Looking for April Challenge Buddies??

[nyer]

[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=deepskyblue]Welcome back Donna...I am happy to hear that you had a great cruise. Don't worry about that five pounds, mostly water weight and you will prob lose it very fast.[/color][/font][/b]
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[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#00bfff]Rose[/color][/font][/b]

[nyer]

[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=darkslateblue]Hi, I came on hoping to see that Linda or Karen had posted. I hope that everything is okay with them. How is everyone else?[/color][/font][/b]
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[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#483d8b]I got some great news from my son. His CO told him that his unit is not due to deploy until June 06. I know that things can change, but for now I am going with it. I feel like I can breathe for the first time in months. Now, I am looking forward to my cruise with my DH, DD#2 and her DH, then a trip to Washington to visit my son.[/color][/font][/b]
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[donnaw]

Rose, that is fantastic news! Maybe you and dh should look at an Alaskan cruise since you will be up there already. I'm still sulking about cruise over and nothing planned but will be back on track by Monday.

Everyone have a great day!

[BuilderMan]

Welcome back Donna! Sounds like you had a great time, but are suffering from PCDS now (Post Cruise Depression Syndrome). Don't worry, we all get it!

Rose - That's great news about your son! I'm hopeful that he will never have to be deployed!

Karen & Linda - Where are you?

Not much new going on in my life at the moment, which is good news I guess. I did pretty good eating wise over the holidays.

My goal from now until my cruise is to tone up. After I lost my 24 pounds I felt "skinny-fat". By that I mean that I had lost the weight and dropped the dress sizes, but I felt flabby and still wasn't happy with my body definition. So I have been working out hard and now I'm starting to see some results. I see much more muscle mass in my legs and abs vs lots of loose skin. The weight has stayed the same or actually has gone up 2 pounds from the fact that muscle weighs more than fat, but I have to admit that I look healthier.

I'm real committed to my exercise routine, so hopefully by the time I cruise I can be a middle-aged hard body! LOL!!!

Lynn

[Angel in FL]

Hello Everyone:) ,

We made it to Jacksonville, on Jan. 2, 05. Just barely though. DH was driving the 1969 Delta 88 Olds and we had just gotten off I-95 went he pulled over and said right front tire was making a terrible noise. I started praying once again, just let us make it to the house! We did, but 100yards from our driveway, across the street, right front tire fell off! Just think if that had happened 10 min.earlier...I would be writing a different message.

We are slowly getting un-packed, can't tell which I hate more packing up or unpacking. Can't find several things, and boxes the packers labled and packed are so screwed up, I never know what I'll find in a box. Finally found the glass plate for our mircowave in a box marked fine crystal. Who knew!!

As for weight loss, not as bad as I though when I found our scale I just had to get on and had only gained two pounds:) ! Still haven't gotten over the 40 hump but as we slowly settle I'll get back to woe.

Rose such good news about your son! I agree with you hold on to that June 06 date and who knows, maybe there won't be any need.

Shelia what a great picture of you! One would never know that you need to loose any weight. You look just great.

Donna am glad you enjoyed your last cruise. I sure don't see any cruises in our future.

Lynn, has it been very cold down your way. This past week we have really enjoyed the fireplace and it looks like Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday of this next week maybe fireplace nights as well.

I am enjoying being back in Jacksonville. It is very interesting to be here and watch, see, & listen to all the Super Bowl hype!

I'll write more as I can.
Linda

[WeirdEyes]

Donna, I'm glad to hear that you had a great cruise! I'm like you, when I get off the ship, I need another cruise booked. After my May cruise, I won't have anything booked. No cruise for us for 2006. I'd really be sad if I wasn't going on my dream vacation of England & Scotland. :)

Rose, I'm very happy that your DS won't be deployed until 2006! How is his back?

Lynn, what workout program are you doing? I know once I lose all of my weight, I'll definitely need to tone more. I'm starting the Walk Blaster as soon as it comes in and it is suppose to really tone the abs on down. I have hand weights to use for the upper body and I do push ups. Does that sound good for toning? You're my inspiration!

Linda, I'm so happy to hear from you. I've been thinking about you and Karen. We haven't heard from her either. Take your time unpacking and don't get too stressed. It will be there the next day. How do you like the new church? Also, thanks for the compliment about my picture. Trust me, I've got a lot of weight (almost 25 lbs) and toning to do.

