Happy Independence Day

I just wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a very happy & safe Independence Day. Whether you're enjoying the holiday by having a cook-out with family & friends, going to see fireworks or to a parade, remember why today is so important & how lucky we are to celebrate our independence.

Our plans involve going to the beach, then we invited our neighbors over for a cook-out, we'll probably play some cards, watch the Nascar race & go see the fireworks. Guess if I plan on doing any of that, I better get to bed, huh?

God Bless America!

Benita

Yes, I DO Still Blog!

Even though it's been 20 days since my last blog post (but who's counting?), I do still blog.....honest. I've just had so much going on in between going to the Nascar race, going to a Tigers game, working, gardening & working out that I've badly neglected my blog.

The Nascar race was great.....the weather couldn't have been any better....perfect sunny skies & cool temps. When we found out that our neighbors were also going to the race, we decided to caravan down together. They had pit passes, so we figured we might as well go into the pits, too. And I'm so glad that I did as I was able to get 5 autographs on my shirt (the one I'm wearing above) from Kasey Kahne's pit crew :) Jim got it autographed by Kasey at work a year or so ago (on my booby, of all places, lol) so I knew I wanted to add his pit crew autographs to it.

Every year, our church takes a trip to a Tigers game & this past Saturday, we went to that. I was able to have my granddaughter for the weekend (again :) ), so we took her with us. We had an awesome time & the Tigers beat the Brewers 9-5! YAY!

I have LOTS more pictures, but don't have the time to post them all right now. I've been having some major issues with my computer lately & I'm half afraid it may be on it's last legs :( Plus I just had to replace my modem this morning......it just completely stopped working last night. So I'm praying that my computer isn't next cause we just can't afford a new one right now!

Well, I gotta start getting ready for work. Hope you have a wonderful week!

Benita

Another Birthday Baby

Today, my oldest, Shawn Michael, turned 23. If I didn't feel old enough from having a 5 year old granddaughter, I definitely feel old now! Dang! It feels like just yesterday, I was 23! What the heck??? 23 years ago today, on June 2, 1986, I delivered this little boy (okay, so maybe he wasn't so little.....he weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces!). Here's a picture I took of him today with my granddaughter. I have LOTS more pics (170, to be exact, lol), but for some reason, my Paint program is messing up & it's taking me forever to resize them. ARGH.....what's up with that anyway? First, the program that loads my pictures onto my computer stopped working & now, it takes forever for Paint to open. Darn Dell!

It looks like I'm going to be able to spend another night with my granddaughter :) Shawn talked to Toni & she agreed to let him have her until tomorrow, but since today is his birthday, he wants to go out & party, so I get to keep her again :) Off to pick her up in a few, so I better end this here.

Signed: A VERY happy grandma :)

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Today this beautiful granddaughter of mine turns 5 years old. Can you believe it? 5?!? Wow! Either I'm getting old.....or time is just going by way too fast! Or both! May 31, 2004 this beautiful girl was born. And she just keeps getting cuter every single day! Although I haven't seen her since Christmas :(
Which is when this picture above was taken. Shawn promised me that he's going to bring her to see me tomorrow......all I gotta say is he had better keep this promise, especially since I got someone to cover my shift at work. Once again, I didn't get invited to her birthday party today :( Seeing as she lives over an hour away, I guess Toni just had the party at her new boyfriend's house. I swear, it sucks not being able to see this little girl more often & give her hugs & kisses & take her picture 10,000 times! Which reminds me......I need to go charge my camera battery for tomorrow. So hopefully the next time I blog, I'll have some new pictures to post :)

Off to watch the hockey game.....GOOO RED WINGS! GOOO PENQUINS! ;)
Benita

I've Been A Bad Girl!

The past 8 days I've neglected myself....I didn't go to the gym at all during those 8 days. Bad Benita......BAD!!! But in my defense, I still managed to get some exercising in......lots & lots & LOTS of gardening, walks, etc. But I still feel bad. So I finally got my butt back in there on Thursday night & boy, it really made me realize how much I need the gym! And how much I missed it! I guess it's official.....I'm a gym rat :)
Over Memorial Day weekend, we made a trip (actually 2 trips) to Ikea for 2 more Expedit bookcases. They had an awesome sale on them ($49.00, regularly $89.99), so I couldn't pass that up, could I? Jim & I actually drove out there Friday night after I got off work & bought 2 of them at the regular price, then we took the receipts back on Sunday to get a price adjustment......sneaky, huh? :) At least we didn't have to wait in the extremely long line to get them! Little did I know that we would end up having to go back there anyway as one of them had some damaged boards that we needed to exchange.

