a big fan of seafood - so try to avoid anything that has ever crawled in the water or has ever been a swimmer.

It can have carbohydrates - but I'll probably change the recipe a bit to make it a whole grain version.

If I use your recipe and like it - I'll put it over on the recipe blog, and give you full credit.

Come on folks... help me get more creative!!

God's Pharmacy

I got this from my sister this morning, and I'd seen it before - but never really fully read it. It truly is amazing when you think about it - and believe me - I just picked up something that I'm going to try for sure!! I've added my comments in green...

It has been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... all before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are the best & most powerful resources when eaten raw. We are slow learners...

God left us great clues as to what foods helped which parts of our body - but how many of us are looking?


A sliced carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris, and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and yes, science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow and function to the eyes. (now if only God could make me like eating them!)

A tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. (well, and blue) All of the research shows that tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function, and they look exactly like human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, and Rhubarb along with others look just like our bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are also 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones - thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocados, Eggplant, and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female. They look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. (Someone bring me an avocado - NOW!) And how profound is this?! It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods - modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them.

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well as overcome male sterility.

Sweet potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries. (AGAIN - God please make me like these!!)

Oranges, Grapefruits and other citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts. (Does it count if you only use the juice of these fruits?)

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body's cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. (If your knives are properly sharpened - the tearing isn't as bad!) A working companion, garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

So - tell me - what is it that you need to eat more of?

Holy Crap!

Ya'll - someone wrote an article about my blog... I had no idea it was happening, but thank God for Sitemeter! Go check this out... come back and tell me what you think!

The site is called the National Post and is described as: Canada's trusted source for national news, financial news, world news, commentary, entertainment and sports.

Doctor Update

Yesterday afternoon I went to visit my favorite friendly PCP to get a check up on some things. I took some of my blood work results from my infertility specialist for his review on my blood sugar levels, and we made some adjustments.

I've been taking Byetta injections since last November, which have pushed my blood sugar levels into a fairly good range, but I was on the lower dosage - and with my wanting to get pregnant - being a little more aggressive will only serve to get my levels into an even better range.

This is what the injection pen looks like - I was using the orange - now it will be the yellow.

This is what the pen looks like when it is ready to inject. You basically dial up the end to the dosage - which you can't mess up - there is only one dosage on there... then you push the white end until it clicks... and you're all done.

We talked a bit about my frustration with the lack of weight loss after making some healthy changes - of course carbs have made their way back in... but I'm working on it! The changes in workouts alone should have gotten me somewhere - I'm not expecting big numbers here... just a pound a week or every two weeks would make me happy at this point.

He of course looked at me with a smile and said - look at how far you've come... and I know that - I truly do, but my concern is that this is it... and if it is - then I need to own it and get comfortable with my body in a maintenance phase... and not look to the scale for movement. John doesn't think that is the case - and the doctor didn't really give me that closer - he just said that sometimes it takes a while for our bodies to show the adjustment in our routine.... still not happy with that answer.

I'm wondering if I should join Weight Watchers or something with more of a plan than just tracking my food intake - I don't know...

We did adjust my thyroid medicine up from 75mg to 100mg - which Dr. Weinstein seems to act like it will make a difference in my weight loss and energy level, but it hasn't really done that in the past as we've adjusted it up... so I don't hold much stock in that.

The whole thing is so dang frustrating - and really is just a crap shoot - I mean no one really knows what's going on in there... and he doesn't live with me to see that I'm actually doing the things that I say I am - instead of just complaining and moaning... I honestly am trying - it's just not coming off... which makes me want to beat my head against the wall...

We also talked about some digestive issues that I've been having - and he thinks that I need to take some additional fiber supplements or use suppositories (ewww!). Up until this point he's been having me take Milk of Magnesia - which is vial and disgusting - so I was looking for something that maybe I wouldn't have to ingest. I honestly don't do well with drinking things... so I will probably be looking into fiber bars or other options instead of trying to drink it.

Finally - came the blood work drama. Seriously - I've mentioned my lack of enthusiasm for this part of my life before, but yesterday took the cake! With my insurance - I typically have to use Quest Diagnostic labs for my blood work, but Dr. W is extremely unhappy with their ability to get him accurate results on vitamin profile tests. So he wanted me to use a different lab (LabCorp)... no problem, right?

