~~ They're leaving the nest, sew it's time for a trip - or two - or three...~~ D~'s bag ~9/22 ~~

[Terkina]

How great that Allison will do the Whole30 with you. Crossing my fingers that she will stick to it all the way.

Sounds like you got at lot done yesterday.

I hope the weather doesn't get too bad where you are.


Esmeralda refuses to eat from her bowl that she normally eats from. She refused to eat all evening yesterday. Before I went to bed I tried to feed her from my hand with her normal dry food. She ate I then remembered that she has refused to eat like this before and last time she ate her normal dry food if it was served straight on the floor. So I put some dry food on the floor and got ready for the night. She then ate the food I had given her on the floor. So right before I went to bed I gave her some more food from her bowl on the floor. I had the food on the floor right in front of her bowl with food so she hopefully would start eating from her bowl again. I woke up during the night (as I normally do) and went to the toilet and saw that she had eaten up the food on the floor. So I gave her some more food on the floor. Again she ate it while I stood there watching. So I put some more food straight on the floor before I went to bed again. When I got up again the food I had on the floor was gone again. So once again I left food on the floor. This morning there were 4 pieces left on the floor. This is a good start. Now I just have to try and figure out how I can get her to eat from the bowl again. But at least she is eating and we don't have to go back to the vet.

I bought me a new mobile phone LG G4 a few weeks ago, but I haven't wanted to start using it before I got a screen protector from armorsuit.com I have used this shield on my tablet and on some other electronics and I think armorsuit has the easiest shield to mount on the phone. Well yesterday my shield arrived and I got it on my phone. The phone and shield has to be left alone over night to get the shield to set. Today I got all the data from my old Samsung phone to my new phone. It took a few hours to get my new phone as I want although I could transfer all the data over pretty easy.

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

Yay for getting some prep in for the W30. I saw your comment on menopause. My mom was finished with menopause by 40. Both my sister and I are past that age and haven't had any symptoms. The doctor laughed at her too, but there was a test she could do (?) and it came back she was post-menopausal. The entire time she was having horrible night sweats the doctor told her that it was impossible. It was the new doctor (we moved to Colorado) that told her that she was post menopausal.

I think the Europe trip is an amazing opportunity for both girls. Marissa was torn between her year in Japan (which she needs for her major) or the DCP. I told her that she should try for both. She is on schedule to graduate in the 4 years, so why not take time for the DCP too. She has lots of years to adult later.

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

Yay for getting some prep in for the W30. I saw your comment on menopause. My mom was finished with menopause by 40. Both my sister and I are past that age and haven't had any symptoms. The doctor laughed at her too, but there was a test she could do (?) and it came back she was post-menopausal. The entire time she was having horrible night sweats the doctor told her that it was impossible. It was the new doctor (we moved to Colorado) that told her that she was post menopausal.

I think the Europe trip is an amazing opportunity for both girls. Marissa was torn between her year in Japan (which she needs for her major) or the DCP. I told her that she should try for both. She is on schedule to graduate in the 4 years, so why not take time for the DCP too. She has lots of years to adult later.

My disboards is acting up today. It isn't letting me post. I will try again.

 

[justgrace]

Hope all is well D~!


Still following along on both your TR and PTR!

 

[Sweetly]

I can't believe from how far behind I am. Please forgive me! Guess I have a lot to catch up on while I am working tomorrow
Poor Alli with her wisdom teeth. It's just awful when things don't go accordingly. Hope your dad is doing okay. I am so sorry about Sandra. Just breaks my heart. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.
Things have settled down here. Trying to adjust to things. We did welcome a new member into our family, and her arrival was perfect timing. We needed some joy in our lives.
Back to catching up.

 

[DMGeurts]

I'm interested in learning more about Whole30. Is there a website or specific resource you would recommend? I'm trying hard to cut processed foods out of my diet, as much as I can and still be practical about it since I work full time and have a crazy commute which means I don't get home until dinner time and need to be able to prepare quick, healthy foods. I'm counting down the weeks until high school basketball season is over because then my husband will be able to at least get dinner started before I get home (he's coaches high school basketball).

Enjoy your snow day! My husband and daughter had all of last week off school because of the blizzard last weekend and I was able to work from home part of the week. I love working from home in my cozy pajamas with my cute dogs curled up at my feet. They had a two hour delay yesterday and today because of ice.....I still had to get up and come to work on time.

Yes - there is the book It Starts With Food and the official website - www.whole30.com A person can get a LOT of the info about the program via the website - but IMO - nothing is as informative as a book. So, I recommend reading the website a little bit to see if it's something that interests you - and if so, I definitely recommend reading the book before you start the program - or at least get a bit into it first. Also - if you do decide to do it, there is a private FB group - search "whole30 first timers" and you should find it - I find this group to be super informative and just a great resource - sometimes a bit harsh -but the program has very specific rules that must be adhered to if it's to be an "official Whole30". I highly recommend it as a good "reset" and even a good learning experience - but as the book says - it's not recommended to be a life time lifestyle change, but just a catapult into knowing more about the foods a person is eating and what works for each individual.

