Works For Me Wednesday~Easy Donations

I have several pets of my own and I know how much food they consume each day! This past year I started signing up for any free sample of dog or cat food I could find. I clipped all the pet food coupons from the Sunday paper and watched for great sales.

It wasn't long until my box had about 15 cans of pet food, three rawhide bones, five sample sized bags of cat food and 6-4 lb. bags of dog food! I paid under $5 for all of it. My daughter then loaded it in the car and donated it to the animal shelter.

I asked my family and friends if they would be willing to sign up as well and donate the food and they all said YES! This month we've managed to gather more than a box full. ;o)

Here are a couple of sites I use to gather all the goods. If you are willing to do the same thing please visit them and start collecting!

Budget Helps

My Savings

If you know of another site I could get pet food freebies would you please leave the link in a comment? Thank you!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

Name a sound you like to hear.

MOM! From the time I was a little girl I always dreamed of having a family someday with at least two kids. I have been blessed with three! So when they call out my name I love it and get that warm fuzzy feeling. And then there are days when it's my least favorite thing to hear if they had a day of endless wants and needs! Hey, I'm just trying to be truthful here folks.

And a baby with a good old belly laugh has got to be at the top of my list too. I'm looking forward to making my grandbabies laugh until they spit up ;o)

Soup

What is your favorite kind of cheese?

For a gal that never liked cheese all her life I have become its #1 fan! One day my hubby had an gyro and the feta cheese called my name big and loud. I answered it's call and ate it all. Hubby had to order extra feta! Wouldn't you say that's a weird cheese to all of the sudden want?

Salad

Do you sleep late on Saturday mornings? Why or why not?

That would be a big fat no! Even though I am on the no call list I get calls all the time and when I answer nobody is on the other end! It drives me crazy and I don't know what to do about it. Any suggestions?

Main Course

When was the last time you forgot something? What was it, and how long did it take to remember it?

LOL! I came back and had to change this answer because I forgot to publish my Friday's Feast on Friday. I only remembered because I was going to write a small post about my daughter's graduation and noticed it then. Oops!

Dessert

Fill in the blank: I notice _____when I see_____.

I notice I drool when I see Chocolate Mousse Cake. Trust me, you would too!

Thursday Thirteen

13 Simple Things That Make Amy Just Plain Happy

1. I'm going to see Pirates 3 tonight with my hubs at 8pm! Plus my ticket is free 'cause I got wheels....yay!

2. My son surprised me with a pink rose he picked from our rose bush. It's big, beautiful and and makes my bedroom smell wonderful.

3. Jordin Sparks wins American Idol and Apolo Anton Ohno won Dancing With The Stars!

4. Receiving an actual handwritten letter in the mail from a friend. Nobody writes letters anymore. Why is that?

5. Free samples in the mail make my day! This is just a suggestion, but I try to get as many free samples of pet food that I can and when I get a small box full I donate it to the animal shelter. And even the local food shelters will take the sample sizes of shampoos and soaps. Just an idea!

6. Little House On The Prairie shows when Almanzo and Laura fall in love. Awww!

7. Sitting outside and the only thing you hear are birds singing and you can tell that even they are happy! The sky is a beautiful blue and filled with the whitest, biggest, puffiest clouds. You feel like a kid again and you see an alligator in that cloud and maybe an elephant in another one. Then you start remembering how you used to have contests with the neighbors to see who could roll down the hill the fastest!

8. Finding a kitchen gadget at the thrift shop or Wal-mart and you wonder how you ever lived without it.

9. Anything Blue, of course! I just get all giddy when I see anything blue.

10. Getting an e-mail from Bath & Body Works and learning that their new scent is Pineapple! *SNIFF* Mmmm, I can taste it already!

11. Our bulldog is a daddy's girl, but when he is at work Wensley has to be by my side ALL day long. If you're not an animal lover this won't mean much to you, but for those that are you know what it's like to feel loved, especially when you're having a bad day.

12. Finding a baby picture of my son at two months old. He is on cloud nine and so am I! For this to make sense you need to know that we adopted him at 3 1/2. All our pictures are from that point on. He and I just looked at that precious picture forever smiling and oohing and aawwing.

13. Cutting down on my prednisone and finally not being starved to death! My body knows it that's for sure because I am in a world of hurt today. But I think I would rather tough it out than have that feeling of hunger for the next two months and probably gaining a lot of weight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My daughter is graduating this Saturday so I probably won't get to visit or post for a few days. I have cakes to bake and cookies to make and I can't forget to decorate! I promise to watch the sweets this weekend ;o) I will miss you all and hope and pray that everyone is well until I return. Have a great, wonderful weekend!

