It has been so long...

Wow! This morning I woke up at 3am and could not get  back to sleep.  I tried...just seemed to have to much on my mind...as I was looking through face book my mind went back to our blog...I pulled it up and started reading.  It has so much of my life in it...but it is missing so much of this past year.  I just have not had the heart, or the energy to write.  Our life has changed a lot this past year.  All because of one day in Feb...
Feb 11, 2012 Dave and I were driving to a show.  It was one of the few days it was snowing out.  We were driving and all of a sudden Dave says..."Watch out!" and we were hit on my side by a big SUV that thought they could go faster then the 40mph everyone was going on the 219! We were pushed off the road on the left and went down a ravine into the middle of the 219....As I sat thier stunned I looked up and the car that hit us was coming right at us and about to hit me again.... I screamed and leaned towards Dave...he tried to pull me to him...and we waited to be  hit again.  The SUV stopped about a few foot or so away from our car!
Luckily there were people that were emergency fire fighters that came right down to make sure we were ok.  They also called the police for us.  As they asked me if I was ok I knew my life was changed forever.  I was still in shock so I said I was ok...and I would follow up with my doctor... by the next day I was sore...in pain...so I went to the emergency room....Dave started to hurt...so he went... thus starting what our life has been like for the last 7 months....doctors, emergency rooms, xrays, mris, physical therapy, sometimes 5-6n times a week...I had a severe concussion...and hurt my mid back (when I turned to Dave) and Dave had slammed into the drivers side and hurt his shoulders, and he now has three herniated discs...c 5-6 C6-7 and C7T1....we have been on pain meds 24-7 since Feb and also had to take meds for headaches...the migraines with Dave were the worst. He would wake up screaming in pain...the girls and I just came around him and prayed for his help...the neurologist had to give him a shot of pain meds right into his scull and then a four hour infusion (IV) of 5 different meds.  It was scary to say the least. The headaches finally stopped and we were sent home with even more meds...He had to give up his delivering Buffalo News....I could not teach...very frustrating and hard.  I am not sure how we even got all of the bills paid this last year...I am just thankful that God provided for us!
I think the worst part of everything is that we started to gain weight in all of this!  By March we had gained 10 pounds...buy June 20....and then by now we have gained 30 pounds back each...We would see our clothes getting to small on us and we were powerless to do anything.  We were depressed...heart broken....and sooo discouraged.  We started getting depressed...and literally felt like giving it all up...I can't express how sad this has made us...We are more frustrated then you could ever imagine...all of our hard work...gone...
God has been working in us these past few weeks...he has restored our will to try... We are doing our physical therapy regularly and were told we could and should be walking...and do bike riding...and a few things at the gym and our pt exercises as much as possible.  We have been going to the gym and using the treadmill almost every day for the past week...we also are doing all of our physical therapy exercises at the gym too...and starting to get back on track with our eating...(or is it because we have no money for junk food!)  We are eating regular meals and getting on schedule again.... we are feeling stronger then we have in a long time.  I do not know if we have lost anything...but we at least have the will to try...which is more then we have had in the past 5 months....
Please keep us in your prayers...every day is a struggle...but we are starting to fight our way out of it again....the meds we are taking are working....we are still on pain meds...but they don't take away my ability to think....I still get dizzy and fuzzy if I multi task...but I have learned to do one thing at a time and do it well...Dave is still in constant pain and will eventually have to see a specialist about his neck..but he now has the will to try to get better...I know that if we are working as a team we can accomplish anything...I ask for your prayers and support...I am listing our highest weight since the accident so we know where we have gone from there!
Stats (so we are held accountable for what we are doing)
Dave Starting weight-- 380
Dave's starting weight with fawn- 330
Dave's weight last week 252
Dave's weight today- 278
Weight loss for the week- 26 pound gain
Total weight loss with Fawn- was 78 pounds Now..52
Total weight loss- was 128 pounds!!! ALMOST 130 POUNDS!!!!! Now...102


Kathleen's Starting weight-- 270
Kathleen's starting weight with fawn-260
Kathleen's weight last week 198
Kathleen's weight today-228
Weight loss for the week- 30  pound gain
Total weight loss with Fawn- was 62 pounds now 32
Total weight loss-WAS 72 pounds!!! YEAH!!!! Now 42
instead of a 200 pound loss we now only have a 144 pound loss...very discouraging...this is why I have not wanted to write in this blog...but I must...because if I did it before I can do it again...with your help and prayers...
We love you guys...you are what made this all possible..
Dave and Kathleen Jeffers

A Rude awakening....

