Things Said While Opening Christmas Presents

Kayla (upon being woken up at the crack of dawn): This is a time when you want to call your parents and say, "I'm SORRY!!!"

Dylan: Oh, I've always wanted this!!! (a toothpaste dispenser for the bathroom)

Bloomington Boomer Bash

This is a layout I did showing my get-together with the Illinois Baby Boomers. We had a lot of fun, as always!

August 191

I've lost 48 pounds! I'm so happy, I can't believe it. Here's the layout I did, showing the street I take my walks on, and with my exercise ball.

Linda in Onederland - a play on words, meaning I finally broke through the 200 mark. Here I am on July 2, 2009, weighing in at 198!

Halfway to my First Goal

I'm doing a scrapbook of my weight loss, and in this layout I show my "before" picture of November 2008, when I weighed 239 pounds. The "after" picture is May 1, weighing 207 pounds, a loss of 32 pounds. I'm hoping to get down to 199 by the end of May. My first goal is to lose 60 pounds, which would be 179. After that - well, I'd actually like to lose another 50, but first I'm just going after the 60. The thing that I'm proudest of is that I was going through a breakup and usually that's when I give up and go to the fridge and the wine bottle for comfort. But not this time! I'm determined to show that I'm stronger than that - I will NOT let a man sabotage my health again!

Another Layout of Bailey

And here's yet another scrapbook layout featuring my great-niece Bailey. Can I help it if she's so photogenic?

Dr. Seuss' Birthday

Dr. Seuss' birthday was March 2009, and Thriftway held a party for kids in his honor. They listened to stories and watched a puppet show and also a juggler performed. They loved it! I thought it was so neat that these kids who watch cartoons and play video games still liked this old-fashioned form of entertainment.

This is a layout I did using SEI products. It's Bailey's one-year portrait taken in February.

March Weight Loss

As of March 31, 2009, my weight was 213.6. I've lost a total of 26 pounds since November. I'm putting this layout in my Weight Loss Scrapbook. I've been wearing the same outfit for every monthly picture, and I'm beginning to see results now! I hope I can keep it up!!!

I actually got some pictures taken with myself in them this time! These are different pictures of me with my dad, my sister, my brother, my daughter, and my great-niece. All taken in Florida during my visit.

Erin Go Brah

This is a scrapbook layout I did of my daughter's 2007 trip to Ireland. She got to spend her 24th birthday in an Irish pub, where she toasted her grandmother, who had inspired her to visit Ireland.

Bailey & friends

This is my latest layout, made from pictures I took during my visit to Florida. I took pictures of Bailey with various people in the family. She's so cute, the camera loves her!

February 2009 Page

Bailey's Birthday Celebration

My great-niece, Bailey, celebrated her first birthday while I was visting in Florida. Her grandma Judy had as much fun as she did, teaching her "proper cake-eating" etiquette.

My Fourth Christmas

This was the Christmas card that my parents sent out the year I was four years old - 1950. I wore a blue velvet dress that I just loved! My sister Judy had a matching dress and haircut, and my parents also sent out a post card with her picture on it. I don't know why they didn't take a picture of both of us and send one post card, but I guess that's the way they did it back then.

Dr. Seuss' Birthday

Dr. Seuss's birthday was February 2, and Thriftway sponsored a special Dr. Seuss party for kids. I took Dylan, and he just loved it! There was stories read and an old-fashioned puppet show. I couldn't believe how much all the kids laughed and enjoyed it - I'm sure Dylan isn't the only one who plays with video games and all kinds of sophisticated gadgets -- but they acted like this was the biggest treat they had ever had! Dylan and I took the bus to the store and we really enjoyed being together.

Anniversary Celebration

We celebrated the first anniversary of Mike's sobriety with a birthday cake and one candle on July 4, 2007. Okay, I'm a little late getting it scrapped, but we were all very, very proud of him, and happy that he had pulled himself up out of the despair he had been going through. I put this in the scrapbook I'm making for him.