Still Heavyweight Champ

Since going up on my prednisone all I have done is eat. I am starved day in and day out. I tell myself you can eat again in a few hours. I drink and drink to make myself feel full, but nothing is working. So I eat. And eat.

Again, I don't have a scale so I don't know how much I gained. I know I have lost a lot of water that's for sure! At least some of the water retention is gone :o) I'm starting to have ankles again!

I decided yesterday that I would go back down on the medicine to 10mg because I know how much it will help with the weight. But I also know that it means back to not moving around to well and someone having to help me up all the time. It's a vicious cycle really. But I know I cannot afford to gain weight before surgery. It will make recovery that much harder.

Please pray for me this week as I cut down on the meds that maybe, just maybe I won't return to as much pain as before. I only have less than eight weeks to go before the first surgery so I really need to do this right. And I WANT to do this right.

My family went to the store yesterday for me so my house is stocked full of all the right foods I need. All the cakes and pies are gone. No more temptations there. I know I can do this right.

Today is a new day with no mistakes in it yet.

Thank You Challenge!

Ladies, I have a new friend and I want you to meet her! Sandy is a new blogger so let's give her a warm welcome....Hi Sandy! Her post yesterday was about two little words that are so easy to say, and we love to hear them ourselves, but do we actually take the time to say them.

Please take a moment and read her post and then come back and I'll finish my thoughts. It's okay, I'm not going anywhere! I promise I will be here just for you. Please remember to leave a comment and say hi, hello, howdy or hey!

Thank you for taking the time to go over to Sandy's. Is she right or what?

I am blessed with awesome caregivers. You all know that. Right now I may not be able to take care of them or do things for them like I want too, but my lips and heart can easily say thank you to these special people. As I write this I am teary eyed. I have shared some details of my situation, but not entirely. No, there aren't any secrets or anything like that, but it is not easy to take care of a disabled person, especially when you're still kids. My children have readily accepted the extra chores and sacrificed their "play" time to be with me so I won't ever be alone. How can I not get all teary when I think of them?

And my husband you ask? He gets up early and works so hard running his own business. If any of you do that you know it is not easy. And when he comes home at night his first priority has been me. He makes me a delicious healthy dinner and spends his evenings doing whatever needs to be done. And the poor guy loses a lot of sleep at night when I have a bad night of hurting. I try my best to be as quiet as I can during the night if I am awake from the pain. It bothers me for him to lose his much needed rest. But now I'm off on yet another tangent. I'll just end with I am majorly loved by this man!

The challenge this week is to say thank you to three people and then stop by Sandy's place and let her know. Three (3) people is a piece of cake ladies! Saying thank you to that stranger who took the time to open a door for you may be just the little pick me up they needed because they are having a bad day. You just never know!

Here is my list and it's only for Sunday.....

Thank you Jordan for washing and putting away all the dishes, making me two delicious meals, mopping my bathroom floor, and for keeping me company when everyone else was gone!

Thank you Mom for going to Walmart and looking for the ingredients to make punch for Kara's graduation this weekend so I wouldn't have to try and get out. And thank you for the homemade beef and noodles, the corned beef, the chocolate cake and the lemon creme pie! The kids have eaten most of the cake already!

Thank you Kara for washing my hair, helping me shower and then help me get dressed in something other than pajamas. Thank you for helping me get in the van. Thank you for being so patient with me all the time. You are already a fantastic nurse!

Thank you David for all the phone calls and fun text messages while you were gone this weekend. We always have so much fun being silly and goofy together, don't we? I know you worry about me when you're away. I can see it in your eyes how much it hurts to see me in pain. I'm okay. Thank you for loving me and marrying me 22 years ago!

And thank you Sandy for this nice reminder and for being my friend. Welcome to Blogville, as I like to call it. There are some very special ladies out there to get to know and love!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

List 3 emotions you experienced this week.