I am not sure that Whole30 eating is easy or quick, as far as meals are concerned... I spend a LOT more time in the kitchen doing prep work when I am on a Whole30 vs. any other time. But it you have the time to do prep work over the weekend - I find it makes my week day meals so much easier. I also do a lot of bigger batch cooking... Allison and I are depending on a LOT of leftovers for our lunches. Yesterday - I made 2 beef roasts in the crock pot, I shredded them... We had shredded beef sandwiches for dinner last night ( minus the "sandwich" portion for Allison and I) - then we will use the rest of the left over beef for various meals over the next few days. I only seasoned it with salt/pepper - so it's very versatile as leftovers. Also, lots of frozen veggies work well - I buy them in the huge bulk bags from Walmart... I also do batches of ghee, home made mayo and I plan to do a small batch of "dump ranch" for Allison today too - she loves ranch (I really don't like it much myself) - but if it makes her whole30 experience better, I am all for trying it for her.

Anyways - best of luck!

Hahaha - I had a good snow day - I was able to get a lot done!

I'm still there. I keep on forgetting to post when I workout, although I did just take a week off from working out. Bad thing about working out with DH is when he hurt his back shoveling, I used it as an excuse to not workout.

That is so exciting for them.

I was talking to DH about doing a disney half marathon. I said we should do the food and wine since it is the fall, so no training in the winter. I don't get how people can run outside in the winter.

Which recipe did you use? I'm always on the look out for a good beef stew recipe.

Do you have an immersion blender? If you do, it makes making mayo so easy. I also do a ranch dip/dressing. I don't add coconut milk to it. I just put the ranch seasonings ( dried dill, minced dried onion, onion powder, garlic powder and salt) on top of the oil before I blend it. It is so yummy.

Can't wait to see it. Hope you get a great nap in as well.

No worries - I just had 2 groups going... One for the Whole30 last January that we all did - and that one is pretty much not used any more, and I couldn't remember if you were in the other one yet or not? But I see now that you are.

I sure hope to do one some day... I was so disappointed that I didn't continue my running this winter. I know I am going to have to start building my endurance from the start again in the spring, so that will be rough. But I am kind of looking forward to getting out there again! Best of luck!

I think you are following me on Pinterest? I pinned it on there.

I do not have an immersion blender - but I do want to get one... there are so many times I could have used one over the last few years. I just keep forgetting to look every time I am at the store. It sure would make my life so much easier. LOL

Wow~ you did have a productive day yesterday!! Best of luck to you and Allison on your whole30!

Thanks Oopsi! How is your gluten free diet going?

Wow, this sounds incredible. That is such an amazing and unforgettable experience that Allison will have. That's something that most adults won't be able to do in their life! And to do it at that age, when you are still so young, and figuring out what you want to do in your life, I think it makes it that much more special. I totally support college aged kids who want to travel the world or just take a break. Being the same age, I know it can be hard sometimes to make such big life decisions. I bet she will do great! And the fact that you are allowing both of your girls to have the opportunity to do that is something I really admire you for D. :
Thank you for sharing that with me, I look forward to hearing how they are doing in the future.

Also, good luck with all of the food. It's good that you are actually trying to eat stuff that's healthy and that you want to eat! That seems likes the right way to go!

Yes - it will be awesome for her - I am nervous about having her away for so long... but we'll be able to skype a lot - I hope and it will just be an amazing thing for her - I am sure of it! I just want them to be able to experience life while they are young. I will keep you updated.

Thanks! I feel like my food/diet/exercise journey has been never ending. I am coming up on 4 years of living a healthy lifestyle - for the most part - and i just never thought it would be an endless thing. It's so strange. When I first went into it - I told myself it was a "lifestyle change" - but so many people say that, and so few stick to it or even imagine what that entails. Even when I said that - I really didn't think it would be a lifestyle change... Even still now - I don't think of it like that... For some reason - I just keep going though. And believe me when I say - it has not been one down hill battle... My weight and size fluctuate like crazy - I have never really got to one spot where I've been settled and happy with my size/body composition, and I could say - "I am done now" - I guess that's what keeps me going? But even with in that, I still fluctuate so much - I feel like I am in this constant wave of gain/lose... Right now I am trying to lose again after gaining over my Nov trip/Christmas/Jan trip - and even though I was very diligent between those things - I still managed to go up a full size - which I am not proud of myself for at all, I am quite embarrassed about it - to be honest... but it is what it is - and I am not a failure until I quit... And I am not quitting. So, like I always say - I'll just keep moving forward, in the hopes that some day I will reach my goal. Thank you for always cheering me on!

How great that Allison will do the Whole30 with you. Crossing my fingers that she will stick to it all the way.

Sounds like you got at lot done yesterday.

