WOW

I am thinking that wood was a really good idea. But would you look at the view?!?



















'Nuff Said.

And Another One, And Another... (Week Four)

... Half.... Another one (and a half) bites the dust.

Progress, slow but steady.... It is a total of ten pounds gone, so that is good. Five more to go to reach the first goal and then five to seven more after that. So, I am ALMOST half way to my ultimate goal. Yay!!!!

The Hazards of Winter

Remember the best friend? Well, he and his family are of the super-sweet type, so Saturday morning they called us and said "we are coming over to help you do more wood." Period. That's one of the things I love about these guys (besides those little boys of theirs)... That take charge, jump in and help attitude.

So everyone gets here and the boys go out to the woods and find a few good trees willing to give their lives for my warmth. They cut them down. And cut them into little pieces. Then place them in the truck. We will get to HOW they are placed in the truck later. An hour or so after they leave, the boys return and begin stacking wood on the porch.... Easy access for the little boy of the house and less mud to wade through. Hopefully this will last us the *rest* of the winter.




















The hubby poked his head in the door and asked me to come with him... He had something to show me. This brings us to HOW the log was PLACED in the truck. I've seen the offending log. It was little and dead. Lucky strike, I think....



















It was one of the pieces somewhere up on the top....




















After almost hyperventilating, then informing the best friend that he was NOT paying for the new window because there was no way on God's green earth he would be able to convince me that HE was the thrower of the log, I returned to the house and searched out our insurance information. Sure enough, we were pretty smart years ago.... Full glass coverage. (He learned his lesson the first time he had to replace his back window... that time it was a grab bar on the back of a four wheeler.) So, appointments were made and this morning we picked up the truck from the auto glass place at the bottom of our hill and have since admired our shiny new slider window.




















J wanted a slider in the truck... I'm beginning to wonder if careful aim was taken to achieve this goal....... Nah, he wouldn't do that.....

I Am SO Sorry...

... if the Easter bunny didn't make it to your house.

The bad news:





















Our dog got it and ate it.



The good news:



















We cleaned the sucker out before the dog ate him.

More Boy Toys

Everyone needs a best friend. Better yet, everyone needs a best friend to act silly and ride little bikes with. Looks like these two are having fun....

Something New

There is something new here that makes my life a little easier. Can you tell what it is?

























*hint: it helps with life on second shift....

And aren't they so darn cute sitting there doing their school??? Yeah, I thought so, too.

Bum, Bum, Bum, Another One Bites the Dust... (Week Three)

Well, technically, one and a half.... but who's counting? .... Oh, I am... religiously. I went down farther earlier in the week but started taking a new supplement, and went up a little and then back down SOME. I'd term this week as "stagnant" but that truly would be inaccurate... I moved.... Even my final weight was down a pound and a half, but I just didn't go down the way I wanted. But, hey, a pound and a half is better than not moving at all... or worse - going the wrong direction!!! I'll keep an eye and things with my supplements and won't eat another St. Patrick's Day dinner this week and I'll DEFINITELY keep my standing date with my elliptical. The elliptical loves me - I haven't decided if I love it or hate it... It's probably one of those love/hate relationships... I love it except for when my legs are burning and my heart is racing and sweat is streaming down me. :)

Big Boys Need Toys Too

Well, the kiddos have their toys up and running... Granted, the WNY late March weather is keeping those toys tucked away most days, but hey, they are running!

Not to be outdone by his kids in the cool looking toys department, J decided it was time to spruce up his toy. What do you think?









































































































Were new back fenders for the three wheeler really all that necessary??

I Think I Can, I Think I Can, I Think I Can.... (Week Two)

Week two is over, and I'm down two more pounds.... which I have to admit disappoints me slightly. I know, five pounds a week would not necessarily be the healthiest, and two pounds is good, and actually, the "people whose methods I am using but meetings I am not attending" (and whose organization shall not be named) say that the average person will lose two pounds a week. So I'm on track, right? I am pretty sure that if this past week had not been birthday central in our family I would have done better... Birthday one involved cheesecake. Birthday two was butter roll and birthday three was regular old cake. All rather high on the points list. *sigh* But, I did it! I lost the average two pounds for the week and I am doing it the healthy way. You know what I am finding? I am actually CRAVING those carrots and the celery... J's cousin sent up a plate FULL of cake leftover from his birthday, and I don't want to even look at it! THAT is progress... I'm also looking forward to my time on the elliptical and all that follows every night. Getting there....

I have to admit, the Boy offered me quite a bit of incentive to keep going the other night.... We decided to order pizza (also high.... how did I lose anything this week????) and he looked at me as I was putting my piece of pizza on my plate and my three chicken wings and he said, "Wow, mom, you really are serious about this losing weight business, aren't you? What are you anyway, 200 pounds?" ....................... Just so you know, yes, he IS still alive. There is a miracle.

You Want to be a WHAT?

"Look mom! Did you see what I put in the flag holder by the door?? Now we can be like rednecks!"

Great, son, that's JUST what I want to do with my life. My great aspiration is to be a toothless redneck. Oh, I forgot to tell the rest of you? Shoot, I forgot to mention that!! Sorry!

Just to clear it all up, no, I do NOT want to be a redneck. Neither do my children. Nor does my husband, even though at times he acts like one.

Happy Birthday, Baby.

We've been through a lot of birthday's together..... Ok, eleven to be exact.... It seems like a lot. But it seems like it has only been a few years, too..... I want you to know that I am proud of you and I love you even more than I did the day I married you. So, I'm pretty sure that means I love YOU more. Take that. You are a terrific husband and daddy and I am honored to be your wife. Thank you for all you do for us. Don't ever stop having fun. Just because you are 34 now doesn't mean you can't play still. At least I hope it doesn't.... If it does I'll have to slow down in five or so years....

Winter Wonderland

This is what actually passes for fun around here........


















I suppose there are a few benefits to the cold, long-lasting winter when you essentially have your own skating rink in your "side yard".


And time with daddy is always great... If it includes horsing around and lots of giggles, it is always that much better...


















Of course, the dog likes to try to get in on the action whenever he can, too.

Progress (Week One)

Week one:

Five pounds lost - no, I don't see much of a difference. (These five pounds are a part of the ones that snuck on over the last three months that I really didn't notice going on. Oops.) But hey, they are coming off now. The points counting thing isn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I have discovered more movement on the scale the next morning if I DON'T force feed myself ice cream at the end of the day to hit my points but grab whole wheat crackers instead. I'll have to remember that tip. Perhaps DAILY one-serving-ice-cream-consumption isn't really in my best interest.......

And I will try to post about other more interesting and exciting things between now and next Wednesday morning. I promise (notice I said I would TRY).