Well, the problem came in when I realized that the lab slip I had for my fertility stuff was from Quest... I tried to call the doctor's office to get it switched, but couldn't find anyone - so I had to go to TWO different labs to get blood drawn...

The first one was for my vitamin tests - so we can see how things are going there... and see if there is a deficiency that is causing my memory and focus issues. (Vitamins K, B6, and Folate could be causing these problems) That process is interesting because they have to keep the blood away from the light and freeze it before they can test it. It takes about 10 days to get the results from those tests too. So when he gets them - I'll find out what I need to do next. The crazy part was that the lady couldn't find my vein - she said it was there and that it was big, but about 5 minutes of digging around in my arm for it was about all I could take... GEEZ! Then when she did find it - it was pinching me... so I got the pleasure of filling up 8 vials of blood while the thing was pinching my arm. I don't know why I always seem to get the ones that have problems...

The next lab was really quick and easy - no problems at all... they used the other arm, and off we went. I should know in a few days (maybe Friday or Monday) how that one turns out - so we'll get the next bit of news from the fertility doctor when he reads the results.

That pretty much concludes the updates from the doctor. The changes in my medications are going rough - but I'm hanging in there. The injection change causes severe nausea - which can last for a week or two... and they aren't kidding about that! Whew! The thyroid one - I can't tell yet - but something feels weird... it could just be from the injection... but I just generally don't feel great.

I'm sort of jittery, nauseated, tired... and trying to work through it. Overall - pretty good appointment, I guess. No real answers yet, but at least we'll hopefully have some in a week or so.

Hi/Lo Thursday

This post is part of "Hi/Lo Thursday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to read everyone else's "Hi/Lo" posts and get your link on their site.

Here we are again for Hi/Lo Thursday!!

Hi's

• I've gotten several compliments at work this week - my Vice President seems to think I'm doing a good job... which makes the time and effort feel worth it!
• Getting to know some of my co-workers a little bit better - there is actually one of them that I can see becoming good friends with. She's also a Christian - so we've started talking about that a little bit.
• Becoming excited about planting my first garden, and planning what it will look like with John. This will be the first time I've ever been excited about doing anything in the yard!
• Feeling a little more emotionally grounded this week, and having a sense of peace that God is with me every step of the way.
• Celebrating all the family birthdays last weekend - especially John's grandmother's 93rd... she's doing so great! She had brain surgery last September - so it is especially wonderful to see her doing well.
• Thinking about all the vacation possibilities that could be on the horizon with our weight loss - additionally - the activity possibilities that will open up even locally that we haven't been able to do before.
• Having all of my cousins and sisters on Facebook now and being able to keep up with them... seeing pictures of their kids and generally enjoying the process of watching them learn a new technology.

Lo's

• Not feeling as well as I would like and dealing with the eye infection over last weekend.
• New medication changes that will take some time to adjust to.
• The weather - or well not being able to snuggle up with a book and a pillow during the rainy weather.
• Finding out that my friend Hope's Dad isn't doing well right now - he's having some heart problems that are causing pulmonary hypertension - please pray for his health and for her in dealing with all the doctor visits.

This has been a pretty good week - so not very many low moments... if only every week could be like that!

Paying Post

How does it sound to get paid to blog? Sounded pretty good to me!

So I went and checked out Paying Post.com and signed up - they have lots of different opportunities based on your interests, but so far it has been really easy to get signed up. This is my first post that I might be eligible to get paid for - but $10 to write something about their site... no problem!

They also do blog marketing as well - so please check that out too. I know that you will be more than thrilled.

Part of the idea is that advertisers pay for blog owners to review their products and write posts about them. Advertisers usually can pay about $5 a review - and get the word out about their product. They also have an affiliate program where if you have an advertiser sign up to have their product reviewed through your account - they will pay you $15!

Anyone wishing to sign up can go here:



I recommend you all go check this site out - whether you need some extra cash for hobbies like me... or if you have a product/business you'd like to get some marketing going for. Either way - I think this is a great opportunity.

Q&A Wednesday

Heather asked:


If you were planning a vacation where would you go? What would you do? What is at least one thing you'd have to factor in?

It's interesting you ask that because John just asked yesterday if I'd like to take a trip to Branson, Missouri next year sometime... on the way he wants to stop and see the Passion Play as well.

My biggest thing to factor in is whether or not it's something we're truly going to enjoy - vacations are expensive... and preparing for them is stressful - so typically I look for things that are going to have a big payoff... in terms of enjoyment, relaxation, or investment. We try to be smart with how we spend our money - so we don't take traveling lightly.