I hope the weather doesn't get too bad where you are.


Esmeralda refuses to eat from her bowl that she normally eats from. She refused to eat all evening yesterday. Before I went to bed I tried to feed her from my hand with her normal dry food. She ate I then remembered that she has refused to eat like this before and last time she ate her normal dry food if it was served straight on the floor. So I put some dry food on the floor and got ready for the night. She then ate the food I had given her on the floor. So right before I went to bed I gave her some more food from her bowl on the floor. I had the food on the floor right in front of her bowl with food so she hopefully would start eating from her bowl again. I woke up during the night (as I normally do) and went to the toilet and saw that she had eaten up the food on the floor. So I gave her some more food on the floor. Again she ate it while I stood there watching. So I put some more food straight on the floor before I went to bed again. When I got up again the food I had on the floor was gone again. So once again I left food on the floor. This morning there were 4 pieces left on the floor. This is a good start. Now I just have to try and figure out how I can get her to eat from the bowl again. But at least she is eating and we don't have to go back to the vet.

I bought me a new mobile phone LG G4 a few weeks ago, but I haven't wanted to start using it before I got a screen protector from armorsuit.com I have used this shield on my tablet and on some other electronics and I think armorsuit has the easiest shield to mount on the phone. Well yesterday my shield arrived and I got it on my phone. The phone and shield has to be left alone over night to get the shield to set. Today I got all the data from my old Samsung phone to my new phone. It took a few hours to get my new phone as I want although I could transfer all the data over pretty easy.

I sure hope she is able to - it would be a great lesson to her in healthy eating. She is doing very well, completing day 4 yesterday.

I am so happy that Esmeralda is eating again - what a relief for you!

And congrats on your new phone. I have an LG G3 and I love it! Some day, I hope to have the G4, as I have heard that it's a really great upgrade from the G3 (some upgrades aren't all that great because of the changes they make to them).

Yay for getting some prep in for the W30. I saw your comment on menopause. My mom was finished with menopause by 40. Both my sister and I are past that age and haven't had any symptoms. The doctor laughed at her too, but there was a test she could do (?) and it came back she was post-menopausal. The entire time she was having horrible night sweats the doctor told her that it was impossible. It was the new doctor (we moved to Colorado) that told her that she was post menopausal.

I think the Europe trip is an amazing opportunity for both girls. Marissa was torn between her year in Japan (which she needs for her major) or the DCP. I told her that she should try for both. She is on schedule to graduate in the 4 years, so why not take time for the DCP too. She has lots of years to adult later.

This is interesting... Yes - something is definitely going on with me. I have my annual physical in March - I will talk to my Dr about it then.

I am excited for them to go and experience it. I am not excited for them to be away from me for so long... That part will be very difficult. What an awesome opportunity for Marissa - I agree, if she can do both - I sure would! I agree - they have so many years to be an adult - no need to grow up too fast! Please keep me updated with what she decides.

Hope all is well D~!


Still following along on both your TR and PTR!

Thanks for asking! All is well - just been a bit busy over the last few days... Trying to catch up here today.

I can't believe from how far behind I am. Please forgive me! Guess I have a lot to catch up on while I am working tomorrow
Poor Alli with her wisdom teeth. It's just awful when things don't go accordingly. Hope your dad is doing okay. I am so sorry about Sandra. Just breaks my heart. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.
Things have settled down here. Trying to adjust to things. We did welcome a new member into our family, and her arrival was perfect timing. View attachment 149444 We needed some joy in our lives.
Back to catching up.

No worries at all!!! You have the best excuse ever! How exciting!!! She is just precious!!!! Congratulations! I am so glad that she is the joy you needed in your life - babies are always such a wonderful gift!

**************************************************************************************

Sorry that I've been MIA for a couple of days... I knew life would get a bit busy for me this week - so I kind of expected this to happen.

Let's see... I had a really long shift at Target on Wed.... So that occupied my whole day. I am not used to such a long shift there anymore - but it looks to be continuing next week too... Sigh. Oh well - at least i am there long enough to get a lunch, so my feet don't bother me too much. That lunch and being able to sit for 30 minutes is very helpful.

Yesterday, V had a college visit at an art school... It went amazing, and it looks like she has found her college. She is very excited. Now, if she gets accepted. She was able to show some of her portfolio to the Dean - and she was very impressed. So, we are hopeful for her. It is possible, if she is accepted before her senior year starts - she will be able to do some PSEO work during her Senior year towards her degree. We are all very excited for her!

What else? Um... Allison and I are knee deep into our Whole30... It is going very well for both of us. I am so proud of her - it's so hard for her to go to school and watch all of her friends eat crap, yet she is sticking to it. I am just thankful for each day she makes it through. I know she is determined to see if this does anything to reduce her psoriasis naturally, and I sure hope it does! This could lead her into a very rewarding and healthy lifestyle in the future.

