The photos (trying this again)

G'morning ALL, [no replies necessary, just trying to "fix" a problem] I've rec'd several emails saying that they were NOT able to access the photo I attached of Jane and her husband Joe. Sorry it took so long to get back to ya'll, I've been on the go non-stop this summer. Sidenote: Hey Sharon Q? If you read this, guess what?!?!?! I finally got in the water!!!! Woooohooo, remember how I told you I'd never been to the boardwalk to actually SWIM? Well, my Beach-virginity is a thing of the past. I live at the beach now and not just for tanning, I'm practicing my mermaid skills in the water TOO!. Anyway, back to the photo thingie... I have NO clue what the heck I'm doing wrong, or maybe it's shutterfly.com? Yah yah, that's the ticket. SO, I decided to try and link the ENTIRE photo album from last year. There were about 35 of us from all over Virginia (even had an OH friend in from TX) join us that night. All of the photos are labeled, so you should find the ones of Jane and Joe, easily enough. I also thought it might be fun for ya'll to see some of your fellow friends/board posters 'then vs now'. Several were still in the process of losing weight and have since reached their goals. The transformations, are amazing. Hugs to all - hope everyone's doing well - Lei Note: Don't forget, you have to cut and paste the entire html to your browser because links don't actually link anymore. http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AcNWjdq5cNmZy Psssst.... Check out Natalie/Tink's photo! .

Well I had to reply... I see myself during this time and remember feeling O so Thin .. dang .. I had thought I was at goal.. who would have thunk it .. I lost 40 more pounds since then ... ... Thanks for posting these .. I have them already, but it gave me a jolt of great memories of all of us ... and just truly how special our times are together ... and that we should cherish each other . Enjoy the ocean ... I will be coming down soon enough and plan on putting on my mermaid tail too !! Love ya , Tink

Hello girlfriend!!! Hope you and Alan are enjoying your time together - Hey? Anyword/feedback on the newest round of testing? Glad you were able to take a peek at the photos - I have to admit, YOUR pic was the one that amazed me the most. I remember that meeting so well, it was the FIRST time that you and I actually got to see each other in "real space" complete with real hugs, and I swear I thought you were AT GOAL then. (pretty much what you said in your reply) ...then I pulled up that photo album and was flabbergasted! Of course, then it prompted me to peek at the June Photo Album from Fredricksburg and it's amazing just between March and June how much you dropped. Lookin' GOOD, as always! Lemme know when you make it down this way, we'll play Mermaids together! Wendy is my "WeekendMermaidBuddy" ....she's lived here 20 years and is finding out (like me) for the first time, just how WONDERFUL our neck of the woods is. It's amazing, people pay thousands of dollars to come out to our piece of ocean for vacation, and we're blessed/fortunate enough to be a drive away. Figure with us moving next year, Im gonna MAXIMIZE every beach day I can. Love - Lei

The pictures are terrific!!!!! I am only sorry I wasn't there!!! Thanks so much for posting them; I really enjoyed seeing everyone and how they have changed since they were taken. I can't wait until January when we all meet again! Hugs, Karen

G'morning Karen - Glad you enjoyed them - the transformation photos are always so inspiring and motivational. LMAO - of course, we won't even DISCUSS how disheartening it can be when you notice (myself personally) that there is a slight [ahem] INCREASE in weight since those photos. UGH - it's amazing how much 10 to 15 pounds really DOES show up, the smaller we get. When I weighed 400 lbs, 10 pounds woulda' been just the waterweight over night. But NOW, at a 180 lbs, it's an entire dress size. Ugh! Okay - enough whining (for now) on my part. If you EVER make it down to the beach, please let me know, would love spending the day on the boardwalk with you. Hugs - Lei

Girl...you been hidin'? I posted a while back lookin' for ya. Needed a navy spouse to talk to me at the time. THings are going crazy on the other side of the world...and I know you can relate to what I am going through right now. November can't come soon enough! Don't you go hidin again....I swear...the nerve of some people...LOLOL. I have been to da beach quite a few times lately...taking the kiddos swimming. One of these days I am gonna go by myself and I am gonna go lookin for ya! Hugs, Stephanie

Hello gorgeous!! Me? HIDING??? LOL, I'm too tall, 'specially in heels, to hide! Not to mention, too LOUD to keep quiet long enough to go unnoticed! You're right, sweet lady, I do understand those EMOTIONS and concerns that are a part of your day to day, with your hubby gone. I would love it if we could get together when both our guys are here, but it's not looking doable till NEXT year!!!! Your man returns in November, mine leaves in October (for 6 months - gee, this years HOLIDAYS, all of 'em, are gonna suck). Hey? Anytime you wanna play Mermaid at the beach, let me know!!! I suspect your little ones keep you VERY busy, so a day away of relaxation on the beach, laughing, talking, swimming, playing (yes, it's a requirement that we PLAY when we're there) is probably just what you need. Maybe we can get a few of us together? A "MERMAID" only kinda day, unless we can get any of the hubby's to show up and wait on us? I've perfected Mermaid-ism and even decided it was "CLUB" worthy when my hubby's mom and aunt were here in March, they were the first inductee's! It's called the "WaWa Mermaid Sisterhood" ...WaWa courtesy of our need for good strong coffee from our local WaWa stores. Mermaid, well, cause we ARE, and sisterhood - cause it's fellow sister wimmenfolk ONLY!! Being a mermaid is FUN, it's especially nice during the RARE moments that Paul's home, cause every Mermaid needs a cabanna boy, right? ..and he be mine!! Just a coupla' snaps of the fingers, er, I mean tail, and peeled grapes and drinks with umbrella's APPEAR! Of course, then I wake up! btw - several people from this board forwarded your post to me (last week) and I sent you a private email, did you not get it? From my COX.NET account - nothing exciting, just touching base, typical nonstop rambling about absolutely nothing, as only Lei can do. Ive had problems with both my AOL and COX account(s) and the only reason I actually KNOW email is not going out or coming in, is cause my "Girly-Girls" (aka the WaWa Mermaid Sisterhood) keep telling me about conversations/emails that's flying around between us all and I'm sitting there completely CLUELESS to 'em all. [sigh] ...that or they're being MEAN to me and messin' with my blonde brain cell? Yikes, I rambled more then I expected too - you still awake over there? Have a fantastic day, and let me know when you're ready to "get away from it all" and head to the beach, I LOOK FORWARD to it! Hey? One more thing, then I promise I WILL shaddap!!! If you ever want to do a ladies night out (Thursday night) let me know. Christine, Carole and I went to "The Banque" two weeks ago, for the all male review. Um, and .... well.... er, holy CRAP they were easy on the eyes!!!!!!!!!! Or so I heard! ...but if we get a few of us together, it's a nice way to have fun, scream a lil, dance a lil, drool a lil, look a lil and of course, you know you'll be safe, cause my job is to CHAPERONE. I don't even look, honest! [crossing, fingers, eyes, toes] Hugs - Lei