[BuilderMan]

Linda - It's soooo good to hear from ou again!!! I knew you must have been real busy lately with the move and all. Glad to hear that things are getting settled. It must be crazy in Jax now with the Super Bowl coming soon. Wait until the week before the game! When it's been in Tampa we even get the runoff down here and it's nuts!! I just hope that the game itself is worth watching. Usually the half time program and the commercials are better than the game itself.

Shelia - Toning up is harder than losing the weight to begin with! I've been riding the exercise bike that we have since the end of Feb of last year. I started using the Total Body Workout machine from Body by Jake since the end of September 2004. (It could be called the Total Body Toner. You'd think I would know the name of it since I stare at it everyday!) It's not a real hard workout to start with, but you can add additional resistance bands to each exercise to make it more difficult. I like it a lot because I feel every muscle in my body getting stretched, but I don't feel sore the next day. We ordered it online and I think there were 3 or 4 "easy" installment payments. It has really enhanced the abs without hurting my back. I recommend it. DH finally downloaded the photo software in our home laptop last night & I'll try to finally email you a picture later. The ones that are in the computer are from last spring which was when I was about 8 pounds heavier and hadn't started working out yet. Keep that in mind! :D

Lynn

[WeirdEyes]

Thanks for the info, Lynn. Unfortunately, I don't have enough room in my house for a workout machine. The NordicTrack is already in our guest room and there is no room for anything else, along with the furniture. I would love to turn it into a workout room, but wouldn't have anywhere for the guest to sleep. Also, I look forward to seeing your pictures. :)

[nyer]

[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=darkslateblue][/color][/font][/b][b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=darkslateblue]Linda...it is good to hear from you. Thank God your DH wasn't hurt when the tire fell off the car! I think that unpacking is worse than packing. Hang in there.[/color][/font][/b]
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[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#483d8b]My son's back is doing better. It still hurts him, but not as much as it did. I know that back injuries take a long time to heal, so we just have to be patient. He is enjoying Washington. He says that it is really beautiful out there. He has made some new friends, so he is happy. He has a whole life out there already! I miss him alot, but I am staying positive. I think of all the parents who have children in Iraq and I count my blessings. As far away as Washington is, it is not a war zone.[/color][/font][/b]
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[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#483d8b]Have a great weekend:) [/color][/font][/b]
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[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#483d8b]Rose[/color][/font][/b]

[donnaw]

Hi all,

We are about to atttempt to get the driveway cleared so we can get out! 18" but some really tall drifts need to be snowblown out.

Linda, Sounds like an adventure but you did well on the diet front. Here's hoping you get settled in quickly and get a bit of time to relax and enjoy.

Sheila, I think the Scotland and England will cover for the cruise! We have been to Ireland but didn't have enough time for the rest so will have to make it back there one of these days. In the meantime, I am driving dh over the wall to set up an October Transatlantic on the Century. He is balking but I'll eventually get him!

Lynn, Are you warming up yet. Boss is in Fort Myers and heading back today. He has been complaining about the weather but he will have it back in perspective when he hits the Milwaukee airport.

Rose, Are you knee deep up there?

Ok, off to stick pins in dh to get him out there with the snowblower he bought me (It is so big that I can't start it or move it once it is started). I will admit that it is for me though, since that means he has to do it!

Everyone have a great day!

[nyer]

[font=Comic Sans MS][color=darkslateblue]donna....we are definately knee-deep. DH spent all last night and this morning digging us out. I keep telling him that we need to get a snow blower, but he just keeps on shoveling. The news reports say that we got about 12 in, but dh swears that there is more. This makes me look forward to being in the caribbean even more. Less than four weeks to go and I will be basking in the warm sunshine. :D [/color][/font]

[font=Comic Sans MS][color=darkslateblue]Rose[/color][/font]

[BuilderMan]

We have a freeze warning out for tonight and we hit our high for today around 8AM! Yes, it's cold outside! But by Tuesday it'll start warming up again.

Donna and Rose - Be careful shoveling that white stuff! Don't strain your backs or overdo it!

Lynn

[donnaw]

Rose, he is just making extra room for the cruise goodies! Hope it has ended for you. We had 18" since we had lake effect along with the regular storm.

Lynn, no broken backs at my house. We have a monster snow blower. When he bought it, he told me it was for me. The joke is that I can't start it or hang on to it once it is going so I just have to watch him do it. Now, that is my kind of snowblower after all! He's a bit tired from holding it back before it did the entire neighborhood but should be fully recovered after his nap!

[WeirdEyes]

OMG!! All of the snow you guys are under! The low here last night was 18 degrees. That is low for Alabama!