Stressed-I just realized yesterday that next Saturday my daughter is graduating from high school and I have SO much to do.
Scared anticipation-In two months I will finally be having one of my hips replaced. I've been through nine other surgeries, but I always get scared and want to chicken out right before I go.
But then I know I don't want to be on crutches the rest of my life so....
Anger-When I was coming out of my doctor appointment my husband noticed a bush on fire beside our van. We noticed four people smoking in a truck and they were throwing out their cigarette butts without a care in the world. They realized that my husband was putting out the fire with our drinks and by stomping on it, but they never offered to help. And it wasn't a small fire. I was angry because they didn't care that they started a fire that had we not been there it would have grown and caused major damage. I thought most cars had ashtrays in them. Why not put the butts in their?

Soup

Name a car you’d love to have.

This is an easy question for me! My husband built this car for a customer, but because he is so busy he doesn't have time to enjoy it so he is selling it. Oh, how I wish I could buy this for my hubby and me! If you enjoy Mustangs at all go check out this site: http://www.dvsrestorations.com/salepage.html

Salad

Describe your typical morning routine.

I wake up when the kids are ready to leave for school around 7:30. I ask hubby to help me to the bathroom. I wash my hands and face and brush my teeth. He gets ready and leaves for work. I am sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for my daughter to get up. She's been rather lazy and doesn't get up until 10:30 or so, but that's another story. While I am waiting I love on my precious bulldog and tell her how precious she is! I also play a game on my cell phone and try to beat my high scores. When she finally gets up she brings me my card table and computer to start working or reading blogs. And if she's in a good mood she will bring me a wheat bagel with flavor on it! Okay, who's jealous? Ask me this in a few months because things will have changed drastically by then!!!

Main Course

Have you ever emailed someone famous? If so, who, and what did you say to them? Did they reply?

What about actually sending a hand written letter like in the olden days? Because I wrote Donny Osmond several fan letters :o) I never got an actual letter from him, but I received a couple of autographed pictures!

Dessert

Do you listen to podcasts? If so, which ones?

No, because I have teenage children and they always have something playing in the background. Enough said!

A Tag Turned Into A Thursday Thirteen

How's that for killing two birds with one stone?

The Queen Mother of Blogville, Barb, tagged me for the meme I did a week or so ago, but who am I to say no to the Queen...I respect her so much. If you have never been to her place you are missing out! You will be greeted with open arms and you'll feel like part of her family.

And speaking of Barb, please keep her 22 month old grandson, Cameron in your prayers. He has been disgnosed with Type 1 juvenille diabetes. He's doing better right now, but please check her blog and read the whole story. Plus you will get to see the handsome little guy yourself! Bonus!

You know what's sad? I've done the weird meme like three or four times and I never have trouble coming up with more weirdness! Maybe I'll throw in a few bad habits or two.

Let's get on with it....

Whenever I eat a 3 Musketeers bar I like to ear all the chocolate off first and then eat the yummy insides! I can’t for the life of me eat it like a normal person. I don’t do this with any other candy bar if that helps ease your mind!

I give myself an injection of Humira once a week and I’m telling ya that stuff burns! Brings tears to my eyes every week. So I distract myself I like to sing out loud the theme song from The Smurfs. What’s even weirder is that I never watched that show!

To ease my hunger pains I like to either watch the cooking channel (Paula, you’re my gal!) or look through cookbooks. I wish they made a scratch and sniff cookbook. Now there’s an idea!

I’m the only one I know that does this, but when I greet people I never say Hi or Hello. I always say, “Hey!” When I have said this some respond, “Hay is for horses.” That’s when I decide if I will ever speak to them again…just kidding!

I am no fashion queen that's for sure, but I need my socks to match my t-shirt for the day!

I sleep with the fan on everynight. Even when it's cold outside. The noise helps drown out my husband's and bulldog's snoring!

I'm a bouncer. You know the annoying one that sits beside you and bounces her leg up and down and shakes the whole table? Yeah, that's me.

My checkbook has to balance to the penny. I can't sleep unless it does.

I've been told that my laugh is contagious, but I think it is loud and obnoxious.

I CANNOT STAND FEET-not even my own. Don't want to touch them and please don't put your barefeet on me. Gross!

I love, love, love to have my back tickled when I don't feel well. When I had my kidney stones and was so sick, my dear precious children would take turns and spend a half an hour a piece tickling my back. Now that's love!

Even though you may think it is immature of me I love to grab the Highlights magazine in the doctors office and do the hidden puzzle, read all the corny jokes, and see all the artwork. Oh, and who can forget about Goofus and Gallant?

