Doors

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live. - Flora Whittemore, author

So true.  In the last year I have had some significant opening and closings of doors.  I had adopted the best little girl in the world.  I  had surgery to help me lose weight.  I started a new job closing the doors on a career I had been in for over 21 years.  I have had friendship doors open and close in the past year and am fine with that.  I believe all friendships go a course.  And now we are back in a business that we left over 8 years ago and I can see so many doors opening.

I am so excited about the doors that are opening and expect that we will have some close along the way as we become different people and lead totally different lives.  It is a journey I am ready and willing for...let's go!!

One True Friend

If you have one true friend you have more than your share. - Thomas Fuller, English clergyman & historian

This is a quote that was on one of my www.sparkpeople.com daily emails.

I just had to blog about it...

I have at least four people in my life I consider true friends, so I have way more than my fair share and a day does not go by that I do not count myself blessed for these people in my life...We all live far apart now and most of them have met each other, which is a great bonus for me of course...but distance has not diminished the love I have for these people in  my life or the trust I have in them.

I hope you too have at least one true friend.

Vacation - December 2011

We had a great time with Mom and Dad in Orlando...it was tiring, but a great vacation...

Disney Vacation 2011

I took a ton of pictures and I still need to purchase the pictures taken by the Disney photographers with our Photopass, but here are a good many for you to get an idea of how the trip went...
We were there for four days, sadly Izza got ill on the 4th day after just one ride so we ended up not doing anything that fourth day and that really was supposed to be the big ride day...We went on the Space Mountain and though she was excited to go on it, we believe she held her breath and caused herself to get a migraine on the ride.
So, we have plans to go back for Halloween this year for a weekend in October to experience the Mickey's Not-so-Scary Halloween party...and have a day at Universal Studios...Can't wait!!

Christmas Already

I just can't believe it is that time already...tomorrow will be a year that Izza came to live with us...WOW!!  A whole year!!  She is such a different little girl from the one that came to my house a year ago.  She is so much more alive and so, so smart...everyday it is something new about her that just makes me want to smile and cry all at once...I want to do something special, but we are having to watch our money because we go on vacation next weekend...she does not know where we are going...I can't wait!!!  I can't even sleep!!!  Disney World...she won't know until we are driving in the gates!!  And I have her booked for a Bippity Boppity Boutique session with the full package!!  So, must watch the funds...but I think it will all be worth it once she is there...

We had our first family portrait done the weekend after Thanksgiving.  I was so excited for this...Look at her...she is gorgeous...We are so fortunate to have her in our lives!!

So, a year ago this is what my little girl looked like...tell me...doesn't she look like a completely different child now...it is kinda weird to me.

She got to go to her first ballet today and she loved it.  She, of course, saw The Nutcracker.  She is ready for after vacation to get back to her gymnastics and Special Olympics Basket ball.  I love it that she loves to do all of these things.  Though I am sure so much of it is because she never did anything before.

She had compound words for her spelling words this week.  I was really worried for her, but she says she did good on the test, though she did not bring it home like she usually does, but with all of the stuff going on at school today I guess that was to be expected.  We'll see on Monday I hope.

She will be singing on Sunday with the children's choir for the other children at church and then on Thursday she will be singing with her school choir.  She has been practicing for both for weeks, even singing at home.  I hope she does not get the stage fright like she had in October.  I have told her to look right at me or Daddy and sing to us if she gets nervous.  She loves to sing so I hope her love for singing overcomes her stage fright.

Well, I really should be in bed...just needed to share all of my happiness with the world.

Namaste.

Believing in yourself no matter what

"The mighty oak was once a little nut that stood its ground.  -Unknown"

I am not perfect...I make poor choices at times...don't always eat right...don't always get all of my exercise in...but I know that I will be successful in reaching my target weight next year and gaining good health through the process.

120 Days Since Surgery

The last month has not been the best for me in the weight loss area, but I know what I have done and what I have not done and will fix that this month.  I did lose six lbs this month, but it should have been more.  I have eaten some things with a bit higher fat content and I have not been exercising the way I am supposed to on a daily basis.  Well, I know what I am not doing right so I will fix that this month.  I have picked up my exercise a little bit, but I have not gotten it where it needs to be, so I will do that this week.  I will be on travel for work so I will be able to work out at the hotel.  I also know what I am eating that I am not supposed to eat and I have already made those changes.  Again, with being on travel I will do pretty good with this because it makes no sense for me to buy food at a restaurant just for myself, so fat free refried beans will help me get through the three days on travel and get me back on track.

See, the sleeve surgery is not a miracle maker, it just helps you, you still have to make the right choices and exercise.

Well, here is my 120 day picture and I added a few pics I found from 2007 when I was taking before pics.

Stephie's Bariatric Living

Halloween 2011

Our town had a community carnival for Halloween.  So, we chose to go to that, donating one can good per person, and not do trick or treating.  It was a nice night and Izza had fun playing the games, dancing and getting in the jump house.  She got a moderate amount of candy that will fit in a lunch size paper plate, which is perfect as we restrict candy in our house.

It was a great memory for our first Halloween together.  Here are some pics...

Changes

My life has changed so much in the last year...

A year ago today I would probably have been watching TV for 2-3 hours each night.  Now we go many nights not turning on the TV until we go to bed and I am usually reading and he falls asleep in less than 30 minutes.  It is really refreshing.

Our evenings are busy with spelling words, playing games, reading alone or together, and preparing for the next day.  Then there are the days with special activities like gymnastics, special olympics, speech thereapy, and going to the gym. 

Then some weekends we have a lot planned like this weekend with Izza getting to go up in a private plane with Challenge Air Dallas.  Then we will all don our costumes, get our can goods for donation and entry to the Bedford Halloween event.  Sunday is family day at church and we will all be wearing our costumes.  A fun, busy weekend ahead.

I love my quiet weekends, and I believe Izza and Kerry do also, but it is nice to have these things to do as a family also.

I love all of the changes in my life and I would not go back for anything.  It is just amazing to me to take that look back and see how different things are for us now.  I knew things would change, but I guess until they happened I did not know how they would look or how they would feel.  I am here to say the picture is beautiful and the feeling is contentment.

Namaste my friends.

Eating a Frozen Entree

Okay, so today is the first day post op that I have eaten a frozen entree.  I needed something for lunch and as much as I love refried beans just did not feel like having them today.

So...

I had one frozen entree in the refrigerator that has been there since pre-op.  So, it was like two weeks from it's use by date.  Good thing I looked, huh?

It is an Eating Right, Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce (white meat chicken and spaghetti with the basil cream sauce.  An 8.5 oz serving with 280 calories, 7 g fat, and 19 g protein.  Not the best all around for me, but I could do worse.  I should have had more protein with the amount of calories and of course there was 550 sodium which is why I usually avoid these things anymore.

I was not sure if I could eat the whole thing so I brought a microwavable dish just in case, but it has taken me 30 minutes eatting slow the way I am supposed to and I did eat the whole thing.  I am full so my berries will have to wait for a couple of hours.  But I feel a little more full than I like so I probably won't do this again.  I usually eat about 4-6 oz of food in about 15 minutes.  I am guessing that eatting slower allowed me to eat more food.  Which is probably what I am supposed to do, but I have trouble with the slow part.

So, I do believe frozen entrees are out for me.  Just does not seem worth the calories, etc.

The learning never stops with this new way of living, eating, etc.

Namaste.

My Spiritual Life

Yeah, I guess a lot has happened in the last two months.  During the month of August hubby and I attended Wednesday night classes at the Unity Church of Fort Worth and decided to become members during the Membership Cermony and Spiritual Baptism on September 11th.

I also signed up to teach the 2nd-4th graders on the 3rd & 4th Sunday of the month.  I love it.  At first when I signed up I thought I might be getting a job in WV, but then this job I am in now was offered to me the day after I signed up and made a committment to teach through May.  Funny how things work out.  I had to the Youth Director that I did not feel comfortable signing up because I might get that job in WV and she wanted me to sign up any way...and then here comes the job offer that would keep me here.  Amazing, no?

Well, I love teaching the children.  I always have loved teaching those ages.  This year we are teaching virtues. I think that is an excellent subject for children and I love the format of reading them a story, discussing the story, and then doing a project that reflects what they learned in the story.

Sadly right after we joined the church we found out it was in turmoil.  Our whole board stepped down the Sunday after we joined, but we are back on track with a temporary board until the new board is elected in  mid-November.  This spiritual group has a lot of healing to do, but I believe we have some good people in place to help with that.  I don't regret joining them at all. 

I have been to a few things classes and seminars and it seems no matter who you talk to they all say the same thing.  That when they came to the Unity Church of Fort Worth they just felt like they had come home, to their Spiritual Home.  I would have to agree.

Well, enough of my sharing for now...

Namaste.