But this also means a LOT of food prep for me - as I am doing my best to keep her successful... So, I am making her breakfast every morning and packing her lunches for her - at least setting her up for success during the day. The evenings are much easier because we eat the same thing for dinner - so I just make more of what I am having.

No news from my dad... I've been too busy these last few days and haven't had a chance to check up with him about his new bed and how his legs are doing. I plan to call him today.

I will be heavy lifting this morning...

Then I will be in my sewing room all day.

I hope you all have a great day! Prayers and Pixie Dust to all!

D~

 

[Clio]

How exciting for V I hope she gets into the school. I'm glad Allison is trying the whole 30 with you. Eating right is so important, There's so much junk in food.
Sorry about the long day at Target. Look at it this way, you can get more done when you're there for a longer period of time.
It's been fairly uneventful at work other than the changes home office is making. We have a new assistant over us. She's really nice. Photo is it's usually pain. If I didn't call Fuji a few times a week they'd probably thing something was wrong with me. A tech did call me last week because we'd had a regional power ft and needed to put us back on line. The power was out for most of the area I live in. What was weird was that even my daughter had no power and her city has its own power plant. Luckily, we all got our lights back in a few hours but it was cold.
Have a good day
Liz

 

[Terkina]

How exciting about V's college visit.

Sounds like a good idea that you make breakfast and school lunch for Allison so it's easier for her to follow the Whole30 even if it's hard for her at school watching all her friends eating crap.

I hope you get some good news from your dad soon.


Esmeralda has been eating and no vomiting, but she hadn't pooed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. So my plan was to call the vet again on Thursday if she still hadn't pooped when I got out of bed. Luckily she pooed on Thursday. And she started to eat her food straight from her bowl again. Now I'm hoping this continues.

 

[Born 2B a Princess]

Exciting about V's college visit -- that's great! We think our younger daughter has finally decided on a college (and it's the one we want her to go to -- yea!) so now we just cross our fingers and hope she gets in when she applies next year. It's the same college our older daughter is at...but it turns out that our older daughter will be able to graduate next April (only three and a half years to do her bachelor's degree including a minor -- wow!).....so the girls won't be at the college together at the same time, which is something we had really hoped for. :-( Oh well......

It sounds like the Whole 30 is going well for both you and Allison. Thanks for the info -- I'm going to look into it more. I've got time on weekends to do advance prep work, so I'm going to look into it more and see if it's something would be do-able for me.

 

[Sweetly]

How exciting for V on her college visits!! I have my fingers crossed that all works out for her.
Thank you for the wishes. She is just so sweet, unfortunately we will not officially meet her until the spring. Thank goodness for skype or facetime.
So glad that the Whole 30 is working out for All ~ even at school! I am hoping to get back to walking/running, it will be hard as I do not have my partner anymore.
Work is busy for some reason today. Have a wonderful weekend!

 

[DMGeurts]

How exciting for V I hope she gets into the school. I'm glad Allison is trying the whole 30 with you. Eating right is so important, There's so much junk in food.
Sorry about the long day at Target. Look at it this way, you can get more done when you're there for a longer period of time.
It's been fairly uneventful at work other than the changes home office is making. We have a new assistant over us. She's really nice. Photo is it's usually pain. If I didn't call Fuji a few times a week they'd probably thing something was wrong with me. A tech did call me last week because we'd had a regional power ft and needed to put us back on line. The power was out for most of the area I live in. What was weird was that even my daughter had no power and her city has its own power plant. Luckily, we all got our lights back in a few hours but it was cold.
Have a good day
Liz

Yes - it is pretty exciting. I have no idea how long it will take for us to find out? But we are very excited for her!

So far, so good with Allison (and my) Whole30... I am very proud of her!

Hahaha... Yah - I did get a lot more done, for sure.

Sounds like you've had a crazy and interesting week.

How exciting about V's college visit.

Sounds like a good idea that you make breakfast and school lunch for Allison so it's easier for her to follow the Whole30 even if it's hard for her at school watching all her friends eating crap.

I hope you get some good news from your dad soon.

Esmeralda has been eating and no vomiting, but she hadn't pooed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. So my plan was to call the vet again on Thursday if she still hadn't pooped when I got out of bed. Luckily she pooed on Thursday. And she started to eat her food straight from her bowl again. Now I'm hoping this continues.

Glad to hear that all is good - I also hope it continues.

Exciting about V's college visit -- that's great! We think our younger daughter has finally decided on a college (and it's the one we want her to go to -- yea!) so now we just cross our fingers and hope she gets in when she applies next year. It's the same college our older daughter is at...but it turns out that our older daughter will be able to graduate next April (only three and a half years to do her bachelor's degree including a minor -- wow!).....so the girls won't be at the college together at the same time, which is something we had really hoped for. Oh well......

It sounds like the Whole 30 is going well for both you and Allison. Thanks for the info -- I'm going to look into it more. I've got time on weekends to do advance prep work, so I'm going to look into it more and see if it's something would be do-able for me.