I know this is wrong and I did confess this to another blogger friend, but for awhile I had magazine telemarketers calling ALL the time. I finally got fed up and when they would call I had many reasons why I couldn't but their magazines. A few were:

I am blind and don't know how to read braille.
We are on the verge of losing everything so I better not buy any right now.
If I buy a subscription would you make a donation to my favorite charity? (He said nothing and hung up.)

I have before asked a telemarketer if I listen to your spiel would you listen to me explain the plan of salvation. And she said yes! She was very friendly and polite and said she wasn't sure yet what she believed, but she thanked me and I thanked her for taking the time to listen. You just never know.

Thank you Barb for the tag! I won't be doing any tagging since all my friends have pretty much done this in one way or another. BUT if you feel the need to do it again let me know!

May Day, May Day!

No Scales=No Idea! I honestly don't know if I have lost any weight or not because I don't own a set of scales. I can hear you saying~then go buy some. Honestly right now it wouldn't do me a bit of good because I wouldn't be able to step on them without cracking a hip or two.

Explanation~hips bad.no range of motion.stuck for time being

When you cannot function you rely on everyone else to do what needs to be done. That includes bringing me a sip of water when I look dehydrated and maybe a morsel or two of food when I pass out from lack of nourishment! You know what? As much as it stinks sitting in the same spot on the side of my bed day in and day out I know there is a reason for it. Like the name of my blog says-laughing through the tears. I definitely cry a lot more than I used too. I'm just in so much pain that's inescapable it gets to me before I even realize it sometimes. The joke around here is if I scream out in pain someone will ask what happened. I laugh and say, "I moved." So if it happens again they all yell out~stop moving Mom! I dunno. Maybe you have to be here to see the humor in it.

Okay, to get off my tangent now. What I was going to sat was my family is a huge help when it comes to feeding this savage beast. I eat about every two to three hours. Not big meals, but small ones. Sometimes it may be a piece of fruit or just a carton of yogurt, but still something. My kids do a terrific job of knowing what's allowed and what really isn't. And my husband, bless his heart, comes home from work every night and cooks me a hot home cooked meal that is always out of this world!

My biggest challenge is I crave MEAT! There have been plenty of mornings when I eat a turkey sandwich for breakfast. My dietitian said if that's what my body is calling for than go ahead. I allow myself 6-7 ounces of meat a day. Sometimes I do go over, but not crazy.

I drink lots and lots all day long. I do try to get a lot of water in, but I also drink a lot of Crystal Light. Mmmmmm, flavor!

I have had a hard time this week with feeling hungry ALL the time. I had to raise my Prednisone by quite a bit and until I get used to it again I will feel like I haven't eaten in weeks. My tummy growls non stop and I think I need to eat until I look at the time and realize I just ate a bowl of oatmeal 10 minutes ago! I know I have had enough food, but keeping busy helps me not think about it so I like to get on the computer and read, read, read your posts!

I know that it is possible to lose weight without any exercise. It does come off very slowly, but the key word is off! I am thankful for this challenge and being held accountable for my actions. I need to lose a lot of poundage for my health an easier recovery from surgery. Once I get my hips replaced I want to lose the weight not only for my health, but for my husband. I want to look beautiful again for him. He deserves it!

Ladies, we're all in this together! I don't know if I can be an encouragment to you with my situation, but I want to show that it can be done. Could this be one of the reasons I am where I am right now?

Happy Mother's Day!

I've been spoiled today by my husband's great cooking! We invited my mother over today as well and he made broccoli cheese soup with sourdough bread, lemon pepper chicken with brown rice, carrots (my fave veggie right now), and a vast array of desserts, which I have yet to try! My mom got full before she could finish so we sent home a doggie bag.

My girls had to work today, but it has been enjoyable spending the day with my mom and my two guys. After we ate we had a competitive game of Scrabble! Gggrrr, my son beat me by two points! I tried tricking him and saying I got a 50 point bonus for using all my tiles first. It didn't work. Didn't I teach this kid anything?

After my girls get home from church tonight we are going to watch Night at the Museum. It's a really cute movie if you haven't seen it yet. I'm saving room for a small bite or two of the desserts. After all I will be writing about my weight loss challenge on Tuesday...sigh!

If you happen to stop by today let me wish you a very Happy Mother's Day to all!

Friday's Feast, Friday Fill-In

Appetizer

Tell about a time when you had to be brave.

I suppose the first time I ever went in for surgery. I was only 22 and I had both knees replaced at the same time. It was pretty scary, but boy am I ever thankful I did it. I only wish I was allowed to have both my hips replaced at the same time, but they can't. Sadness!

