Thursday, March 22, 2012

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!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

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!