Lets see: my top 10 destinations would be... (not exactly in order)

1. Washington, D.C. - I'd love to take John here and share our nations history. I've been twice, and there is so much that I think John and I would enjoy.
2. New York, NY - One of my most favorite spots - the plays... the excitement... and I would dearly love to see Ground Zero.
3. Orlando, FL - We originally wanted to go to Disney for our honeymoon, but realized weight was an issue... now it won't be - so bring it on!!
4. Chicago, IL - I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I've wanted to go to Chicago for a very long time... I was scheduled to go there on September 12, 2001 - but well - we all know that didn't happen.
5. Mackinaw Island, MI - We went there with my Dad & family in 2000 and LOVED IT. I would love to go again and spend some more time... it's a great island... and the best part is that cars aren't allowed on the island - so everything is by bike, walking, or horse-drawn carriage. Fantastically relaxing!
6. Cape Cod - I've always thought this would be a great place to visit... I'm not a huge fan of all things seafood, but I think it's a place that I'd enjoy seeing.
7. Las Vegas, NV - You might be thinking that I chose this spot for the gambling... but you'd be VERY wrong... I want to go see the shows, and experience the fabulous hotels...
8. Boston, MA - I've always had a fascination with JFK - so I think it would be neat to go see his presidential library.
9. Alaskan Cruise - I think it would be absolutely fabulous to see what the wildlife up there is like...
10. Gaitlinburg, TN - I would love to go back to this area - really anywhere in the Smokey Mountains and share the beauty with John... I loved it up there.

Would you vacation plans/travel plans be different than they would've been pre-WLS?

Before surgery - vacations were scary... the whole flying thing would give me anxiety for weeks! Now things are different, and I can do things I never was able to before... so it's a whole world out there to explore!

JLI asked:


When is your birthday?

May 16th

Favorite childhood toy?

Wow - I don't remember a whole lot of them... but I guess my Cabbage Patch Dolls... I also remember She-Ra being a big deal for a while. I was really big into imaginary games though - I'd play school or house for hours... so if I had a chalk board or some basic "kitchen" items... I'd be good to go.

Do you still keep in contact with any of your friends from your childhood? If so, are you still close with them?

I sadly don't really have any "childhood" friends... I have friends from high school... and thank God for Facebook because I've been able to keep up with a few of them. We've all gone our separate ways though - and have our own lives... so there aren't any that I see or talk to on a regular basis. The one from back then that I would say I see the most actually lives in Norway - but when she comes home twice a year - we get together. This last trip we introduced our husbands... and had a wonderful time at dinner together.


Heather asked:


Once you reach your goal weight, will you consider having things tucked and lifted if they're less firm than you'd like?

Oh yeah! I'd say that's been in the plan since Day 1... the only thing I struggle with is the cost and when I'd do it... when am I going to feel that this journey is complete enough to have that done? I also think that I might want to wait until the child bearing is over... just so that things have the possibility of staying tucked for a while. :-)


Kim asked:


So, as I am not familiar with her workout you are doing, does it switch things up for you regularly?

It does vary what I'm doing - the intensity and speed changes every minute - and each workout is different... so to me it falls into that. I wouldn't think Jillian would put her name on it if it didn't fall into her basic principles...

So sometimes the build up is different, sometimes the incline is different - but each one is different and more challenging than the level before it. It's actually really cool... you ought to look at your Y and see if they have machines that take iFit cards - you can probably ask them... but you can buy the cards and take them to the gym. I know 24 hour Fitness has them... and the cards are made for stationary bikes, elliptical machines, and treadmills. They have different focuses as well - mine is for weight loss, but she has others like boot camp... and there are also cards that aren't Jillian as well...

That's it for this week... ask your questions to be answered next Wednesday! I'm off now to the doctor's office - so I'll follow up on any new information when I get out.

Bath Junkie

I don't know what has come over me in recent months, but I've become a HUGE fan of soaking in the tub with bath products. The funny thing is that I'm not a huge fan of bubble bath by any stretch of the imagination... I don't know why - it the bubbles make me feel like I need to rinse off before getting out.

Anyway, my old boss gave me a Bath Ball from Bath Junkie for Christmas - and I just used it a week or so ago... AMAZING!

These are about the only pictures I could find on the internet to represent what I'm talking about. This is a small spa package sold by Bath Junkie... but in the bottom right - that is what my Bath Ball looked like.