That is very exciting - for both of your girls! What an amazing accomplishment - she must be so proud! As I am sure you are too! Bummer that they won't be there together, but hopefully it will go well - and maybe your older dd can come back for a weekend or something and show her the ropes?

It's going very well for us... I feel really good, and I think Allison does too. I sure hope it's something she is able to carry out, I know I will - but she's never really done anything like this... I took me 2 (almost 3) years to build up to a Whole30, and for her to do it "cold turkey" - well, it's an amazing accomplishment as it sits right now, and even more amazing if she is able to make it to 30 days. I have my fingers crossed for her, and I am doing everything I can to help her be successful - but I am trying not to nag too much.

I hope you do look into it... It's not easy - but it's not as hard as a person might think it would be either - once you get going on it, it's pretty easy, and many people find it hard to go back to eating normal foods again - just because they've learned so much about those food and how they affect their body... It's a game changer for sure.

How exciting for V on her college visits!! I have my fingers crossed that all works out for her.
Thank you for the wishes. She is just so sweet, unfortunately we will not officially meet her until the spring. Thank goodness for skype or facetime.
So glad that the Whole 30 is working out for All ~ even at school! I am hoping to get back to walking/running, it will be hard as I do not have my partner anymore.
Work is busy for some reason today. Have a wonderful weekend!

Thank you - we are so excited for her.

You are welcome!!! So, I was a bit confused yesterday - as you could probably tell by my response to you... Sometimes it's a dangerous thing that I do my replies so early - before I finish that first cup of coffee...

So, I am trying to figure out who the baby is? I was obviously confused yesterday. I am trying to tap into my memory, but I am a little annoyed with myself that I can't remember, because I feel like you've told me? Regardless - She is a beautiful baby and I am glad that you get to see her via Skype and Facetime... We do a lot of that with BMTL, and it helps a lot with missing them.

I am so sorry that these last few weeks/month have been so hard on you... It's so devistating when you lose a pet... They are family and they are our kids. Losing Rufus was one of the hardest things in my life - to this day, he is irreplaceable, and we still talk of him often, share stories and laugh. So, biggest hugs to you! I hope that you are able to find your motivation to walk/run again, it can't be easy, but it's such a good form of relaxation and exercise... I find that I am much more centered when I am doing it.

I hope your day at work was great and you also have a nice weekend. :lovestrufc

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

So, yesterday was much of the same...

I prepared Allison's breakfast and lunch...

Then I worked out... Heavy lifted actually.

After that - I ate breakfast.

And went straight upstairs to work.

In between - I worked on laundry... I am very embarrassed to say that I finally have all of my trip clothes washed and put away... It took way too long. It's easy to ignore them though, when they are the wrong season to be wearing at home. So, needless to say - I washed pretty much my entire 4 season wardrobe yesterday. It's a relief to have that done!

I even had a very short nap, until V woke me up, reminding me that I had to pick her up because she had a test to take after school. So, I flew out of bed to run to town to grab her, and be back in time for Allison to take my car to work.

We had a nice evening... I spent my night in my recliner on my tablet, catching up on Facebook and just being lazy. It was nice.

Today - I am going to be working my taxes for my business (I hate this time of year... I am thankful for Josh though - because he keeps me on my toes...) - I will also be working upstairs for a while too... Hoping to finish up this week's custom order.

I also hope to work on some food prep for the week - either today or tomorrow? So, Allison and I are set up for a great Whole30 week.

That's about all...

Oh - in V's trip news... She is working diligently trying to narrow down her choices for table service meals. I've given her the limit of 2 character meals and 2 non-character meals... However, if she wants to trade in her 2 non-character meals for 1 character meal, she can do that too. The poor girl has a list of about 10 must-do character meals. LOL I have a feeling it's going to be a VERY tough decision for her.

And since she saw how much FUN we had at Universal... She has decided that she definitely wants that in our plans too... Originally - she wanted to do MNSSHP as her "extra" fun thing... But now - she wants U/S... Again - like I told Allison with Cirque/US - i am only paying for ONE, not both... So, if she wants to do MNSSHP that badly - she will have to come up with a way to pay for both of us to go... She is pretty talented, so I am sure she will find a way.

As of now, our trip budget looks a little like this - thankfully - I have Allison's to go off of, an their trips are very nearly identical - so I have good #s...

Hotel = $710, balance = $540
Airfare = $500 (budgeted)
Food = Disney GCs $800 & Cash = $400
Park Ticket = 4 day Military Salute for V is $200, I still have my AP.
Universal tickets = $320
Town Car = $160 (including tip)
MNSSHP = Paid for by V... If she decides to pay for it.

Am I missing anything? I am hoping for no baggage fees, because I am hoping to fly SW... Otherwise - I will have to add $100 into my airfare budget for that.

OK all - have a marvelous day and a great weekend!

D~

 

[Terkina]

Sounds like you had a good day yesterday.