Hey girly girl!!! You are not the only one who has been MIA on this board. Summer found me too. I am SOOOOOOOOOO proud of you for venturing into the water!! Isn't it fun??? I was thinking of you and Track on Monday when we were at the ocean in NJ. (Had to go pick up my son from his dads house.) DAMN was tha****er cold!!! I never got fully in, just played in the waves. The kids were fearless though, and had butts full of sand by the time we went to walk on the boardwalk. It was a blast, and now I'm really ready for VA Beach!!! Now we are busy packing up (Ok, not really as I'm procrastinating by being here......LOL) for our vacation to Michigan to drop off the kids, then hubby and I are flying out to Montana for a week for my 20 year class reunion!!!!! I can't wait to see these people who I haven't seen in 10 years. My girls from there have been calling to see what I'm wearing.............LOL..........SOMETHING WARM!!!!!! Hot during the day, freezing at night!! My kinda weather!! I think I weighed maybe 30lbs more 10 years ago than I do now, so it won't be the shock you'd think when they all see me. OK, now hubby is a Jersey City boy. Think he's gonna be a little shocked to find himself in lil ol Montana?? Completely surrounded by mountains and mosquitos???? LOLOL I'll have to let you all know how that works out. My friends hubby's already have it planned to take him drinking while we do the reunion thing. Good ol boys!!!!!!!!! LOLOL Ok, now I really have to get packing, and you are probably out swimming and soaking up the sun. Have a blast, keep on going, and I'll talk to ya in August if not sooner!!!! XOXOOXOXOXO Sharon Q

G'morning beautiful!! I've been telling Wendy, for FOUR weeks now, I have got to write to Sharon and tell her, she's gonna be so proud! lol, you better be, after all the crap you gave me a few months ago about never even dippin' my toe in the water. Of course, I ONLY had the nerve to do it 'cause my partner in crime (Wendy) was there to take the dive (more like belly flop) with me! You outta see us two just trying to stay on our feet, some of those waves will knock your butt all the way back into the parking lot. Who knows, we might even venture onto a boogie-board before the summer's over with. This goes without saying, but you better NOT come down to the beach and not give me notice. LOL, I have no class, and I'll happily crash your private family get together (which is why Becker NEVER tells me when he's coming to town). hehehehe - Im just, er, well, cute like dat. Have a wonderful time in Montana - Paul and I spent a few days there on our cross country drive to VaBeach. We both fell in love with it and even went so far as to picture/talk about us retiring there. It's like a slice of heaven that seems to go on for miles and miles and miles - so many areas untouched by man with a natural beauty that touches your inner core. Um, can I go? Hugs - Lei

DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!!!!! Not only do I have class reunion NIGHTMARES all night long, I woke up with a damn zit today!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My body is torturing me!!!!!!!!!! Think I'll go back to bed and try this again!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OK, beach!!!! I am TOTALLY proud of you and Wendy for going!!! I knew you'd be hooked once you tried it. I have to admit too, when we went to the beach in NJ it was maybe the 2nd time I'd done that, and I lived there for 9 years!!!!!!!!!! LOLOLOLOL We had the same talk as you guys.............how could we have lived here for so long and not done this, it's soooooooooooooooo much fun!!! BUT, for me, I did have a couple excuses..............I was too fat, that's no fun, and I had really little ones which is scary as heck with those crazy waves. SO, when I come, I promise to call you, and not text you. Hopefully we'll be bringing the camper, so you and Wendy and Track can come by at night and do the campfire thingy with us. You'll have to share the marshmallows with the kids though!!! I really do have to pack for my trip today!! (STILL DIDN'T DO IT!!) I cannot wait to get out to Montana and see everybody again. It is truly beautiful there, but since all the movie stars moved in we can all forget about retiring there.........costs too much!!! Plus it's too developed now, nothing like how it was for me growing up. Nahhhhhh, I'll stay right here in lil ol Fredneckville. Holy rambling man!!! I caught the Lei disease!!! Ok, I'm going back to bed. Hopefully I'll have great Tim McGraw dreams and when I wake up next time my zit will be gone and I'll be 10 lbs thinner!!!! YEEAAAAHHHHHHHH BABY!!!!!!!!!!!! OXOXOOXOOXOXOX Sharon