This is what the actual ball itself looked like - except mine was orange. The scent of mine was persimmon - which wouldn't be something I'd choose for myself, but I liked it just the same.

I took the ball, dropped it in my hot tub and it fizzed away. The water turned a lovely shade of orange, and the scent was amazing... it's also good for you!

* safe for indoor spa tubs
* sweet almond oil moisturizes
* vitamins E & C nourish skin
* calming effervescent fizzing action
* mineral salts soothe sore muscles

They also have them in lots of other scents - rain, aloe vera, fresh air, honeysuckle, key lime, lavender, lemon balm, spring fling, oatmeal, and milk & honey all will be making an appearance in my bath tub in the coming months!

The cool thing about the stores is that they will make products to your specifications right there on the spot. And they make all sorts of products - not just bath things, but cleaners for the house as well. I even saw where some of the stores do parties... where you can have Girls Night Out parties or whatever - it's $25 a person... but each guest gets to make their own products and walk out with them! Very COOL!

They have stores all over the country - so I had to share this lovely find with you. I don't know how reasonably priced their products are, but they are well worth it!

Lemons to the Rescue

Have you ever passed by your kitchen sink and thought that there was an odor? Or it just smelled less than fresh?

Is it just me? Oh. I. guess. so.

Well, if you are like me... even if you don't want to admit it - one of the best and cheapest things to use to remedy that situation is lemons... limes... or any other citrus fruit.

Being in Texas and the Mexican Food tendencies of our area - we constantly have a hefty supply of limes on hand... and with our other passion of homemade salad dressings - I always have plenty of lemons too.

Sometimes when they get close to spoiling - I use them to clean my disposal... or when it smells a little less than is appealing.

I just quarter the fruit and plop it in the disposal - after I've run it for a minute or so to make sure that there is nothing else in there... and it leaves a lovely citrus scent.

I've also been told that keeping a pitcher of water on hand with sliced citrus fruit is a great way to encourage yourself to drink your daily 8 glasses of water... so at the end of the day when you're out of water... just plop the fruit slices down the drain, and you'll get an instant boost of a lovely clean smell out of your disposal!

I only do this about once a week or so... but it totally works for me!

Does Yours?

Does your office have one of these?

We have a guy that...

• You just know is a fantastic grandfather - because of the bazillion pictures of grand kids in his office...
• He just seems huggable...
• Makes you smile just by walking by...
• He whistles circus music at random times...
• He has one of those infectious laughs that you can't help but smile when you hear...
• He works hard, but has a GREAT time doing it...

Does your office have one of these men? He's so much fun to be around... and cracks me up! If you don't have one... I wish that you did!

Another Y2K?

Has anyone seen this out there on the news this week? I pulled this off of Fox News... and honestly - it brings back flashbacks from the Y2K saga of a few years ago.

The Conficker Internet worm could strike at infected computers around the world on April 1, a security expert warned Monday.

Conficker is a sophisticated piece of malicious computer software, or malware, that installs itself on a Windows PC's hard drive via specially written Web pages. It then conceals itself on a computer.

Graham Cluley of the British security firm Sophos confirmed that Conficker is programmed "to hunt for new instructions on April 1."

However, he added, "This does not mean that anything is going to happen, or that the worm is actually going to do anything. Simply, it is scheduled to hunt a wider range of Web sites for instructions on that date."

One strange thing about Conficker is that no one yet has any idea what it is programmed to do.
In February, Cluley told The Times: "It's as if someone is assembling an army of computers around the world, but hasn't yet decided where to point them."

A worst-case scenario for April 1 would be for all the world's millions of infected computers to receive simultaneous instructions to attack, or to flood the Internet with spam e-mail.

Ed Gibson, Microsoft's chief security adviser for the U.K., was reluctant to make predictions about Conficker's behavior.

"April 1 is a classic date for anything like this to go off," he said. "But I really would hate to say that April 1 is going to be unlike any other day."

Anyone feel the need to stock up on batteries, Spam, and bottled water? HA! I joke because my cute father in law stocked up so much for Y2K - it was almost funny. We got miles of jokes out of his 5 pound bag of sugar... because maybe he'd be baking by candle light or something.

Honestly, it'll be interesting to see if anything happens with this - or if it's just another one of those "Boy who cried wolf" scenarios all over again... I personally hope and pray that is the case... because these computer viruses are just plain silly.

