Weigh in #2

This morning I went to my 6 am Curves workout and weighed in to report to the Sisterhood. I was the same as last week, maybe a few ounces less. I don't like the scale at Curves cause it's not digital. It is like the doctor scales that always weigh you more. So I maintained, which I am not complaining about and I am not discouraged.

I have really noticed a change since eating right and working out for 2 weeks. My clothes are feeling better, I am not out of breath walking up and down my stairs in the house. My knees are feeling better. I am starting to like myself again. I am proud of myself for making better choices when we go out to eat. I love the Weight Watchers menu at Applebees. I couldn't believe I was craving broccoli. Apples even have a better taste to me. I am so thankful for all the support I am receiving from everyone including my neighbors. I have the best group of ladies on my block who are also on health care programs and we stand on the sidewalk sharing our different workout programs and food tips. It's really been fun this time around getting healthy. And, I am so proud of my sister for jumping on board too and making better food choices.....Let's ALL get healthy together...it's more fun as a team.

Baby update

I read the news on facebook this morning at 4:30 when I couldn't sleep for thinking about Erin. Erin & Jack's baby Emery arrived last night around 11:30 ish. She weighed in at 9 lbs. 4 oz. and was 21 inches long. Mommy and baby are doing good...just tired.

Baby Girl, Emery's Birth Day

Today is an exciting day for Erin & Jack. Erin is scheduled to go in today for an induction and meet her new baby girl, Emery Paige. I have grown to love Erin thru this wonderful Bloggy world. I am proud to say that I am Emery's cyberspace Mimi. Prayers go out to Erin for a speedy labor and safe delivery. Go on over and show her some love. Can't wait to hear the news that Emery is here and see pictures.

P.S. I am sorry if you are unable to view Erin's blog. It was brought to my attention that she would need to invite you if you are not a regular viewer.

Celtic Women "Isle of Hope"

My hubby and I are BIG fans of Celtic Women. They are Irish singers with unique angelic voices. We are going to their new concert, Isle of Hope at the Star Plaza tonight. If you have never heard these Angelic voices, you must listen to them. We have seen them several times in concert. The violinist is a one woman show. She is so full of energy and all over the stage. I'm really looking forward to an evening of relaxation and reflexion.

Shrink-A-Versary Weigh In Week 1

It's already week 1 for the Sisterhood Weigh In. So much has happened this past week, where do I begin? I recovered from Bronchitis, joined Curves workout and got my eating under control. I am happy to report a "5" lb. loss this week! With all of the medications I was on, I think that's pretty good. I really tried to eat more veggies, fruits, protein and less carbs. I drank more water. I was at Curves at 6:00 am. 2 mornings, which really energized me. I have my workout clothes to change in after work today to hit it hard again.
Monday we are starting to log our steps as a challenge. I need to get a fresh battery for my pedometer and get ready. If you would like to join us, click on the button and check it out. I'm feeling so much better eating right and moving more. My innertube is deflating, which is a great feeling.....

I FEEL LIKE A NEW WOMEN

I went to the Doctor on Monday this week for results of blood work and blood pressure/weight check. I was not feeling well and when she listened to me breath, she ordered a breathing treatment and chest x-ray. She told me I had bronchitis and gave me my treatment plan. First of all, I love my female doctor. She really takes her job to heart. She spends a lot of time with each patient. She told me all my tests were perfect, including a perfect mamogram. I had maintained my weight from my last visit 8 weeks ago, which she was puzzled by. I am suppose to be losing. After looking at my food journal, she told me what I need to cut out of my diet and see if that helps. Too many carbs! She told me to rest and not go to work the next day.
Well, this was a blessing in a way cause during the day off it was like a lightbulb being turned on in my head. I had time to relax and reflect.
I will make better food choices, I will get healthy, I will not get diabetes, I will not have knee problems, I will not have high blood pressure.
I need a group setting exercise program, I need people motivating me. After years of praying that one day I will start back on the road to a better me, IT CLICKED in my brain.
I decided to join Curves. I use to be a member 5 years ago but I let other things get in the way and didn't stick with it. They have a whole new program called Curves Smart and at my work out last night I know I made the right choice for me. I have a personal trainer until I am comfortable with the machines. It is the type of workout I can handle. They encourage you to go at least 3 times a week. I am so pumped up and excited to start back on this weight loss journey, I feel like I am bubbling over. My mind is clear and I have a goal. I am not a failure. I am going to start taking care of ME. Stay tuned!

Out with the old and in with the new!