My Haircut

I got my haircut today - also had a "weave" done to cover up - or blend in wiht the gray. I"m not sure I like it - it looks all grey now. I guess I'll have to get used to it. But it does look better than it did, anyway...

My Weight Loss for February

I made this layout for the February page of my Weight Loss Scrapbook. I only lost two pounds in February, but while I was in Florida I GAINED 6! But I was able to lose those 6 when I got back, plus two more. So I don't feel too bad. In fact, as the layout says, I was "tickled Pink."

I did this layout for the scrapbook I'm doing for Miles. This page commemmorates the purchase of his first home. The pictures show moving day, and Miles & Kayla working together to make lunch one day, and Dylan out in the yard in by the garage. Dylan was more proud of that garage than anything else in his home.

Love Life

This is a layout I did for my Family Moments Album, one of Lisa Bearnson's products. The journaling on the pocket in the left describes the pictures on the right - dad and me in 1998, thelast time I visited him; myself with Tom and Bill and Judy and Sally in the early 1980s; and mom and dad together in 1998. They were watching one of Nick's football games, one of their favorite things to do. I just realized I shouldn't have titled it Love Life -- it probably sends a meaning that i didn't mean. I meant you should love life, not about a lovelife. I'll have to think of some way to alter the title...

Lynzi

Mike brought the girls over on Sunday. I gave Lynzi her birthday presents, and I have Aja and Lynzi the things I brought back for them from Florida. I got some GREAT pictures of Lynzi in her cheerleader outfit I got for her!

My Dad's Backyard

I did this layout from my vacation, it's pictures in my dad's backyard, which I just love! It has such a tropical feel to it. I printed the pix on my computer, but I'm running out of ink, so they didn't show up as they should. When I get the prints back from the photo place, I'll replace them, and hopefully, the layout will show how pretty the backyard is.

Back on Track

Well, I lost a couple more of my Florida pounds! I went for a walk and stuck to the Spark diet, so that did the trick! I'm almost back to what I was when I left for Florida. If I'm lucky and work really hard, maybe I'll get to my January weight goal!

Mike is supposed to bring the girls over today. I have some stuff from Florida for them and also Lynzi's birthday presents from Valerie and me. I'm thinking of asking him if I can go home with him and spend the night. I'd like to get away for the night. I don't understand why Rick kind of "shuts down" on me at times, but I guess it's one of those things I have to just take. He's done this a few times before,so maybe it's just something in him. I just have to hope he's not falling out of love with me. I love him, and it would hurt so much to lose him. Even though we've never met in real life.

Miles and Kayla asked me to stay, rent-free, so I'm going to try it for awhile. But if we start fighting again, I'll still leave. If they had to pay a babysitter, it would be more than the rent I was paying, so I think I'm earning my keep. But I'm not going to spend the last years of my life miserable. I'm going to try to make some changes. Kayla's right about me making a hermit of myself, maybe that's why she doesn't respect me. So I'm going to try to spend the night at Mike's once in awhile to have time with the girls. When Kayla is around, everything is controlled by her, and I want to feel comfortable with the girls. They're growing up, and I want to know them as well as I do Dylan. Also, if I keep more active, maybe I won't be so prone to "suffocate" Rick.

Valerie and Me

This is the photo Valerie and I had taken at Sears the same time we had our group photo. It's terrible of me, I really look old and fat. But Valerie looks pretty, doesn't she? I sent a copy to Rick, and he said it was a good picture, but I think he was just being nice. And last night, he signed off without saying anything. I hate it when he does that, I never know why - did he get booted? He had said earlier that he was going to go offline to do some searches, but I don't know why he signed off without saying anything. We've been getting along so good, I don't understand. Was he that turned off by my picture? Maybe I should ask him.

On the brighter side, I did lose almost 3 pounds back of the 6 pounds I gained in Florida. So I'm not going to let my depression send me into a tailspin. I've been depressed ever since I got back from Florida, and this doesn't help.