Just maybe if the people designing these things would put their time and efforts into something good... they could help figure out some of our country's problems... who knows! Clearly they are smart and inventive... put your work to good people...

Q&A Reminder

Tomorrow is Wednesday - so leave me your questions in the comments and I'll post the answers tomorrow...

The only rule is that the answers must not be dirty... or well... R rated. (You get my drift... *WINK*)

Now, Laurie - that doesn't mean that your burning question about cleaning supplies can't be asked... HA! :-)

We've got lots of new readers - so everyone jump on in and ask me anything that is on your mind!

Comfort Zones

Wow, I was asked to do something WAY outside of my comfort zone for our church today. I'm not entirely sure how the whole project will turn out in the end, but I gather that part of our message this weekend is going to be about hypocrisy.

The idea is that they are going to have people milling around our lobby before the two services wearing t-shirts that say things like "my spouse makes me come to church" or "My marriage is a complete wreck"... the interesting part is that the person wearing the shirt will be actually talking to people saying the opposite of what their shirt says. Sort of like the person wearing the shirt that says My marriage is a complete wreck will be walking around telling people how wonderful their husband is and how married life is great.

Anyway, we'll see how it plays out - and the message for the week will explain exactly what's going on... it ought to make for some interesting information to think about. (Hopefully a good follow up post as well).

The point of this post though was to tell you that they asked me to be one of the people wearing a shirt this weekend. I can't do it because of my commitments to the children's ministry and helping with the 2 year olds... but boy would that have put me WAY outside of my bubble of comfort.

For starters, I am not a mingler - you might think so... but NOPE! I am a wall flower of the worst kind - even if I know you, I am too shy to go out of my way to just make small talk. If I need to ask you something - I'll do it, but just to stand there and chat... not really something I'm good at. So I avoid it. At. All. Costs.

This is the same shyness problem that made me absolutely terrified - TERRIFIED - of going to our women's retreat last year. I wasn't given an option to back out - our pastor's wife is cute like that... got to love her! So I went, and honestly loved it... I got to know Renee there a bit more, and the part that I truly loved was that they had a way for us to leave each other encouraging messages that we read when we got home... it was fantastic.

What they'd done was hang these envelopes along the wall in the main meeting cabin and gave us these little pieces of paper to write notes to them on - it could be about anything... and it was so great... and of course - I'm a note writer, emailer, letter writer... whatever kind of writer... I am just completely terrified of the spoken word - when it comes to communicating with people.

How many of you would have guessed that, if I hadn't told you? Honestly... it's bad - my mind goes completely blank, sometimes I can't even catch my breath, and I can't string two thoughts together if my life depended on it. It's an illness - for sure... but it's completely true. Even with John it happens - if I get really flustered. I think that I've gotten better with him, but only slightly... and only with him. This would be why I could NEVER be a debater...

The interesting thing though - for those of you thinking... okay - how did she ever think she could have become a teacher... is that with children - I'm completely at ease. Amazing... I guess the pressure goes away when I'm not wondering if they think I'm an idiot. So I would have been fine with them in the classroom... now when it came time for an evaluation... that day would have scared the living daylights out of me!

Oh, I Can't Wait!

There is a REALLY cool new game coming out for Wii on May 19th... have you heard about this yet? It's called EA Sports Active! They are kicking off their 30 challenge blogs on April 14th - and Allison Sweeney (Host of The Biggest Loser) is one of their contestants. She is now saying that this game helped her lose all of her baby weight from her new baby.


Now those of us living at my house are BIG fans of the people over at EA Sports - because well... they put out the best NCAA Football games that John gets just about every year for his birthday - at least since I've known him... which is 10 years!


This promises to be better than the Wii Fit because it is more geared toward cardio - and real workouts. On Amazon's website I found a really good video, but it won't let me embed it - so click this link.


The game's features include: (As stated on Amazon)

* Active Fitness Made Fun & Easy - 20 minute circuits feature a variety of familiar activities that target upper body, lower body as well as cardio. Start off with a light jog, followed by bicep curls and get your heart beating with some cardio boxing.

* Benefit of a Virtual Personal Trainer - Your trainer will be the focal point of the experience guiding you towards your own version of personal achievement. Feedback will be given throughout your workout, keeping you on track to reach your fitness goals.

* The 30 Day Challenge - Take the 30 Day Challenge and experience tailor made 20 minute workouts to your level of fitness. Circuits will change as you progress each day, and EA SPORTS Active will track calories, intensity and progress throughout your journey.