I am so excited to announce that the Old Rhonda has left and the New and improved is on her way back. Thanks to all of my bloggy friends out there, (You know who you are.).....I have the motivation back in my step and I am ready for this Challenge over at The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.

Not only have I made a decision to make better food choices, I am also joining Curves for Women to help out with my exercise. I tried doing it on my own at home, but I need that group setting. I was a member years ago but only stuck with it 1 year and I did have results. This month Curves is offering a free enrollment. It is a 30 minute workout and they have added new machines and programs since I left. What's nice about going too is, I can go on my lunch hour down the street from where I work if I can't make it to the one near my home. NO MORE EXCUSES!

The rules for the challenge are to post your starting weight, but I am not one to go public with that. I will send my starting weight to someone in charge of the challenge. Who knows, when I do reach my goal, I will reveal my starting weight. So, tune in next Wednesday to see my first weeks results. If you want to join in on the challenge, click on the side bar and let's get started together!

I can't shop early for Christmas presents!

I admit it, I have NO self control....This is why I don't like to shop early for Christmas! I babysat Abby on Saturday morning and she just looked so cute and was so sweet, I just had to give her this special gift I had put up for Christmas. She wanted these doggies with the carrying bag when she spotted them at the store, so her daddy told me. I got them for her to put up but gave in and made this little girl so happy! Well, I can justify it, cause I had gotten the other grand kids winter coats that I happen to find on sale at Carson's last week, so I couldn't leave her out. So, I will be going Christmas shopping the week of Christmas for my grand kids.

Wiggles

I am looking forward to a fun time this evening with Steph and the grand kids. She invited me to go with to see The Wiggles. I am leaving work early (I have the best boss, who understands the importance of doing fun things with family).....We will share pictures of our fun time.......

powerful sign

This sign was hanging in the Cupcake Shop that we recently visited when my sister-in-law, Susie was visiting from Colorado. She really liked this saying and the more I thought about it, so did I. The one thing that comes to my mind when reading this is the weight battle I face every day. I am going to open up my heart right now, if that's ok. I was suppose to go this week to see my Dr. for a weight and blood pressure check. She was also going to look over my food journal that she wanted me to keep for 6 weeks (I wrote in it a few days worth). Well, I re-scheduled it for 2 weeks because I knew I had failed and I tried to buy me some more time. I didn't want to disappoint her, when in reality, I am disappointing my self. She is only trying to help me. Why do I keep failing at this, I ask myself. I have yo-yo'd all my life and I am really tired of this mess! I know what I need to do, I know how to do it. I want to attempt this again and not fail this time. I need courage and strength.....What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?

Gray's 4th birthday celebration

It was a wonderful day of family, comfort food and celebration of Gray's 4th Birthday. Gray even loves his cards.

I love the look on his face. He got the game he had been wanting.

Great Poppal (my dad) and Ivy. Ivy just crawled up beside him and put her hand on him. It was the cutest thing.

Great Poppal, Carter & Noah.....Love these smiles!Great Mommal (my mom) holding a very sleepy Jack. Is this sweet or what? The only grandchild missing from the pictures is Abby. You should have seen me trying to get them all together, almost impossible. I think this was pretty good though, getting 5 out of 6.

Happy 10th Anniversary Steph & Jeff

10 Years ago today a Beautiful couple said "I Do". Happy Anniversary Steph & Jeff. It's hard to believe, 10 years and 4 kids later. God has truly blessed our family. I love you both so much and wishing you a day of celebration of your Love for one another. Mom

Happy 4th Birthday Grayson!

Today is my #3 Grandson, Gray's 4th Birthday. Isn't he so handsome? I love this little man so much. Enjoy your special day Gray....we will celebrate this weekend!

My sweet Noah

These are the pictures you end up with when you give your camera to your sweet #1 grandson who asks to take some pictures. He takes them of himself.....Love him!

Lots of Celebrations today!

It has been a full week and my blog has suffered for it. Unexpected visits from family and expected visits from family. Today is my niece, Dayna's 30th Birthday. Today is also my parents 57th wedding anniversary. Today, we are also having a family reunion with my sister-in-law and her husband, who came in from Colorado. Check out her lovely picture over at Steph's. I have been in the kitchen all morning preparing food to add to the celebration. So, with many celebrations going on today, I hope this finds everyone doing well. I will update this week with new pictures, I promise. Enjoy your Sunday!

snips and snails and puppy dogs tails

My niece Dayna found out she's having another boy in January. Her baby boy, Evan will be turn "1" in January. I can see these 2 little boys being best buds. It will be like having twins.....Isn't she a pretty momma?