Soup

Which upcoming movie are you excited about seeing?

I've seen Spidey 3 and enjoyed it, but I am looking forward to Ocean's 13 and Pirate's 3 next.

Salad

Name an item you try to always have on hand.

I drink ALOT so I like to have several different flavors of Crystal Light on hand.

Main Course

Imagine the most relaxing room you can think of. Now describe it!

Easy~just a room full of pillows of every shape and size and softness and firmness. All I need is someone to help me down and then up if I ever decide to leave. Plus there has to be lots and lots of blue!!

Dessert

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest), how spiritual or religious are you?

I, personally, don't think you can rate how spiritual or religious you are. To me you either believe in a high power or you don't. I believe that Jesus Christ in the Son of God and I believe that He died to save us from our sins. I know that when I die I will go to Heaven for eternity!



1. It's time for foodage~and I am hungry! Woohoo!

2. Only 13 more days til my daughter takes her final high school exam and graduates two days later.

3. It was a painful day yesterday!

4. I love my pillows!

5. Size is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a rather large person trying to sit in a tiny airplane seat.

6. Mothers:always bring extra love!

7. I'd like to do a little shopping and bossing others around this weekend.

Thankful Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Thank You's For My Mom

1. Even though your first pregnancy was so hard on you, thank you for wanting to have another baby~me!

2. Remember when I was three and you got me all dressed up to get my picture taken and I found your new tube of red lipstick and smeared it all over my face? Thank you for not yelling at me! Instead, you laughed and took my picture then you cleaned me all up and we went to Olan Mills. Wasn't I a cutie?

3. Even though you weren't a huge animal lover you always welcomed with open arms every stray animal I brought home. Thank you for allowing me to have so many pets growing up and thank you for cleaning up after them and paying for all the vet bills!

4. Thank you for making my birthdays extra special! You and dad made every effort to get everything we asked for and you made me feel like a queen every August 7th!

5. When you learned that I had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis you sobbed for days. Even though I was scared and wasn't quite sure what was happening I could see how much you loved me. Thank you for loving me so much it hurts.

6. Thank you for getting up early everyday to help me with my range of motion exercises. You made sure I did them three times a day even though I sometimes fought with you.

7. 4-H projects would have never been completed without your encouragment and help. Together we got a champion, reserve champion and many, many blue ribbons! Way to go mom!

8. Green beans, sliced tomatoes, corn on the cob, fried zucchini and iced tea was our very favorite meal all summer long and you made it with love even though you grew tired of eating by July.

9. Thank you for loving my boyfriend and future husband so much! David thanks you too for all the lasagna and home cooked meals you provided him. He knew he could always count on you for a meal or a few extra dollars when he was running short!

10. Your support when we decided to adopt three kids was amazing! You never questioned or worried about what we were getting ourselves into. You were just as excited as we were to have them and you have been THE best grandmother ever! All the grandchildren know how much they are truly loved by you! I can't thank you enough for this mom.

11. Throughout all my surgeries and painful days I know you were on bended knee asking God to give me comfort and relief. You have always been a prayer warrior and taught me to trust God completely and rely on Him for all things. Thank you for your continued prayers on my behalf and others.

12. I know when you love somebody you do anything and everything you can to help them. You gave more than your all when it came to dad. I know he wouldn't have lived so long if it weren't for your love and constant care. Thank you for sacrificing your days and nights to keep him comfortable. I know dad thanks you too.

13. I have always known you to be the woman who would give up her last dime for anybody that needed it. You give and give and give without asking anything in return. Thank you for teaching me that God comes first, others second and ourselves last.

Wishing all of you a very Happy Mother's Day!

Thrice Tagged

De, Christine, and Carol have all tagged me for similar memes. I've done these before, but who am I to pass up a meme? I'm never shy for words so I will do a combo of the seven to ten weird habits I have that you may not know already!

1. I am not the most organized person in the world, but it drives me insane if my cds and dvds are not alphabetized on the shelf. I'm such a nag that when my kids borrow one of my cds they say, "Don't worry. I will put it back right where it belongs." I sense some sarcasm. Oh, and when it's a collection of cds they have to be put in order of release. That way when I go to listen to my guy, Donny, I know where Puppy Love is and where my Joseph cd is! Please don't roll your eyes~it really isn't too much to ask!

