Birthdays

Dianne, Ken and Deke all celebrate their birthdays within a few days of one another, so we met in Frankfort after church and went out to eat. Afterward, we came back to Grandma Jones' house for tomato soup cake and/or meringue shells. This is a picture of the trio blowing out their candles.

Moving "Day" ja vu

Yesterday, the movers arrived to pick up Jonny and Em's household goods. Deke and I had worked most of Saturday sorting, repacking and getting things ready to go. The main driver was a newbie so Deke had to teach him how to inventory. Not a good scene. Anyway, 3 1/2 hours later, the Walls' household things were on their way to Indy where they will be transferred onto a moving van for the trip west.

Knocked down the loveseat to make shipping easier

Billy and Paco load up the mattresses

All packed up and ready to go. Doesn't seem like much but it means the world to the newlyweds

Goals

Every 6 months I go to the heart institute in Lafayette to have my cholesterol evaluated. I do that because my cholesterol runs high and my doctor suggested we monitor it regularly. Even with cholesterol meds, I usually run a total reading of 185 with a ratio of 1.0-2.0. It fluctuates, but mostly it stays in that area. Yesterday, my total was 250 with a ratio of 2.8. When I go back over the years and study the evaluation sheets, I can see that my cholesterol and the triglyceride ratios are directly proportional to my weight. The lower my weight, the better the readings. My weight also affects my snoring and apnea. So, with all that said, I have set a goal. I hereby put myself on notice that I am going to do all in my power to lose the 5-10 pounds that I need to lose to get my cholesterol and respiration problems under control. Hopefully, you will help me with encouragement and suggestions.

The "getting in shape" goal has another dimension in that I want to look good when I walk down that aisle June 25. So I have set a goal of 2 lbs/month. That gives me a full 5-6 months to get this thing accomplished and with that goal completed, I should see a dramatic difference in cholesterol and triglyceride readings at my next appointment.

This morning I prayed and asked the Lord to help me accomplish this task. I know, without His help, I will never have the strength to stick to the plan. A very rough outline of the procedure involves, walking, jumping rope, eating less and drinking lots and lots of water. I know it sounds like a simplistic plan, but If I stick with it, it will work.

So there. Hopefully this plan will not end up as dismal as my goal of getting the window treatments done for the kitchen. I know my hang-up there- I just can't decide on a style and I cringe thinking of cutting into the material only to discover that I would have liked something else better. Paralysis. But I can see the final plan for the lowering of the cholesterol and I know I will like it when my next appointment rolls around on July 19, 2010.

Frigid in Florida

I don't know how we did it, but we chose the coldest week in the year to be at Disney World. BUT the main idea was to be with Jon, Erin and the kids so any weather worked for us! We had a great time even dressed in winter coats, gloves and insulated underwear. Enjoy some scenes from Mickey Land.

Christmas with Family

A few pictures of our visit with family over Christmas.

Pre-Christmas Happenings

Emily and Jonny flew to Indiana on the 11th, then left the next day for Kentucky to visit with friends and family. They returned to Lafayette this past Sunday and will be joined by Mark, Lori and baby Claire tonight in preparation for celebrating Christmas here in the morning.

Today, while visiting with Mom, the Martin roses arrived. They are beautiful and look quite elegant in Mama Jo's room. We will pick her up tomorrow to celebrate with the immediate family then she'll be here on Saturday when we celebrate with Deke's mom and brothers.

If I don't get back to blogging before Friday, I want to wish everyone a very blessed Christmas!

Emily and Jonny sharing a "cheesy" moment

Caroling with Carole

A few days ago, Carole invited Mom and me to her home for lunch. So yesterday, after Mom's hair appointment, we went for a delightful lunch of spicy bean soup and melt-in-your-mouth cornbread. After lunch, we roamed the house admiring all the beautiful decorations and reminiscing over all the family pictures hanging on the wall. It was a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon.