Season best memories...

I had several awesome holiday gifts most of which are the kind that money could never buy.  Starting with being in complete thanksgiving for awesome family and friends and peers and co-workers and acquaintances and even strangers both IRL and in cyberspace who each contributed to joy and happiness and growth and experiences both good and bad ... and totally grateful for being alive and well and being able to open the doors of my humble home to celebrate - - add to that health and mobility and having the giant of morbid obesity still resting under my feet I certainly celebrated more than one NSV and SV.... I had a blast that will forever last...

Just to name just a few ... I am thankful for my wonderful daughter and adorable son who went out of their way to make it all come together and who went beyond the call of duty ... I am grateful for them... I can't believe these two who in the recent past got along like oil and water are FINALLY kind and civilized towards each other ... I PRAYED FOR THAT and am grateful.  My PITA at times totally ignoramus son has finally grown up and into his calling ... oh my it took a while and I am for-ever grateful for that ... he has landed an awesome job that he loves and is settling down .... I saw him once again plastering patches all over him in an effort to quit smoking again ... the last time he did that he got sick but I am staying out of his beezwax I told him not to use more than one patch at a time but he has a mule spirit to boot ... he was looking like a walking wallpaper for a minute.... My three toy poodles were on their best behavior too ... and my dolly Christmas three was a hit with my family and friends.... YIKES now the work taking it apart after All Kings Day is on my mind LOL

One of my best prezzies arrived safely at La Guardia Airport where my daughter picked her up the day before Christmas Eve to spend Noche Buena with her titi (auntie) yours truly.  This is my youngest niece, Ariza, daughter of my only living sister Rosita... My DD picked her up at the airport and came to pick me up at work and we took her to lunch before going home ... she looks just like my sister....

And of course I could not wait to give her one of the many gifts we had under the tree for her ... so I gave her my gift to her a Samsung Note Tablet and the look on her face was priceless and an awesome gift to my heart...

DH also went out of his way to make sure I was warm out there since it was cold enough on some days like this morning where there was frost everywhere .... I loved his awesome gift and the fact that no animals died in the making or my beautiful new faux fur coat ... I gave my awesome five remaining ferrets a big hug and took a picture this morning on the way to work with Maxwell and Caspar ... my little old men have short life spans and it breaks my heart when I lose any one of them....

My coat felt awesome warm this morning ... YUP... I wore it to work too ... and took a picture with the REAL fur in my home who are all alive and well.... 

The best present I gave to myself .... an awesome life embracing love, life, family, friends, ups, and downs .... I REFUSE TO CURSE MY FIRE ... I have endured suffering and pain ... loss and gain ... and through it all I kept peace in my spirit and goodwill to mankind and it made me happy ... I embraced ME and living 6 years and 10 months working my way up to 7 years this coming February ... living my life one day, one choice at a time ... embracing JOY and making it happen to me....

Through it all I shared and share SNIPPETS of my journey ... and empirical tool suggested by my sister Maria Carmela (MELA) R.I.P. where I A PICTURE A DAY KEEPS THE POUNDS AND INCHES AWAY became the title of my digital empowerment journal .... 

The best prezzie from ME to ME ... NOT AN OUNCE REGAIN OVER THE HOLIDAYS WOOT!!! off to work wearing some odd pants and a green poncho a prezzie from my daughter just because they are 'ODD' LOL just like I like it....

My before and my today collage .... KEEPING MORBID OBESITY UNDER MY FEET ... 6  YEARS 10 MONTHS post RNY.... 

Thanks for allowing me to share SNIPPETS OF MY JOURNEY .... I am not boastful... I AM GRATEFUL..... My friend Mary once wrote to me 'there is joy and there is misery in equal measures in this world ... I am embracing Joy and making it happen to me ... of course there is misery, but I am NOT letting it in" ... I am embracing those words and I am embracing JOY and indeed making it happen to me ...

I too had a great holiday with time spent with friends and family. No weight gain either and stayed on track with exercise too. Thanks for sharing your journey with us!

I am sooooooooooooooo happy you had a great time with your friends and family Karen ... those are the best moments ever ... No weight gain WOOT ... that is a winner DEFINITELY... CONGRATS!!!!

Thank YOU!!! Hope you had a beautiful one too... 

What a beautiful post my dear friend. So wonderful to year you had such a great time with your family. I did as well, how blessed we are! 

Did not do well weight wise though, gained three pounds ugh, so disappointed in myself but as of today I am back on track, so wish me strength to get this right and move ahead.

a happy new year to you 🎉

Annette 😄

Thank YOU my beautiful sista!! So happy you had a wonderful time too .. we are blessed indeed.  Do not be disappointed in yourself at all ... YOU GOT THIS and you are BACK ON TRACK ... I was expecting to be up by  few pounds myself but judging by how exhausted I by was going up and down the stairs between floors at home I guess I worked the spiked eggnog that I thoroughly enjoyed off LOL...

Best wishes for a fabulous New Year and a wonderful ending to this present year 

So glad you had a wonderul holiday! We did too! We created some new traditions; we baked 1500 cookies and gave them away to strangers this year, each week between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We helped a homeless mother and her two kids get into a home a week before Christmas so they wouldn't spend the holiday in a motel. We donated time and energy to three local organizations and after cooking our own Christmas meal and eating with our family we cooked an entire second meal and took it to the church that was hosting the homeless shelter that night in our town. We feel that we are so blessed that we will spend each year finding ways to give to others, after all that is what Christmas is about! Blessed be!

How AWESOME you got to do this as a family ... it is so very rewarding indeed to reach out and do for others in any measure big or small that we can... those are the best gifts that we can ever give ourselves ... I am so glad you had a wonderful holiday ... BEST WISHES FOR AN EQUALLY OR MORE AWESOME NEW YEAR....

Very inspiring!  You are so beautiful.  Merry Christmas!