What's so funny?

While I was packing away the last of my scrapbooking stuff, I took a break to look over some vacation shots from this past January. Do you ever look at a picture of someone laughing and wonder..."What's so funny?" Well this is one of my favorite pictures ever! It reminded me of how much fun I had on vacation with my friends and how easy it is to laugh when I'm with them. At the time I didn't realize someone was taking pictures of me taking pictures! First I had to get the camera ready on the convenient rock partially buried by beach sand. No problems so far. Set the timer, press the button and strike a pose before the little flashing light stops flashing!Then I quickly crawled/scooted in reverse to my spot which is not as easy to do as one might think. I'm sure I was a complete uncoordinated dork! I soon realized I still had my swimsuit coverup on and didn't want to lay in the water with it on so I whipped it off over my head, knocking my glasses all crooked, and tried to throw it away from me. It didn't go very far and pretty much landed in the water anyway!

Rita is pointing that out to me in this photo with her, "What the hell?" face.


Somehow they all managed to pull themselves together and smile cutely, while I just kept laughing! That was a great day!

A smile...pass it on!

Lately I've been feeling that I haven't made enough of a conscious effort to be kind to others because I've been consumed with fixing the house, packing, etc. When I started my journal last year, my original intent was to do something kind for someone everyday. It didn't take me long to figure out that there were a ton of days when I didn't see anyone. Every once in a while my sister would call and my "Hello" would be more like a croak and I'd realize I hadn't spoken yet that day. Anyway, my daily act of kindness idea fell by the wayside in the hussle-bussle of my life...and seriously...I KNOW my life is not nearly as busy as most job holding, kid raising, life livin' people out there! I really don't know how you all do it! In my search for ideas on simple things to do for others, I ended up Googling "pay it forward" and this is what caught my eye:

~The many wonderful things a simple upturned line on your face can do. Did you know that it only takes seventeen face muscles to smile and, in contrast, a whopping forty-three muscles for your mouth to go the other way? Yet smiles are often underused, under-rated and under-appreciated. A simple smile can make the world a better and brighter place if only everyone took more time to do it and really mean it. ~

Here are some of my favorite "SMILE!" photos.

200...again!

I've lost 2 lbs. this week again. This is what I figure...I've removed my tally board from the blog because if I keep gaining and losing the same two pounds on alternate weeks, by the end of a year I'll have tallied 50 pounds lost and still weigh 200 pounds...seriously?...what's the point? That doesn't mean I'm giving up by any means! I'm still determined to continue with healthy lifestyle choices and see where it leads me. I think I lost a couple pounds because I've been very busy with life. This is the exercise I've had this week:
Packing and hauling stuff - up and down stairs a lot!
Scraping, plastering, and painting the laundryroom
Pulling up carpet and padding and hauling it away
Cleaning the garage.
Another thing that helped me is that I don't have a lot of junk food in my house so even if I feel like eating it, it's just not here to eat. I still plan on weighing in each Wednesday because I think it will help me stay true to my goal of healthier living! My exercise goal this week is to bust out my bike and go for a ride at least 4 times this week...now that sound like fun and a great stress reliever!

Reminiscing...

Bye, Bye Blackfoot! I haven't talked about it much for fear that I would jinks it, but after a great 26+ year run, we've sold our house. It's been a busy time trying to finish all the unfinished projects and there are plenty of them! I have a couple before pictures of our latest project- the laundryroom- but I don't have the after pictures yet so more on that later. It should be done in a couple of days. Earlier this week the appraiser from the buyers bank was here inspecting the place (measuring,taking notes, taking pictures, asking questions). I've been trying to look at our home objectively but it's hard when you've been at a place so long - and built it yourself. After the inspector left, I took my own pictures standing where he had stood so I could try to seewhat he was seeing. (There's a pile of trim boards hiding behind the chairs just waiting for us to install!) (notice the partial crown moulding - yet to be finished)
Overall, I think it looks pretty good all cleaned up. We've also been working at sprucing up the yard. Bricklayers came on Sunday to finish the brickwork that was started many, many years ago and it looks great. New mulch was added to the trees and swingset area just to freshen it up a bit. I remember when Steve and I bought the supplies to build the swingset for our little kids. We gathered up all the junk metal and a couple junker cars that had collected in our sandburr filled yard of the ninteen hundred and eighties. We dropped all of it off at the junkyard and took the money to Menards for supplies. Gone was the "Pinto-bomb" wood sided station wagon decorating our landscape and in it's place was the swingset. It got a facelift a couple of years ago to make it more Grandkid friendly and now it's the first place they go running to when they come visit. We'll be leaving it here for the next owners who have a little boy and another baby on the way - many more years of fun just waiting to happen!

Aurgh!

Another Wednesday = another pound gained and feeling like I don't care so much about that today. I've been sick since last Saturday and have lost focus on ...well just about everything. To sum it up - I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired! If I could just get rid of this cough I'll be on my way to a healthy me and a good night's sleep. Right now I'm going to go outside and soak up some sunshine...put a smile on my face... and just keep swimming!

48.6 Pounds Lost

How long is forever?.....Apparently one week! Last week I said goodbye to the 200's FOREVER but now I'm back in them. I weighed myself last week at Heidi's house so I'm not sure if the gain is the difference in our scales or if it's me. I've been stressing this week about work and eating more than usual so I'll assume it's a little of both. Well, after today the books will be turned over to our accountant for 2009 taxes and I'll be free to procrastinate for another year. Thanks to whoever lost the pound this week! I'm hoping to help out this coming week and reloose(?)...again...the same f*#@* two pounds I lost before. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.....just keep swimming....;)

Dilworth, MN (right next door to Moorhead,MN)

What's in Dilworth?....Some of the best cousins ever. My cousin Tami and her husband Jeff celebrated their 25th anniversary on Saturday. Cassie and I made the trek to the Dilworth VFW to join in the surprise - which by the way was a surprising success! Tami had NO idea their would be about 100 people waiting for them! Here's Tami with her new coffee maker - unfortunately most of the pictures I got of her were with her eyes closed!This is Becky and Tami watching a video of "The Jeff and Tami Years." They later wowed the crowd with their rendition of "Sisters" from the movie "A White Christmas." They couldn't remember all the words so they just made them up as they went along.

Aunt Margie was excited to see Cassie. She told us the story of how she watched Cassie when Mom was hit by the train. That was in 1965 or 1966 so Cassie was just a toddler. It was great to visit with all the cousins and I'm looking forward to seeing them again in May when we make a trip up there to put flowers on the family graves in the area. Of course on that trip we'll make some time to sing karaoke at Tami's - always a blast!

47.6 Pounds Lost!

Yeah, that's right...I said 47.6! I lost 3 pounds last week and am saying goodbye to the 200's forever - sitting at 198 now!! Brandyn logged in at 3 pounds down just so he could be cool like me - I say that not him. I'm not sure who logged the 2 pounds but I'm betting on Kim - great job! The other 20 pounds was lost by Heidi over the last couple weeks - granted eight pounds of that is sitting here looking at me - Hi Tanner- but I'm soooo taking it as part of our tally. My tally --my rules! I have been taking my vitamins, fish oil, and other suppliments regularily for 3 weeks now and I can really tell the difference. My cravings are way down, mostly gone really. My "Change your Brain, Change your Body " book says that by feeding your brain what it needs, cravings will be reduced - so far so good. Also, it takes about 30 days for your skin to replace itself with new skin so I'm waiting to reep that benefit soon also. This weeks goal is to increase my exercising. I'm hoping that once I get back home, I WILL get into a routine that works for me. Here's to a great week ahead!

You're never too old to learn!

Butt vs. Buck...I always say "buck naked" but according to this month's Cosmo, it's "butt naked". Not only that, there are 50 things I can do while I'm "butt". I could only think of skinny dipping, showering and sex. Who knew there may be 47 more? I feel so foolish! Wait a minute...also according to Cosmo I can make everyone wish they were me... I thought they already did, learn my man's sex language ...because "let's do it!" isn't clear enough, and that there are GPS like directions to my G-Spot....like men ever stop to ask directions.

The basement dweller's (baby chick's) left Paul and Heidi's for the farm ending the pleasant chirping heard through the air ducts. Paul bought a few chick's for the kids to play with over the Easter weekend and on Saturday they were all given a bath with Tanner's baby bath soap so they would smell fresh and clean. It was nice of Paul to think of something fun for the kids. I especially love the toilet paper holder turned chicken feeder...leave it to Paul! It was great weather for everyone to spend time outside. Jada and Niya stayed busy scootering up and down the sidewalk in front of the house. Get a load of Jada's, "I SAID... I want you to go on a walk with me!" , face!

19.6 POUNDS LOST!

Amanda lost another pound this week bringing the total lost so far to nearly 20 pounds. Thanks for the inspiration, it really helps me to keep trying. I also lost a pound but it was the same pound I lost 2 weeks ago, gained back during my "Tanner" week, and relost it again-so it doesn't really count. I'm away from home again this week but this time I've packed a cooler with yummy healthy foods - fresh fruit and veggies, yogurt, sandwiches and protein bars. By doing this, I've avoided any fast food temptations - in fact we haven't stopped to eat anywhere. I know this week will be a good one - I feel very motivated - maybe it's the warm weather!

Are we there yet?

Whew! A thirteen hour driving marathon is not my idea of a great time...but we finally arrived in Malvern, Arkansas last night. I did the driving while Steve worked on the phone and the computer. It was a very productive day for him with his personal chauffeur at the wheel. He had to take the truck with him today but tomorrow I'll be able to drive him to work so I'll have my own wheels to do some exploring. Malvern is very near Hot Springs so I think I'll head in that direction. So...what to do today? First - workout. Second - swimming. Third - work while watching HGTV(LOVE IT!) I'm heading out for a walk this afternoon - 84 and Sunny in Malvern!
I lost a day somewhere this week and realized it was the Tuesday I spent exploring Eau Claire. I found an AWESOME antique store called "Antique Emporium" in the old downtown part of town. It was more like a museum than a store. Tons to look at! If you are in the market for anything stuffed-as in previous living things-this is the store for you. Seriously hundreds of anythings -alligator, badger, calf, birds, wild bore, any head with antlers - a HAMMERHEAD SHARK FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!! I controlled myself on the dead animals and purchased a beautiful vase - it looks like water and the color reminds me of the ocean. I'd show you a picture but its packed in the truck for now.
One more thing...Eau claire is full of one way streets so if you're driving around gawking at some beautiful old houses and some nice young girl yells, "MAAM! This is a one way!", you should turn around quickly and be glad no one in town knows you - that's what I did.