Hey Guys and Chickies!!!!!!!

Oh My Gosh Eileen, how are you, I know we were supposed to move down by you..... lol.... now you all have a place to come up to on "vacation"...... the door is always opened.... Is awesome up here, we have 3 acres, and are getting ready to fence it in this spring and get some horses... Mike is always happy, you know that, is just a downer to see him down... and confused at times... We still pick on each other unmercifully, so that hasn't changed, thank god for that, and he is the best bat catcher I know of, he has chased 3 out of the house, in the past week!!!!!!!! I have a honey do list for him a mile long, so it will keep him busy, and hopefully focused as he crosses things out that he has accomplished, and hopefully will give him that feeling of accomplishment he needs right now.... So how are the kids doing? and what about you? Hope all is well, I know you all must be dying in the heat down there, Sherry and Dave said they were getting storms almost every night there.... You take care and please keep in touch....

OMYGosh Val it is so good to see ya posting again hun. I have missed your smiling face sweety. I am so glad to hear that all the stress you have been thur has not made ya eat. I hope that when I am as far out as you are that I can say......I have not gained anything back. I have been hanging onto this last 10# the Dr. gave me as a goal seems like forever. I want to lost atleast another 25......but at this rate I would be happy with lossin this last 10# Your new place sounds like heaven. I would love to have a place like that. Keep posted hun. ~~T 296/175/165

Teresa, Thank You for emailing me and letting me know about our new home, this is a lot better for sure....... Sounds like you are doing great, you looked great in DC..... I never did get my last 25 lbs off I wanted to, I just stayed here no matter what I tried, it just won't let go, so I am satisfied at this weight..... But you know would like to get the rest off, my back, but with the lupus flaring again, is going to be a while before I can get out and walk, or do anything.... But am determined...... lol...... How have you been? Hope things are going well for you... sounds like you and I need to get together and force each other out.... Have been glued to the house for a while, I have a habit, of sitting in a room and just staring, to see how it would look, before I get to it.... and am stuck on the livingroom roght now, but will get the guest room up this week for Mom, when she comes, and Patty.... so is a good project.... You have a great day, and was nice seeing you, and thank you again...... Love ya

Val 1)so glad to see you agian 2)sorry about Mike, it is not easy watching the strong man you loved so much change before your eyes. However I know you are a strong woman and you may bend under the new burdens but I do not believe in my heart that you will break. Especially when you have all of us there to prop you up before you hit the ground 3)money pit-----------this just may be the wisest money you will spend besides on your vitamins and proteins. You will be able to see your dream materialize by hard work. 4)lupus-damn sorry to hear it is back, do take your medications and space out the hard work you are doing. I like you never know when the damn autoimmune process will kick back up. When in the middle of a flare I just keep repeating to myself it is so much easier at goal than it would of been at >350. The hard part for me was that I dulled myself with food to deal with the pain------hate to take pain pills (I know a physician that hates taking any medication-oxymoron for sure). I have worked on meditation to help and when all else fails I do take pain pills-the lowest dose for the shortest length of time 5)glad the people are friendly---no surprise that people would want to be friends with you missed ya, luv ya gratitude is my attitude Amanda S VG-DS October 2001 highest >350/342 start of wls journey/155@goal and after ps

Awwwwwww Amanda, Is so good to see you too... Have been working a bit, and sitting a bit with my knitting needles, instead of reaching for the food to dull the pain, but boy would it be easy to do again.... AM having trouble with the meds they give me, with my pouch, so I am just taking the darvocets and trying my hardest to get by..... but am up and down most of the day, trying to do what I can, am not going to let this stop my dreams.... besides I know if I get this all done, spring isn't to far away, and the horses will be here... so that is the last part of my goal since surgery, and am almost there.... a little more hard work, and I can say I did it..... Have been down to the river the water is warm down there, and have been swimming against the flow of the water, is not a hard flow, and I think it is really helping, to loosen things back up.. But you are right, is much better at 158 then it was at 300..... I don't know how we did it.. and it sure does scare me straight when I reach for a cookie, I don't want to be back there again..... So how has life been treating you? I hope all is well... am glad to see you are still hitting the pool..... How is your summer going? Did you, or are you going on any neat vacations? You take care and will see you soon back on the boards.... love you, and was great seeing you too......