I'm using one of them to store all of my pattern paper & cardstock.....I just hope it can take the weight! That paper is heavy! I weighed just one of my Cropper Hopper paper holders & it weighed 10 pounds! Yeowch! The other expedit I turned on it's side & I'm using it sorta like a sofa table in between the 2 windows in my scraproom......I really like it that way. And can you see what's on top of it....in the one corner? This:
I finally found an old typewriter! Jim & I went to the Salvation Army store the other day & I couldn't believe it when I saw it, but then I saw the price.....$39.99. I really didn't want to pay that much for one, but I know they're hard to find. So I left it there & proceeded to the checkout with some other great finds (I forgot to post pics of them). While checking out, I noticed their sales were posted on a board & one of them was to pick one item of your choice for 50% off. Well....you guessed it.....back to get that typewriter! Woohoo! I got it for $20.00! And the best part is.....it works! Okay, so it needs a new ribbon to really work as the one that's in it is broken, but I may try to fix it. If not, does anyone know where you can buy ribbons for old typewriters? I checked some websites & from what I can tell, this one was made in 1951. I would loved to have an even older one, but I'm not gonna be picky :)

Well, I better get to bed as I have to work my new shift tomorrow from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Next time I blog, I'll post some pics of my flower beds & gardening that we've been doing.

Have a great weekend!
Benita

Nothing To Talk About

Wow, I really am a bad blogger! I just realized that it's been 10 days since my last update. And I have no excuses.....really, I don't. I just haven't had much to talk about. Can you believe that? Me?? Nothing to talk about??? Okay, okay.....watch it.....I know what you're thinking! ;) Seriously, though.....since my last post was on Mother's Day.....which basically sucked.....both of my kids forgot about it :( Well, my 22 year old son sent me a text! A text??? What the h*ll!!! You can't even CALL me??? H-E-L-L-O! He never came to see me like he said he would, the brat! Yes, I dare call him a brat because he's my kid! Seriously.....if there are any kids out there reading this, take it from me just how important Mother's Day is & make sure you do something special for your Mom.....if not on any other day of the year, do it on Mother's Day! The one good thing that happened on Mother's Day was I got to talk to my Mom on the phone & we actually laughed & cried together. And my dh bought me a beautiful rose bush, so he got extra brownie points for that :)
I spoke to my sister Barb yesterday & she just found out that her mammogram came back abnormal :( So please keep her in your prayers for me. I'm also calling this morning to schedule mine as I admit, I've been putting it off. I know, shame on me! I definitely know better!
On the job front, Jim passed the test he took, so now we're just waiting to see if he gets an interview. I guess they don't interview everyone that passed, which makes no sense, so keep your fingers crossed that he gets one. As of right now, he's still working, but that could change at any given moment.

Both Jim & I have been struggling with our weightloss :( We're still exercising like crazy, but for some reason, the pounds just don't want to come off anymore. I've lost a few more, but then I'll gain a pound or two back & it just seems like I'm not getting anywhere. So frustrating! But I asked myself the other day if I would be happy with myself where I am now.....I'm still waiting for myself to answer me, lol. I mean, I'm down 67 pounds & 10 sizes, which is a huge accomplishment, but is that enough?? I just don't know what else to do. It seems like the closer I get to my goal, the harder it is......why is that? I also just started taking an herbal medication for my Osteoarthritis called Aquamin Sea Minerals as I've read that it's supposed to help, but now it's making me wonder if that may have something to do with this.....can it be causing me to be stuck? Probably not, but it makes me wonder. Plus I got a protein shake mix from a trainer at the gym called "Muscle Provider" that I've been drinking after my workouts, but it states right on the container "Use this product as a food supplement only. Do not use for weight reduction." So maybe it's this that's making me stuck.....or maybe I'm just battling against being peri-menopausal? ARGH!

Okay, my rant is over. See, maybe now you're glad that I haven't been blogging so much :) Ah well.....I'm off to enjoy this absolutely, gorgeous day we're having as the temps are supposed to get into the low 80's today & tomorrow! YAY!

Until next time.....whenever that is,
Benita

Happy Mommy's Day!

Happy Mommy's Day to all of my blogging friends out there! I hope you get spoiled on your special day!

I know I posted this picture of my Mom & I a couple of weeks ago, but wanted to post it again as my Mom is so special to me! I just wish I could be with her today :( I hate living so far away!

In other news, Jim had to take a test on Friday in Indiana for a position that he applied for, so say some prayers that it all works out if this is the route that we're supposed to take.

I did a garage sale this weekend & I'm proud to say, I did pretty good.....$362 worth of good :) That more than made up for the money I spent at the Mega Meet on Thursday!

Well, I'm off to the gym, then I have a ton of laundry to do. Shawn may be coming by for dinner tonight, so that'll be nice to see him.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Benita

Happy NSD

Today is National Scrapbook Day. YAY! Us scrapbookers now have a day made especially for us :) How cool is that!?! And since it's NSD, I decided to share a layout that I did a few weeks ago. This is for the album I'm doing for my dh of his parents wedding (click on image to enlarge). I'm using the new DCWV La Creme line for this album as well as lots of Primas, rhinestones & pearls. I have 2 more pages in progress that I'm hoping to finish up today & also start some more.....afterall, it's NSD so hopefully I'll have lots & lots of "mojo", as scrappers call it :)

I may also have to take a drive out to the Zone today as I have a 50% off coupon for NSD......gotta love those coupons! Thanks Kelley :) Now that I've started this album for Jim, I need to find an album to use for it, lol. I may just end up getting an American Crafts one & decorating it with the same papers.