2. My husband makes fun of me because I can tell you exactly what episode of The Brady Bunch it is within two seconds of seeing the setting for the show. Sad, but true. And if you really want to pity me just know that if I see it on the telly I will stop and watch it and enjoy every minute of it. What's your favorite episode? I loved the Davy Jones episode and all the ones that they got to sing and dance in. Me Dork!

3. I have never ever liked cheese. Until recently. Now I can't get enough of it. I never liked eating a piece of any kind or even putting it on my sandwiches, but one day hubs was having a piece of feta and I asked for some. He LOVES cheese and isn't to fond of sharing, but I managed to tackle him to the ground and eat it! I fell in love instantly! Not with him, but with cheese!! Now I ask for string cheese, cheddar, havarti, almost anything except bleu. When I ask for cheese my kids ask, "Where is my mom and what have you done with her?".

4. I'm a flipper. I like to have the remote and I flip, flip, flip! It's drives everyone batty, but I keep flipping until I either find The Brady Bunch, Little House on the Prairie, anything Donny, Andy Griffith, or something that looks tempting like Paula Deen or Brad Pitt!

5. I'd rather eat at a dive than a fancy restaurant. I have been to several dives and the food has always been fantastic and the atmosphere is much more fun. I went to a dive in Pennsylvania once and as soon as I sat down at my dirty little table the man behind the counter yelled, "What do ya want?" I smiled and said, "I don't know. I've never been here before." He yelled, "Menu is on the wall. As soon as you figure out let me know!" So I checked the menu out and I yelled at him, "Hey, I want the corned beef on rye with mustard. And I want an extra pickle!" He smiled real big and replied, "That a girl!" I can't wait to go back again!

6. This isn't really weird or anything, but I love to do word search puzzles and I'm really fast at it too. Whenever the kids brought one home for homework I always did them! I know, I know. Bad momma. At least they always got an A+! I also love sudoku!

7. I am a secret Sanjaya fan......I am also a liar!

8. When I watch America's Funniest Home videos and they show ones that people have fallen or might have been in danger I tend to worry about them...even if it is seven years later. I always wonder what happened to them and if they were okay. I guess I shouldn't watch it anymore!

9. I have a dimple in my chin.

10. I've said it before, but I don't mind saying it again...I love my blogging friends! I have made so many wonderful friends and I keep meeting more! I haven't always thought of the internet as a good thing with all the weird stuff, but I have been so encouraged by all of you with your prayers and kind words and just getting to know one another! I really do love you guys...I hope you don't mind!

I won't tag anyone but if you want to share let me know and I'll come see what crazy things you do!

A Long Weigh To Go

The simple truth is I need to lose weight...and lots of it. My hips are begging to be replaced with some purty shiny metal ones that make the airport sensors go off! I just love being patted down and searched while everyone watches wondering what I am trying to smuggle into the U.S.

I was very thin in high school~a whopping 110 pounds. It wasn't until I started taking high doses of prednisone with a 2 litre of Mt. Dew that I started gaining weight. Seriously, I started bleeding a beautiful shade of greenish yellow because I drank so much of it!

Now I am not blaming the drug for my problem because let's face it, I've drowned my fair share of Oreos and I've murdered a few defenseless slabs of meat that didn't know what hit 'em!

I have learned this past year that by not eating enough you can actually gain weight. It got harder for me to eat anything when I was in so much pain and therefore I did gain about 75 pounds. Unreal, I know. But the good news is that this past year I have been working with a dietician and I have been able to lose about 22 of those pounds.

Except for church I am homebound. This week I have been bedridden. I now have a porta potty right beside my bed because without being lifted I cannot make it to the toilet which is only twelve feet from my beloved bed filled with my precious pillows. I tell you this not for sympathy, but for hope. I have been this way for close to a year. Even without exercise I was able to lose 22 pounds. It can be done!!

I have been following the food pyramid and eating about 1600 calories a day. I eat a little something every few hours up until bedtime. I had to force myself to eat at first because I just wasn't hungry. I am still on high doses of prednisone which can fool you into thinking you haven't eaten in years, but I just pray and ask God's help. Praise the Lord it is working for me!

I need to lose another 50 pounds. I know it is going to take a long time, but I am worth it! I am having a hip replaced on July 16th unless I can get in sooner. Then I'll have the other one done about eight weeks later. I'm going to work my hardest to lose another 10 pounds by then. Every pound lost will be that much more helpful in rehabilitation.