* New Way to Play - Slip the Nunchuk into the specially designed leg strap and hold the Wii Remote in your hand to track your movements from both your upper and lower body. A resistance band is also included to increase the intensity of exercises such as bicep curls and shoulder presses.

* Workout Your Way - Circuits can be customized to your interest and fitness level. Choose your duration, intensity level & set your own goals for calories burned and workout score.

* Workout with a Friend - Burn calories with a friend as you both workout through routines together in a co-operative mode.

* Track Your Progress - Expand your Fitness IQ and keep track of your workouts inside and outside of EA Sports Active with the in-game Journal.

* Wii Balance Board Compatibility - Get more out of your EA SPORTS Active workout using a Wii Balance Board with added functionality for many of exercises.

The 25 exercises that you'll be able to do with this new game are: (Meg...bullets!! HA!)

• Cardio Boxing
• Basic Dance
• Tennis
• Inline Skating
• Kick Ups
• Cardio Dance
• Kickboxing
• Batting
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Pitching & Catching
• Serving (volleyball)
• Run
• Walk
• Jump
• High Step
• Lateral Raises
• Lunge Reps
• Side Lunge
• Squat/Calf
• Lunge Jump
• Squat Jump
• Fast Dance
• Punch Target
• Punch Bag

An image of the split screen workout with a friend... where you can also race each other... I wonder if during the kickboxing - you can beat each other up? HA! That would be good for a marriage right?!

The game comes with the leg strap - which you can't see well in this picture, but also the resistance bands that you can use for upper body work. Can I just tell ya'll that my upper body needs a LOT of work... I've got the worst bat wings!

Here you can see the leg band a bit better - she apparently is doing the punching bag - or at least that is what it looks like to me. One unique benefit of the leg strap is that it allows the machine to give you instant feedback on your posture and performance of the moves. It is also, in my opinion a more effective way to track movements - the Wii Fit only used your hands - and for running in place... ummm if you shake your hands a little too much while trying to run... it looked like you were running a mile a minute!

I've already told John about this - I think this would be a fun way for us to be able to work out - doing things that are fun and varied... but also we could do things together... which is a big bonus in our house! Add a little competition and our entire family will sit in front of this thing for hours!!

The best part - it comes out three days after my birthday... so guess what will be topping my list?! I've done very little shopping around for this, but of the little bit that I have - Amazon has the best pre-order deal... it's about 3-4 dollars less than everywhere else. Probably free shipping too when it's all said and done... because Amazon is cool like that!

Weird Things

One thing that I've noticed over the last year or so since my surgery is that the weirdest things interest me...

I've never once been interested in gardening... but all of a sudden this weekend, I've been thinking that it would be fun to get my hands in the dirt - of course that might mean taking these crazy nails off, but still...

I've been dreaming up what I think would be pretty in front of our house - because the landscaping that came from the builder just doesn't excite me in the least. I'd love to rip it all out and start over... but we'll see what is allowed by the boss man... aka our family's CFO. (chief financial officer)

I've certainly got a picture in my head of what it would look like... naturally the picture is after several years of establishment of the plants... but well - you know how that goes! At least we're in the same boat as everyone else in our neighborhood - we all have little weak looking plants, but boy - I see serious potential in my mind!!

I see a big wall of pink flowers with a shorter wall of white... (or vice versa) setting off our lovely porch rails that John will have built... he's been talking about them for a while... with some really great black iron rocking chairs on our porch... it would be beautiful!

For those that haven't seen pictures - we have a really great front porch that spans the length of the front of our house - with three big brick pillars... I'll try to get some pictures of what it looks like...

In addition to dreaming about the front I've been dreaming about having a vegetable garden in the back - but not just any vegetable garden... I'd like to have a raised box garden - depending on which idea John likes - I've been setting my mind's eye around two possibilities.

One would be raised up on legs against one of the side fences... and the other would be boxes on the ground up against the back of the house... again - in my head - I'm seeing lots of veggies! It will be a new adventure because short of our annual tomato plant that we get and put in a pot - I've never done any of this...

And even at that said tomato plant typically has never produced a single tomato for us to eat - they've been small... and well - even with the lack of trees in our neighborhood - last year every time we'd get ready to pick a tomato... we'd come to realize that a bird would have stuck their beak into it already!