Thanks for all the compliments on my last post regarding my weight loss.....you made my day :)

Have a wonderful NSD.....I'd love to know how you all celebrated it!

Till next time,

Benita

1 Year Ago Today.....

.....I went from this.....................to this!

I can't believe that it's been a year since I started this journey.....one year ago today, April, 25, 2008, I joined a gym (something I thought I would never do!) & made the commitment to myself to become healthier, skinnier & most of all, happier! It hasn't been easy, by any means, but the reward has been SO worth it! I've hit a few roadblocks along the way (shoulder injury (tendonitis & bursitis), being diagnosed with bulging discs in my neck, then being diagnosed with osteoarthritis.....just to name a few, lol), but I never gave up! Even when I couldn't work out, I still stayed positive & was even more careful about what I put into my mouth. I made it through the holidays, only gaining about 4 pounds (which is good for me since I love to bake cookies & make fudge!), but I got right back on track & kept going. To date, I've lost a total of 63.8 pounds & numerous inches.....unfortunately, I didn't measure myself in the beginning, but the clothes tell the story. I've gone from a size 24 jeans down to a size 14, from 1x & 2x shirts, down to a large, from a 48D bra, down to a 42C....and even those are getting too big now ;) Yeah, it figures.....the first thing I lose are my b**bs & b*tt! LOL
So welcome to the new me. Although I still have quite a ways to go until I meet my long-term goal, I'm getting there.....slow & steady :)

Have a wonderful week!

Benita

Picture Heavy Post

We left Michigan around 10:30am Friday morning & decided to go through Canada since we didn't want to deal with the road construction & closures on I-75 in Michigan. We drove non-stop to Niagara Falls until we got to the Duty Free store. From the parking lot, you could see the falls, so of course, I had to take a bunch of pictures :)
The falls always amaze me. I could literally stand there for hours, just looking at them & how beautiful they are! It's like they make you just forget about all of the troubles in the world....even if only for a minute or two!
The American Falls.
Here, you can see the rocks below the American Falls.
Me, with the falls in the background (although Jim didn't get them in the picture very good.....one of these days, I'm going to teach him how to take a picture! LOL).
Jim with the falls in the background. See, isn't this picture MUCH better? :)

When we arrived Friday evening in Pennsylvania around 7:00pm, we met my Dad at The Crippled Bear Inn for dinner. The first words out of his mouth were "Oh My God!" when he saw me! He knew that I had been working on losing weight, but he hasn't seen me since I started, so hearing those words meant so much to me! Saturday morning, we went out for breakfast with my Dad, his sister Jane (both pictured above) & my sister Donna.

After breakfast, we went out to see my Mom at the nursing home & along the way, we stopped at a flower stand to pick her up these gorgeous mums (I also got some for my Dad). They actually painted them these colors, so when the new ones bloom, they'll be white, but I thought the vibrant colors were so pretty! And they did what they were meant to do......
....they put a smile on her face :) My Mom was also very proud of me for the weight I've lost & she gave me encouragement to keep going!

On Easter Sunday, we went to my sister Barb's house for dinner. Donna (above) brought her dog Toby with her. Isn't he a cutie?

Here's the ham she made.....all 16+ pounds of it!

And here is Dad, being sneaky & snitching a piece of ham before everything else was done.

Barb & her son Kyle. I couldn't believe how tall he has gotten! Dang! He's 17 now & had one heck of a growth spurt since I saw him last!

Sunday night, we drove up to my Dads so I could see him one last time before we left to head back home. He's also lost some weight.....about 34 pounds & he looks great!

Monday morning, before hitting the road, I went to see my Mom again. She wasn't dressed yet & didn't want her picture taken in her gown, but I love this picture of us together! Right after Jim took this picture, I started crying. My Mom asked me why I was crying & I said because I miss you & hate seeing you in here! She assured me that she's okay & that they're taking good care of her. But still.....it's so hard! This is not the way she's supposed to live!

I've been home less than 24 hours & I miss my family already! It was so hard to leave this time, for some reason. I always wonder what if? What if this is the last time I see my Mom or my Dad? But I have to stay positive:

We saw this on the back of this van shortly after we got on the road in Pennsylvania (click on the picture to enlarge). Is that a sign or what???

I dreaded getting on the scale this morning, but knew I had to & yep, just as I thought.....I gained 4 pounds back :( I only got to exercise once while we were there plus I ate WAY too much. But this proved to myself just how quickly you can put the weight back on if you're not careful! And those Middleswarth Bar-b-q Potato Chips didn't help, either! Ah well....I'll be busting my butt BIG TIME this week at the gym :)

Have a wonderful week,

Benita