Today, I don't have any money, but I'm going to at least go for a walk to get out of the house. And do some scrapping, I need to do one layout a day to meet my quota. Scrapping always helps me get over the blues.

I'm BACK!!!

Well, I made it back! I'm feeling kind of sad, because it was so nice to be with my family. I got to spend a lot of time with them, and it's so nice and laid-back in Florida. Dad is feeling so much better, and I got to know my half-brother Donnie a lot better. This picture is the family picture we had taken while we were there. I'm so glad we got it done, and dad and Carla paid for it all - which we hadn't planned on, but it was so nice of them.

One thing I'm going to try to do now is try to make myself get out more, instead of staying in the house all the time. So every morning, I'm going to post to my blog and make a plan to do something - even it's only to go to the store or take Dylan to the park.

Today, I'll start out with going to the store.

Sunny Florida!

Here I am with dad in his backyard. We were sitting outside in front of their open fire they have. It was really nice. Pictured below is Valerie with dad - they had a really nice chat together, which was what she wanted. It's been a really nice visit, and in a lot of ways, I'll hate to go back. But I do miss my family. I feel recharged now, ready to get back to my own place. Kayla and Miles seem to want me to stay, and since they aren't asking for rent now, I may go ahead and try it. I guess I'll see how things go. I don't get my Social Security until July, so I'll wait until then to decide for sure. I'm going to have a long talk with Miles about it.

Dylan's Mother's Day Party 2008

Getting caught up on some scrapping - these pictures were taken at Dylan's Mother's Day Party at his preschool. I had him sign under one of the pictures, though it doesn't show up too much in this picture.

Good News and Bad News

Dylan watches as President Obama took the oath of office. He didn't really know what was going on, but I wanted a picture of him at this moment. He'll grow up and not think it's a big deal for a black man to be president. And that's a good thing!

However, the day wasn't a good one for our family. Kayla was taken to the ER with an ectopic pregnancy. It had burst inside of her, so she went through some serious surgery. She'll be coming home today, and her mother is coming to be with her. That will help her. They'll have to tell Dylan that the baby is gone, and that's going to be hard. But he'll be okay, even though he'll be upset at first. I just hope Kayla doesn't go into too much detail with him.

I did tell Kayla that it's not impossible to have another baby if she wants one, even though they did take one of her tubes. My neice Lisa had an ectopic pregnancy and she had another baby after that. But Kayla has had two miscarriages before she had Dylan, so she might not want to try again.

My First Acrylic Album

This is my first-ever acrylic album, made from pictures I took during our snowstorm. The pictures don't show up as well on the computer as they look in real life, but I tried...

Arctic Blast 2008

The media called our snowstorm The Arctic Blast, but the snow storm made for some wonderful pictures. This is a layout I did showing Dylan and Miles outside on December 21. They were having a wonderful time!

Lynzi 2008-09

Sarah finally gave me Lynzi's school pictures! So here she is, isn't she adorable? That little grin is her father all over!

My dad's birthday is January 8, the same as Elvis. So I made a birthday card that says happy birthday KING. (I don't know why the h in happy doesn't show up in the picture.) That's dad's head on the caricature.) On the inside of the card, it says, "I hear Elvis had a birthday too. Sending you a Hunka Hunka BIRTHDAY LOVE."

Caught in the act - sleeping it off - even Dylan, who was allowed to stay up for New Year's Eve with me and was up for the fireworks. Miles and Kayla took Valerie out to the American Legion, and must have had a pretty good time, to judge by how tired they were in these pictures!

Goodbye to 08

Here's a layout I did as a challenge for my S2L team at Spark People. It's a collage I made from pictures from 2008. It will be going in my 2008 Year Scrapbook.

Actual Before and Virtual After Pictures

I found a website that will project a I weight loss. Here I am, my actual before picture and my virtual after 50-pound loss picture. Now here's something to motivate me. I'll have to check out if I really look like if - I mean WHEN - I lose 50 pounds!