If you have been with me from the beginning then you have read my beginning story... How Dave decided he wanted to get into shape. How everyday when he started to exercise he would ask me if I wanted to join him..and every day I looked him in the eye and said, "Not today!"  My main reason for doing that was because I had been on diets before, and lost weight before, but every time I gained it back and more..I basically was afraid I would work hard succeed, and then fail.  I was soo proud when I lost the weight, slowly, and steadily. I was so proud when I kept if off for over a year. Well Feb 12 I was in a car accident. for the last month and a half I have had a concusion...which means no gym. It also is very hard to plan meals when it feels like your head has millions of tiny bouncy balls flying around in your head.  I knew I was gaining...and felt helpless to stop it.  Yesturday Dave and I went to a store and I tried on ten pairs of capries...size 16 and 18.  I could only fit into one size 16 stretch and non of the size 18...I walked out of there descouraged...there was no way I was going to buy a size 20 pair of pants...or size 20 anything.  Later that day I had a doctors appointment...when I stepped on the scale I almost fainted...I had to hold on to the wall, and felt like I was going to throw up...I was up from 198 to 220!!! As I walked into the waiting room my eyes filled with tears as I told him the news...He is so special, and loves me so much, he was quick to say,,,that is not much...you can get if off..but I knew the truth... I was fat again... I could feel it in the way my clothes fit me, I could feel it in the way my stomach, which was getting flat, now has a bulge that I hate.  I knew this was one of those turning points in my life... Was I going to wallow away in self pity, filling my days with sneaking pieces of candy and pizza, or was I going to decide enough is enough?  I really thought about it. I looked at my Becca and tears filled my eyes as I told her the devestating news.
"I was up to 220 agian...22 pounds I had gained"  She took my face in both of her hands and looked me right in the eye and said to me, "You lost it before, and you can loose it again...I will work with you and help you until it is gone and you are down to the size you want to be."  My precious girl helped me realize it is not a hopeless cause, I have not lost it all! I can suceed.  She has gotten me tto the gym for the last two days..Wed at eight at night I did my whole weight lifting  routine... I was able to picj up right were I left off. The next day, I was very sore...and could barely wake up...today I did not want to go...she did not push me she just said, "if you are sore, you need to get back there again to losen it up.."So back I went . I did 4 miles on the bike and 10 min of rowing...I have eaten perfectly these past days and my body already feels so much better. (although so much sorer too!) I can not let this accident get the better of me It is not going to steal all my confidence, and make me gain back what I lost.  I made a picutre of before and after photos..It reaally is amazing how far we have come.. I refuse to give up...someday soon I will be right back where I was, and heading to  where I want to be.  Please pray for my (and Dave's) neck and back.  We are both hurting, but trying our headest to overcome! We can not allow an accident to rob us of what we are trying ot accomplish!
Stats (so we are held accountable for what we are doing)
Dave Starting weight-- 380
Dave's starting weight with fawn- 330
Dave's weight last week 252
Dave's weight today- 268
Weight loss for the week- 16 pound gain
Total weight loss with Fawn- was 78 pounds  Now..62
Total weight loss- was 128 pounds!!! ALMOST 130 POUNDS!!!!!  Now...112


Kathleen's Starting weight-- 270
Kathleen's starting weight with fawn-260
Kathleen's weight last week 198
Kathleen's weight today-220
Weight loss for the week- 22 pound gain
Total weight loss with Fawn-  was 62 pounds now 40
Total weight loss-WAS 72 pounds!!! YEAH!!!!  Now 50
I must say that after a year and a  half we have still kept off 162 punds! BUT we need to get back on track and sto the weight gain now before it is to late..
Goals by summer:  Dave to be below 250
Kathleen to be below 190
Please pray that we can accomplish these goals!