I don't have what you'd call a green thumb... in fact - it's quite the opposite... so I wonder how much John would be willing to invest in this... maybe I should just take up needlepoint or knitting and make us some vegetables that way?! HA!

Lazy Sunday

Well, it was lazy and at the same time it wasn't at all. I stayed home from church because of the crazy eye funk that seems to have finally let up... I didn't think it was a good idea to risk spreading it through the church - and most importantly not through the two year old class that I work with during the second half of church. Can you imagine how appreciative those parents would have been if it was something contagious?

So I stayed in bed with some cold compresses on my eyes for a while...

Did some reading... enjoyed one of my two flavors of hot tea - Vanilla Oolong is one of them... and Mango flavored Black Leaf tea is the second.

Cleaned up our closet - which means we have another big black bag of clothes to donate to one of the local missions.

Read three days worth of my Bible reading...

When John got home from church - we started cooking... we made seafood bisque (I'll get his recipe and post it on the other blog as soon as I can), vegetable beef soup, Chicken Roll Ups, and stuffed strawberries....

This was my first time using a pastry bag, and the filling is AMAZING!

Mix in doing all of our laundry and also helping John get the lawn mowed and watered... and that pretty much brings us up to now... and we're hanging out watching some recorded television programs.

I hope you've all had a great Sunday!!

Saturday Fun

We enjoyed some fun with John's family yesterday celebrating several family birthdays with a giant fish fry.... in which - I ate no fish, but did fall off the low-carb wagon. I'm back on my game today... but BOY was it ugly!

I thought the best way to share the party with my lovely bloggy friends is to show you some pictures... so grab a cup of tea, coffee, or your favorite beverage and enjoy!

Not exactly part of the party, but my mother in law has the most beautiful azaleas lining the side of the house... we're thinking of ripping out the plants in front of our house soon and putting in some new landscaping with azaleas being a major focal point.

The guest of honor arrives at the party and is greeted by everyone. She looks great for 93, and having just had brain surgery in September.

The cake table... oh yeah 7 cakes... I had a taste of 5 of them... I KNOW! Oh yeah - and they made homemade Butterfinger ice cream, and banana nut ice cream... and yeah - sampled those too - but at least I only had a spoonfull of them!

My beautiful sister in law, Susan... she just got her hair cut off, and I wanted to put a good picture of her up so she doesn't kill me for the one from the 5K!

Taylor is ready to enjoy some party fun!

Memaw blowing out her candles...

Aunt Aster blowing out her candles...

Little Joe blowing out his candles...

Vivien blowing out her candles...

John sings a special song to his grandmother... he sang My Wish by Rascall Flatts.

Taylor also sang a special song for Memaw... a version of Jesus Loves Me... with some other songs mixed in.

Susan and Brooklyn... she crashed out for a while... but woke up promptly to enjoy some cake.

David also sang a song for everyone...

A good time was had by all... and despite the crazy mess that happened with my eye - it was a great day.

About said eye, I don't know what happened but toward the end of the day - my eye started releasing this nasty yellow goop... and I couldn't tell if it was some sort of weird sinus problem, an allergic reaction, or pink eye.

One More

In which we have a little more crazy - because it's Friday after all!


One of the ladies in my department, who happens to be extremely sweet - she called me over the weekend after John's surgery just to check on him... so please realize that I truly and sincerely like this person.


Anyway, she took her kids to the Rodeo yesterday... or really the Livestock Show part where they could see all the animals and learn a little about life on the farm. Which is actually funny that in this incredibly large city we live in - people like to get back in touch with country living... they just aren't always ready for the reality that it brings along with it.


Apparently, they have a new feature at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo - so appropriately called The Birthing Center. (See where this is going?) The idea here is that they have all sorts of farm animals that have either given birth within 24 hours or are expected to give birth within the next 48 hours.


So she takes her three kids over there, and well... they see life... or the begining of it that is on video...


So her 8 year old starts asking a bunch of questions... and making the connection that this might be how he came into the world... and said co-worker isn't ready to answer those questions yet.


Amazing to me that you wouldn't at least have some sort of conversation about where babies come from at an earlier age... not that you should get too graphic... but age appropriate information is necessary, am I right? Isn't there like a whole slew of children's books geared toward that topic?


It just seems to me that it might not be the best idea to take your children to an exhibit on things that you aren't ready to talk to them about... but then again... what do I know? (Again, I'm not judging... just thinking aloud.)