It sounds like it's going to be tough for V to decide which character meals to choose.

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

I believe Universal's Halloween Horror Nights are very popular. I don't know anything about it or if the park closes earlier. Might be interesting to check into.

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Hey D! Sorry no replies from me for the past couple of days. I went home over the weekend to see some family and friends and didn't have much time to stop by. I am here now, very late lol, but all caught up! I hope you and your family have/had a wonderful weekend!

Yes - it will be awesome for her - I am nervous about having her away for so long... but we'll be able to skype a lot - I hope and it will just be an amazing thing for her - I am sure of it! I just want them to be able to experience life while they are young. I will keep you updated

YES! Skype is such a wonderful thing when you have family/friends that are away. I skype with my friends all the time since we are all away at school! It helps not seeing them in person. And of course, I feel like experiencing life at our age is so important if it's possible. It's at this point in our lives that we are not fully adults yet, but well on our way...crazy thought but true! I really want to do the Disney College Program...that would be my adventure Have either of your girls ever expressed interest in the DCP?
But yes, I would love updates!

Thanks! I feel like my food/diet/exercise journey has been never ending. I am coming up on 4 years of living a healthy lifestyle - for the most part - and i just never thought it would be an endless thing. It's so strange. When I first went into it - I told myself it was a "lifestyle change" - but so many people say that, and so few stick to it or even imagine what that entails. Even when I said that - I really didn't think it would be a lifestyle change... Even still now - I don't think of it like that... For some reason - I just keep going though. And believe me when I say - it has not been one down hill battle... My weight and size fluctuate like crazy - I have never really got to one spot where I've been settled and happy with my size/body composition, and I could say - "I am done now" - I guess that's what keeps me going? But even with in that, I still fluctuate so much - I feel like I am in this constant wave of gain/lose... Right now I am trying to lose again after gaining over my Nov trip/Christmas/Jan trip - and even though I was very diligent between those things - I still managed to go up a full size - which I am not proud of myself for at all, I am quite embarrassed about it - to be honest... but it is what it is - and I am not a failure until I quit... And I am not quitting. So, like I always say - I'll just keep moving forward, in the hopes that some day I will reach my goal. Thank you for always cheering me on!

Oh your welcome! You are an inspiration of how far you have come and how you have sticked with everything, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. You just seem to have a great attitude through it all, and keep your head held high. And you look fabulous, not just from all your hard work, but from the beautiful smile on your face! I look forward to continue to read about your journey!

Let's see... I had a really long shift at Target on Wed.... So that occupied my whole day. I am not used to such a long shift there anymore - but it looks to be continuing next week too... Sigh. Oh well - at least i am there long enough to get a lunch, so my feet don't bother me too much. That lunch and being able to sit for 30 minutes is very helpful.

Oh gosh, I know the feeling lol. When I am not away at school, I work at a local supermarket, and it's all day on my feet, but lunch break is always a great part of the day!

Yesterday, V had a college visit at an art school... It went amazing, and it looks like she has found her college. She is very excited. Now, if she gets accepted. She was able to show some of her portfolio to the Dean - and she was very impressed. So, we are hopeful for her. It is possible, if she is accepted before her senior year starts - she will be able to do some PSEO work during her Senior year towards her degree. We are all very excited for her!

That is fabulous! I have seen some of her artwork that she has posted and it always looks professional! She has such a beautiful talent...I really wish her the best of luck for getting in the school.

Oh - in V's trip news... She is working diligently trying to narrow down her choices for table service meals. I've given her the limit of 2 character meals and 2 non-character meals... However, if she wants to trade in her 2 non-character meals for 1 character meal, she can do that too. The poor girl has a list of about 10 must-do character meals. LOL I have a feeling it's going to be a VERY tough decision for her.

Oh poor girl! Character meals are always so much fun! Maybe she would want to do one with "furry friends", (I know you all love CP), and then a princess one?

And since she saw how much FUN we had at Universal... She has decided that she definitely wants that in our plans too... Originally - she wanted to do MNSSHP as her "extra" fun thing... But now - she wants U/S... Again - like I told Allison with Cirque/US - i am only paying for ONE, not both... So, if she wants to do MNSSHP that badly - she will have to come up with a way to pay for both of us to go... She is pretty talented, so I am sure she will find a way.

I am SO excited to hear about Universal in your TR! I really hope she finds a way to do it as well. You do have a good amount of time before her trip, perfect amount to save up!

 

[DMGeurts]

Sounds like you had a good day yesterday.

It sounds like it's going to be tough for V to decide which character meals to choose.

It was nice...

And it's going to be a very tough decision for her - thankfully she has a bit of time to decide yet.

I believe Universal's Halloween Horror Nights are very popular. I don't know anything about it or if the park closes earlier. Might be interesting to check into.

Ack!!! I didn't even think of this! That is not something that interests me at all - so, we will have to see what the US schedule looks like for that week? I have no doubt that we can get all of HP done again in a partial day.