A family that can laugh together is priceless!



After a year and a half we have kept off most of the weight..we have both gained about 15 from our lowest and are working on getting that back off!  We have still lost 176 pound between the two of us! I am still wearing size 14-16 (from sze 24-26)and Dave is still in size 38 yeans and large shirts (from size 46 - 3X)

Did you ever find a sale that you could not refuse! I did today when Dave and I were at the Niagra Falls outlet Mall. I saw these footie pajamas that were Sooo soft and comfy looking... for only $5 They were Neon yellow with spots, stripes and plaids...I was sure that they were floress under black lights! So I thought I would get three pairs and the girls and I could put them on with the black hoods, wigs and sun glasses that glow in the dark and orange neon gloves. We could come up with some cool motions and Dance to the music.. we would glow in the dark and it would be the coolest thing and everyone would love it...It would be a great addition to our black light puppet show..
As I was looking at them I thought..."The girls will love these...I will get them each a pair to wear around the house!"  Rachael I found a pink with black zebra stripes and Becca I found a terquoise plaid ones.    I was so excited about them that I took a picture of all the patterns in the bag and sent it to them and told them I got them a surprise and they had to guess what I got them...that they would love it! Never in their wildest dreams did they ever guess that I got them floresant green and pink and yellow footie PJs! When I got home I ran into the bathroom told Rachael to close her eyes and came out in my own wonderful Neon Yellow polka dot footie pajamas! She was not impressed! Then when I showed her hers...she was less impressed. I finally talked her into putting hers on and running down to Brandon's room where Becca and Brandon were watching a movie...they laughed at us! When I showed Becca her green plaid ones that I had picked out special for her.. she did not want to put them on...I was just so excited...that they both came upstairs...I told Brandon he could wear the yellow polkadot ones and Dad could wear the other ones and we could have a slumber party!! I was dancing around in my footie pjs acting like it was the best thing in the world....Brandon said "If you can get dad to put them on...that is the only way I am going to put them on...:".he knew that dad would never put on neon yellow plaid footie pajamas! BUT my luaghter and fun was contagious...so dad said..."I will do it if you will"...thinking Brandon would never put them on...Well I talked them all into putting them on...Dads was a litle small...and Branodn thought his was a little girly (he used much more expressive words that i cant put in my blog!!!) But my whole family...out of their love for me...and my excitement over these silly pjs...put them on...I danced with them around the living room jumping up and down like a little girl! We laughed like we have not laughed in years...and we forgot about what others would think of us...and just acted like chldren for those few short minutes (believe me they were short...as soon as they could they said..."can we take these off now!" ) It was a memory that they will always remember...maybe they will think..."Mom is crazy!" or maybe they will think..."Remember when we all put on those footie pajamas just for mom...that was fun! She sure new how to make us laugh and enjoy ourself!"

We need more days like that...where we act out ot the ordinary...and step out of our box...and be ourself for just a few minutes...they say laughter is one of the greatest healers...I believe it...I feel better then I have in a long time....all because for a few minutes we forgot who we were supposed to be and just had fun...

By the way I could have put pictures of all of us in them...but my lovely children deleated all but the one of me and of Dave and I...I wonder why?!!! .....

I am not sure how to turn this so you will just have to turn your neck to the side for a minute! BUT it is soo worth it! I have been wearing these all night...and I am sooo comfy!

All it took was a prayer....

