It's been awhile!

So I've been a lazy blogger. I've actually tried to blog the pictures below several times (twice) but first they had to edited and then they had to be made the right size for the web and well I'm a big procrastinator of editing. I started the New Year doing what I love: Scrapping with my girlfriends. It was several days of scrappy goodness with a crop at our lss. I also got the privilege of meeting another online friend IRL. My friend Patti from the Allyscraps forum made a trip thru town with her husband and we scrapped a couple of days away while getting to know each other. Her and her husband Dave were tons of fun and I'm looking forward to seeing them again in April at the Allyscraps crop in Indiana and then in May when Patti joins me for NSD here in Independence. And if meeting someone that you meet online that lives in Florida isn't enough of a story maybe this will be. Patti's uncle was president of the rival bank my dad worked at in Baxter Springs when I was a kid before he died. Then come to find out her cousin now lives in Galena, Kansas but used to live in Baxter and knew my mom. Probably me too but I'm not always so good with remembering. lol So, just goes to show you that you never know who you'll meet and how many degrees of seperation there are between you!

I have lots of lo's to share but I'll start with the ones I did at the very begining of the year:
A LO about some general goals I have for the year and life in general.


Instead of New Years Resolutions I did a lo about what I was thankful for.


My cover page for my Month in Review Album that I am doing over at Tallyscrappers.


These are the pics of Patti and I. I did some creative cropping (well not that creative! lol).
Day 1 ~ Scrapping at my local scrapbook store Chasing Rainbows.




Day 2 ~ After scrappin' at my house.



So I decided that this was going to be the LAST New Years that I was chunky, fluffy, cushioned, fat, overweight or obese. So several of the girls from my local scrappy click and I are doing the 6 week body makeover. I started 10 days ago and I've already lost 13 pounds and I haven't even started exercising yet. It's no salt, no oil, no sugar. Eat 6 times a day (I only get in 5) and exercise 4 times a week for 30 minutes. Oh and lots of water which isn't a problem. I'm noticing a little heightened anxiety on my part. Not sure how much of that is my anxiety disorder and how much of that is hunger or how much of that is not eating when stressed. I've never probably eaten 'normal' with 3 square meals a day. High school started the day with a Dr. Pepper and a Reese's cup. Saturday morning cleaning always ended with chips and soda. Dip was an entree at my house and when you were hungry you got in the car. I'm lucky that I have the time to focus on losing weight and that is what I'm going to do! I must do this for my health, but more importantly I must do this for my psyche. I'm seeing signs of when I ate and why. Especially since I stopped drinking. But I made a decision. A decision that it was time and that I was going to do it. I'm going to treat soda like alcohol because just one time will lead to cravings for more I know. I'm really focusing on portion control. So far so good. I don't really feel like I am missing out on anything yet, and when I do I will probably have a taste but I don't have to eat the whole thing. I actually ate 3 Hershey's Kisses and didn't want for more (well after a few minutes). More initial reaction was to sit down and eat the bag, but I didn't. I walked away. So this time is going to the time that I lose the weight. It's time. It's time to move forward and change some more bad habits.

Happy New Year!

So it's here. 2009. Goodbye 2008! I've heard a lot of people around me say a VERY happy goodbye to 2008 but I thought it was a decent year. No major problems, at least for myself or in my family. I got another year sober. Nana was in the hospital, but only for a week and is as good as new. I think I progressed in my spirituality. Grew as a person. Challenged myself. Overcame some emotional obstacles. Reconnected with some old friends and made plenty of new ones. Traveled to California for my first trip to Sacramento and San Francisco. Read 24 books! Had a LOT of laughs and also a few tears. I'm healthy. I'm happy. Life is good. I'm sure this year will bring it's own sets of challenges. Every year does. Every day does. But I've got someone on my side and I know HE won't give me anything I can't handle.
So enough with the serious stuff. Wanna see something funny? Take a look at these pictures from Christmas at the Springers. Christy invited me out to eat with her family on Christmas night and the food is always delicious and an excellent reason to go besides the always fun conversation. Well I wasn't expecting presents but a sneaky Santa had left a little something under the tree out there for me. My present was wrapped in the nicest of bows,which I immediately decided to wear as a hair ribbon ala Nellie on Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie. Santa brought me this way cool makeup bag with skulls and a thermal cup with my initial filled with peanut M&M's.

Christy's mom and boyfriend got her this snuggly hunting hat. Doesn't she remind you of Elmer Fudd a little bit? LOL



Never one to miss a photo opportunity, especially one with hats or costumes, Christy rounded up these sexy Christmas glasses and reindeer antlers for us to model.

And who can wear antlers without a little Reindeer Games???



So Christmas at the Springers was TONS of fun and I'm REALLY glad she invited me. Now here are a couple of lo's I did as the GDT at Allyscraps to wrap up the month. I had a great time and it has been my home in the computer for a little more than a year. The girls there are great and Cathy has a big heart (and a sarcastic sense of humor ;) ). What more is there to love?
Make Memories. My mom, sister and I on Christmas at Nana's house 1995. Alison was home from Indonesia that year and I was attending my first year at University of Tulsa.


Seasons Greetings! My sissy and I on Christmas at Nana's 1974

So this was suppose to be my last post of 2008 but I was a little late starting. I've got more pics to edit from my families Christmas that I will try to share later. I'm spending the next few days scrappin' the new year away so I should have lots of new things to show soon. Hope you all had a safe and wonderful New Years Eve and may all your wishes come true in 2009!