Hey D! Sorry no replies from me for the past couple of days. I went home over the weekend to see some family and friends and didn't have much time to stop by. I am here now, very late lol, but all caught up! I hope you and your family have/had a wonderful weekend!


YES! Skype is such a wonderful thing when you have family/friends that are away. I skype with my friends all the time since we are all away at school! It helps not seeing them in person. And of course, I feel like experiencing life at our age is so important if it's possible. It's at this point in our lives that we are not fully adults yet, but well on our way...crazy thought but true! I really want to do the Disney College Program...that would be my adventure Have either of your girls ever expressed interest in the DCP?
But yes, I would love updates!

Oh your welcome! You are an inspiration of how far you have come and how you have sticked with everything, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. You just seem to have a great attitude through it all, and keep your head held high. And you look fabulous, not just from all your hard work, but from the beautiful smile on your face! I look forward to continue to read about your journey!

Oh gosh, I know the feeling lol. When I am not away at school, I work at a local supermarket, and it's all day on my feet, but lunch break is always a great part of the day!

That is fabulous! I have seen some of her artwork that she has posted and it always looks professional! She has such a beautiful talent...I really wish her the best of luck for getting in the school.

Oh poor girl! Character meals are always so much fun! Maybe she would want to do one with "furry friends", (I know you all love CP), and then a princess one?

I am SO excited to hear about Universal in your TR! I really hope she finds a way to do it as well. You do have a good amount of time before her trip, perfect amount to save up!

Hi Alison!!! It sounds like you had a good trip - I hope you were able to see and spend time with all of the family and friends you were meaning to.

I sure wish we would have had Skype when Josh was in Iraq... That would have been so nice! Back then - all we had was email, and it was, for the most part, insecure - so not much communication. The internet and video type chatting has come so far in the last 10 years and especially the last 5.

Thank you - sometimes I am my worst enemy... I am such a procrastinator and I always have to bribe myself with food... Can't have breakfast until I work out... Can't have lunch until I get this bag cut out... LOL But it seems to work for me.

Yes - I am very excited for V and her school... The is so decisive about it - which is good. She is definitely not the one we thought would be that way. LOL

See, and V is my "Character child" - she is the one who will stand in lines all day long just to meet characters. LOL I am going to have a blast with her on this trip, because we will be getting lots of character interaction. So, hopefully she can narrow down her meals a little bit - because if I didn't give her a limit, she'd be eating a character meal at every meal - LOL - and I cannot afford that.

I have one more update to do - then I'll be doing Universal... So, I may even get to that today? US is going to be a huge and long update - I have sooo many pictures from that day! And almost all of them are HP.

It's great to have you back Alison!

**********************************************************************************************

I had a pretty good day yesterday - I was lazy in the morning with my coffee, and churned out a few updates to my TR - that felt really good. I hope to do one or two more today, and at least get started on the Universal portion.

Allison and I did some Whole30 cooking yesterday... She texted me yesterday morning (she stayed over at Marah's house on Friday night...) and I was just so excited for her! As I have said before, a couple of years ago, her Dermatologist recommended that she give up grains, because it would improve her psoriasis greatly.... She's given it a few half-hearted attempts over the last couple of years, lasting a few hours or a day at the most... She's been so dedicated this time, doing the Whole30 - and I am just so proud of her, every day is a struggle - between watching her friends eat junk and just the temptation of every day teen life. To say I am proud of her - well, it's just a true understatement. I am so thankful for each and every day that she continues on the Whole30 - today will be day 6 for her, and she is already seeing significant changes! I cannot wait to see what the next 24 days bring for her... and even if she doesn't make it through the whole 30 day process, I think that even just these first days have been a true eye opener for her!

Anyways... After we had done some cooking... I got a text from my foster-mom, telling me they were stopping by on their way through. Siigh - I still had all of my Christmas bins in the living room... I know, I know... So - that was just the motivation I needed to kick myself in the pants and haul them all down to the basement. I should have done it when I got home from my trip, but I just keep avoiding it... Now that it's done though - it feels good to have it done. We also did a little tidying up around the house.

We had a super nice visit with them - I love seeing them... They also offered their new "Man Cave" to use for Allison's grad party - which we didn't ever even think to have it anywhere else, but here... So, that's a decision we need to decide on soon. There are pluses and minuses to having it at either place... If we have it there - most all of our family is in that area - so Allison will have a lot more family at her grad party. If we have it here, besides having really no place to host anyone big enough - most of our family won't come, because it's so far away. So, we will need to figure this out soon. We'll see...

On top of that - my foster dad offered to help me out with advocating for my Dad's health... I am VERY clueless when it comes to this sort of thing, and my foster parents are super knowledgeable - not only do they both work in a nursing home - my foster mom is a DON, and my foster dad has been the main person advocating for his mom's health care (remember, she just passed this summer...) - so their knowledge in this area is quite impressive, and to have them on our side would just be a great thing. So, this is something I am seriously considering... I just don't want to take advantage - ya know? I am sure, when they took me into their home, almost 30 years ago, they never thought they'd still be helping me out now. I am so lucky to have them though.