For the past few years we have felt like something was holding us back...I may be a little predjudace, but I watch other performers and think..."Dave can do such a better job!"  BUT...we were struggling to make our bills and had to take a paper route just to make ends meet...One day I sat down with Dave and we talked about it. We both realized that we need to either make our business work, or give up and get a regular job...We had spent some of the money from mom's house sale on a conference which we were sure was going to help us make it big, and it just did not happen...We were getting depressed and starting to gain weight...
Dave and I started reading a book called "Power of a Praying parent" and praying together...for the first time in a long time...One particular day while Dave was praying he asked God to bless our business and help us succeed.  I remember it as if it was yesturday.  We decided right there we were going to spend the next 21 days working as hard as we could to make our business succeed.  We decided it would be the deciding factor of wether we should hang up the magic hat ;) or continue on.  We sent a mail out out and were planning on waiting 3 days to start calling the people we sent it out to.  The very next mornig our phone started ringing... and ringing and ringing...we were shocked and amazed at what was happening. We decided to raise our prices like they suggested at the conference....they did not question it....we decided to raise them again...so they were double what we were getting paid...no one questioned it....Every time we called they would book...not just one show...but many shows...one show that said a year ago that they could only pay $60 per show...booked $700 worth of shows...we booked in those 21 days what we made all of last year!  We are now working on doubling our income from last year...which was the challange that was put out at the conference...it is working....God is blessing...I remember I used to tell a story that I said.."when you put your trust  in God alone you will recieve blessings upon blessings till it is overflowing....I preached it, but never saw it in my life...sure God gave us many blessings in our life...but not to the point where we are overflowing...We want to be able to bless others...now we can...there was this little old lady  who was waiting on tables, it was hard work for her and she struggled to do her job at a resteraunt we went to...I went up to the manager and asked if the waitresses have to split the tips, or do they get to keep what we gave...once they said they get to keep it...we were thrilled to leaave her a $50 tip for our $12 meal!  We would have loved to stay around and see her face...but we knew we were passing on the blessings that God gave us...that is what we would love to be able to do more often...
   How did this happen?  It took the two of us praying together....with my husband as the head of the household praying for us...for it to happen...Yes, we had a great coach...and we worked hard...but we have had both of those things since last Sept...but it was the quiet prayer of aa Godly man who was pleading with his father God to bless his family that did it more than anything...next time you are at your wits end...your last rope...realize that God is there with blessings he is just waiting to give you...all you need to do is ask and you will recieve...if you seek Him with your whold heart you will find him!

She borrowed my clothes and they fit!!!

She Borrowed My Clothes And They Fit!

As a teen with a sister the same size as you it was fun to swap clothes back and forth. When you grew up in a big family you just always shared clothes.  You did it with your family and did it with your friends. It was just fun to do.  Well, it has been a long time since I have been able to swap clothes with anyone.  My clothes were to big for anyone to want to wear.

A few mornings ago my daughter Becca came in my room and asked to borrow my sweater....MY SWEATER!  I said sure honey! She walked out of the room happy. As she came down for breakfast, I looked at my beautiful daughter in my sweater! I was filled with pride and joy. Yes, it looked much better on her then it does on me, and yes, it was baggier on her, but that was the look she wanted!  BUT, she could fit into my clothes!  I was so happy I wanted to cry! I wanted to jump up and down and hoop and holler and do a happy dance! I had made it! I succeeded where I thought I never could. I worked hard and accomplished what I set out to do. I was filled with joy and thankfulness. I had done it. 

Back on Track....

Christmas was such a crazy time..we just forgot all that we learned and went crazy. We went out to eat and ate whatever we wanted, we did not have time to go to the gym...and we went back to our old life style.  I could tell I was gaining weight when my favorite jeans just did not want to go on.  I noticed Dave suddenly could not find anything to wear...and I knew we had a problem... a BIG problem.  I talked to Fawn yesturday and told her that we were gaining weight...I asked my family to pray about it with me...and Dave and I decided we had to get going again.  Yesturday I got out my meal plans and sat down and looked at them. I remembered how much we loved them...We did great all day yesturday. This morning the girls and i got up at 5 and headed to the gym.  The first thing I did was head to the scale.  I was 214!!! I had gained 17 pounds since my lowest time.  I felt so sick to my stomach.  As I stepped off I realized I have to get back on track. Dave and I have come too far to gain it all back.  I never wanted to go above 200 and now I am above 210...I could not believe it.  As I did my exercise I was waiting for my last exercise...my prayer chair...I sat in that chair and pored my heart out to the Lord.  I prayed for each member of my family, and prayed that Dave and I could get back to the gym and eating right...Please join us in prayer that we can start again...get back to where we were and start loosing again. I know we can do it, and i know it is not too late, if we start now and continue...You have been there with me for this far...please be their in prayer support for the rest of the journey. I will now try to be more accountable, and let you know how we are doing.  Love you guys!
Kathleen