A Fun Day at the Zoo

Yesterday I took a vacation day from work and Steph, Gray, Abby, Ivy and I headed for Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo. I packed a bag with some of their favorite snacks (it's a grandma thing). It was a perfect weather day with an overcast and very warm. There were signs of fall, with the trees starting to turn their rustic colors and falling leaves along our path, some of the leaves were huge. We didn't get to see our friend, Lee, the polar bear. The exhibit was closed, but Gray & Ivy posed for a picture.My camera is not the sharpest, but these are zebra's. Trust me, they did have black and white stripes.

See the BIG giraffe in the background? The ostrich didn't get in the picture. Abby is holding tight to her container of chips.

After lunch we let the 3 cousins run off some energy in the park area. Ivy thought she was as big as Gray & Abby.

Gray and Abby had a discussion over their rice K treat. They were so cute together. We ate lunch at their food court and I must say, for Zoo food, it's the best! Steph and I had a chicken, veggie panini. The kids had chicken strips with fries, but were more interested in the dessert.
Abby was trying to find Nemo in this HUGE fish tank....still holding tight to her chips.
Ivy, Abby & Gray in the African Rain Forest looking at a waterfall. They enjoyed hanging on to the netting.

This was in the Ape house......You ask, where are the monkeys? They are standing looking into the glass....Actually there were lots of apes and monkeys but the pictures I took didn't turn out so good. Luckily Steph took some good pictures with her camera.
A perfect day. No cares. 3 out of 6 grand kids to love on. I could actually go to the zoo on a weekly basis. Abby & Gray were best buds! And very well behaved! Steph will be posting much better pictures, I'm sure, so check out her blog.

Friday night around the chimenea

Last Friday evening after work was a nice, quiet time sitting with hubby around his new toy...the Chimenea. He was looking forward to this all week. We have lots of wood to burn and it really makes him happy to sit around a fire and relax. I sat with a blanket on my lap and our 2 doxie dogs. We talked about our week and just enjoyed one another's company. I looked up and even saw a few stars in the sky. It's the simple things in life that make us happy. That's him in the background burning tree stumps. We had a tree growing on our fence making it lean.

Mice, mice everywhere!

You have probably heard my story about our mice problem, well I have a topper to tell you about. First of all, when we had cats years ago, we never had a mice problem. We had to get rid of the cats, due to allergies. We have a large field behind our house and our friendly little field mice love our house. They love to steal the dry dog food out of the bowl and hide it in places that are not normal. We have found mounds of dog food under sofa cushions, hubby's work boots and even under the clean clothes on top of the dryer. This dog food is not cheap! It can only be bought at a Pet Store. I can just picture these mice, sitting back with a toothpick in their mouths and laughing.
So, yesterday, hubby was in the garage working on a project when he yelled for me to come and look.......I could not believe my eyes....in the drawer of his Craftsman tall toolbox, which had the drawer pulled out, was a mommy mouse in a nest she had made and 4 or 5 babies were attached to her. She looked out at us with her beady eyes and just sat there. Hubby went to get a bucket and gloves to scoop them out of there but she decided to get outta dodge....She jumped about 4 feet to the ground with the babies attached and they ran behind some wood in our messy garage. I saw her peek her head out from behind the wood but we weren't able to catch her.
We did catch 3 inside the house this weekend with glue traps and we have poison packets from a pest control place under the house and in the attic. We do put the dog bowl up every night now because that's when they do their grazing and hiding food.
So, when I get in and out of my van in the garage, I run to the door until momma mouse and babies are caught. Help! The mice are taking over!

We will miss you Mary

" All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, I'm standin here outside your door, I hate to wake you up to say goodbye, but the dawn is breakin it's early morn, taxi's waitin he's blowin his horn, already I'm so lonesome I could die....So kiss me and smile for me, Tell me that you'll wait for me, Hold me like you'll never let me go, cause I'm leavin on a jet plane, Don't know when I'll be back again, Oh babe, I hate to go..............."
I grew up on Peter, Paul & Mary. My kids grew up listening to Peter, Paul & Mary. We play their music for our grand-children to listen to.
Mary passed away yesterday. We were fortunate to have seen them in concert several times. I can remember as a little girl singing their songs and especially, "Leaving on a Jet Plane". I loved their harmony. Their folk style was so rare and special. My hubby's favorite way to relax is listening to all of their hits while lying back in his lazy boy. I can hear my hubby right now, singing "Puff the Magic Dragon", "If I had a Hammer", "The Answer is Blowing in the Wind"......so many wonderful songs....Thanks Mary, we will miss you!