Alrighty....

Josh and I went out for dinner last night... Just to the local bar/restaurant... I had prime rib with a dry baked potato... Not my favorite - the whole meal was a little dry... since I had nothing with me that was Whole30 approved for dipping... But it wasn't the worst. I still have half of my prime rib steak to eat today... So, I will make my own baked potato to go with it - and this time I will have some ghee to put on it.

Then we came home and rented "The Martian" with Matt Damon... Excellent, excellent movie! I was even able to stay awake through out the whole thing.

Partially because Allison was driving home in blizzard conditions last night... There were several accidents and spin outs on our highway yesterday - and I was a total wreck about her driving home in the dark. Thankfully she made it OK - and she said the only really bad part was the 1 mile of the hwy she had to be on, the rest of the roads home were OK. I am just glad she made it.

Today... Well, I never made it up to my sewing room yesterday... So, I need to make it up there at some point.

I also have to run to town to grab eggs... Allison and I have been going through them like crazy!

That's about all! Oh and I hope to do a couple of TR updates too.

Have a great remainder to your weekend!

D~

 

[Terkina]

How great that Allison is noticing a difference eating the Whole 30 food. I'm guessing the changes she is seeing on her body will motivate her to continue on this diet.

I think it's great that your foster parents offer to help you advocating for your Dad's health. I think you should accept and say yes to the help. It's so much easier to struggle when having someone by your side than to struggle alone.

I'm glad Allison made it home safe and sound. Now she got some practice driving in those conditions so the next time she has to drive under conditions like that she know she can do it.


Yesterday Ulf and I went to a birthday party to a geocaching friend of ours. It turned out to be a nice party because we stayed until the bitter end at 2AM.
My cat Esmeralda is doing ok. I'm so relieved. It looks like she her stomach isn't quite normal yet, but it's getting better. So I hope it will be back to normal soon.

 

[Sweetly]

So glad that Alli is sticking with the Whole30. It is so hard when you are out and eating with your friends. Amazing how you can change something and how far it an take you.
Looks like the V's trip will be just about the same. Nice when you can almost stay in the same budget and not break the bank.
Glad Alli made it home safe and sound. Especially in blizzard conditions.
No worries about forgetting about the baby. I honestly don't remember if I said anything. The baby is my great niece. She has an older sister (who will be 3 soon)~ so far no jealousy; she is smitten with the baby and a big helper. Plus the fact when we facetime/Skype we spend most of the time talking with her. The 3 year old, is a little firecracker. Oh, the things that come out of her mouth. Nothing bad, but it is truly amazing the things she has learned in just a few years.
Thank you for your condolences. I know life will go on. It has not been that long since he passed. He will always have a special place in my heart. We still have another dog, who needs our attention (and gets plenty).
Enjoy your day!

 

[Clio]

I'm glad Allison is seeing results for doing Whole 30. She driving home in blizzard conditions sounds scary. I hate driving in snow storms. Sorry your dinner last night wasn't the best. Hopefully you can doctor it up so the leftovers are better. It's great to heard that your foster parents are willing to help with your dad.
Remember when I told you about the problems with one of the instant kiosk at work? Well the tech came in and "fixed it". It worked for a total of 30 minutes. Other than that, the day went well. It was a busy Saturday. The weather was nice, so people were out shopping. We sold several 60" tvs.
Today my daughter is supposed to stop by. My blue ray player and tv won't talk to each other. I don't watch football and would really like to watch some of the movies I own instead of watching netflix. I also have to hem to pairs of curtains for my bedroom.
Have to good day.
Liz

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

If your foster parents didn't want to help, they wouldn't have offered. Plus, there are many foster parents out there that have lost contact with their foster kids and wonder if they are OK. They love that you are still part of their lives.

I am pretty sure V is resourceful enough to find the funds. It is really wonderful how they each will have a trip of their own.

 

[Wood Nymph]

On top of that - my foster dad offered to help me out with advocating for my Dad's health... I am VERY clueless when it comes to this sort of thing, and my foster parents are super knowledgeable - not only do they both work in a nursing home - my foster mom is a DON, and my foster dad has been the main person advocating for his mom's health care (remember, she just passed this summer...) - so their knowledge in this area is quite impressive, and to have them on our side would just be a great thing. So, this is something I am seriously considering... I just don't want to take advantage - ya know? I am sure, when they took me into their home, almost 30 years ago, they never thought they'd still be helping me out now. I am so lucky to have them though.

This is really nice of them to help you out with your dad. If they know the ins and outs of the system already then they will be able to do a lot for him.

V's trip sounds like it will be really fun. I like character meals, too, because the characters come to you. But they are expensive.