We are all here to encourage one another and I do ask for your prayers. Please pray that I can hold out until the 16th. It seems so far away, but I've been doing this for a year so I know I have it in me. And please pray for me too because I have been discouraged this past week. I'm trying so hard and it is so scary when you have to depend on others to take care of your personal needs. I praise God for my supportive, caring family. Without them I would be in a nursing home until July 16th. Please pray for them as well because they have a lot on their plates. I want to be able to take as good of care of them as they have me this past year!

Probably More Information Than You Wanted To Know!

Appetizer

Name something you would not want to own.

I wouldn't care to own a Corvette. I am a Mustanger through and through!

Soup

Describe your hair (texture, color, length, etc.).

My hair is really soft. It is short right now~just right above my shoulders. It is mostly brown, but I am getting quie a bit of gray hair now. Should I highlight it and try to hide some of it? I don't want to be completely gray at 42 years old!

Salad

Finish this sentence: I’ll never forget ___________.

I'll never forget the first time I saw a picture of my daughters! My husband and I both cried.

Main Course

Which famous person would you like to be for one day? Why?

I would like to be Ellen DeGeneres so I could dance all over the place and tell funny jokes and meet more famous people, but especially so I could give away all kinds of free stuff and then donate a ton of money to different charities!

Dessert

Write one sentence about yourself that includes one thing that is true and another thing that is not.

I won $80 one time on a $1 slot machine and then gambled it all alway!


FRIDAY FILL IN


1. I love sugar and milk with my coffee/tea/etc.

2. My surgery date can't arrive too fast!

3. My friend Karen is the opposite of me!

4. Days like today when the sky is the perfect shade of blue and the weather is on the chilly side are so awesome!

5. I am still playing with your dog. (Dumb, I know, but I couldn't think of anything else!)

6. Snapdragons are my favorite spring flowers.

7. This weekend, I'm watching my husband be Patch the Pirate at church and I will be his biggest fan!

Thursday Thirteen

My Thirteen Favorite Fruits To Eat With Some Combinations Thrown In Just Because I Don't Really Know How You Have Gone This Long Without Knowing This About Me! I Am Pretty Sure This Will Make You A Better Person. You're Welcome!

1. Pineapple

2. Bananas (but not real ripe, almost crunchy like)

3. Granny Smith apples

4. Strawberries

5. Banana with peanut butter

6. Bananas, pineapple (with juice) over vanilla ice cream

7. Kiwi

8. Red grapes

9. Strawberries, bananas over Cheerios

10. Oranges

11. Fresh peaches

12. Blueberries, but only in pancakes

13. And any fruit if it is covered in chocolate!!

Happy? Anniversary?

Not exactly the kind of anniversary I would celebrate, but I have been on crutches for one whole year! Today is a good reminder for me that I can keep doing this. I've done it before. I was on crutches for three and a half years during high school. Talk about F.U.N. I may start out kinda grouchy every morning, but I quickly remind myself that I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!

Tomorrow I go see about my hip replacements and how long the wait might be. I hate being in constant pain, but I am dreading having surgery too. I'll have to have one done and then like six weeks later I will have the other one done. Talk about F.U.N. Slap my hand for griping! I am blessed to live in a country where I can have the necessary surgeries to make my life better. I am ashamed of myself once again for complaining.

Okay, what else? Tonight two people are getting kicked off American Idol! I'm thinking maybe Chris, Phil and LaKisha. I really have no idea, but I hope Jordin stays.

Tonight is our last night for our Awana program at church. I am so sad to leave my girls. I teach the 3rd and 4th grade girls. They have been an awesome bunch this year and worked so hard on their verses and loved haring Bible stories. Many of the girls are unchurched so the usual stories were brand new to them. What a privilege it is to teach them!

My dear sweet mother just stopped by to rub my neck with Ben Gay. Sniff! Can you smell it? I'm weird, but I like the smell. And the heat feels so good on this warm sticky day too!

Don't forget about the scavenger hunt going on at Amy's! Lots of prizes to be won!!

Me and the hubs are going to the midnight showing of Spiderman 3 on Thursday/Friday! I love going to the midnight shows because thats when all the geeks show up dressed up! And NO we do not dress up. We are not that geeky. Go web go!

Question for the day! Do you and your family have your own language that only you guys know what you're talking about? We definitely do and sometimes I forget and use it with my friends and they just look at me like I am bizarre!

I'm passing out big hugs to everybody today!