April Showers Bring May Flowers

Michael & Kimberly

Easter Sunday 2010

Kim & Bella

Willow as Bunny Foo Foo

Olivia...just playing it cool!

Soooo much has happened since I last posted anything! There was Easter, weight loss progress, & VEGAS BABY!!!! Haha :-)

Mike's Family Easter Sunday

Adrian, Anthony, Ashley, Auntie Kim, Linda, Uncle Michael

Auntie Kim & Linda

Uncle Michael & Linda...our last little Egg Hunter :(

Should I go with the Chicken or the Shark?!?

I must back up & tell you about some new special friends in our life. We have become such great friends with with this couple (whom Mike met through work)...and their families, we truely feel so blessed!

Brycent & Kelli

aka The Pineapple's

(Brycent is Hawaiin)

Brycent, Kelli, & Kylie

Easter Sunday

Kelli & Brycent (Mike works with Kelli) share a similar sense of humor & importance of family as do we, that we've become inseparable for days at a time...simply because we don't want to let the good times end. Kelli has a daughter (Kylie) from a previous marriage that has taken a liking to us as well. I've become "Auntie Kim" & she always hugs "Sharkbait" goodnight & tells him that she "misses him when he's gone & misses him when he's not here!" Completely precious as most 4 year olds can be.

The Andre's, The Anderson's, & the "future" Kamehaiku's

Kelli's parents have invited us into their home as well as if we were always part of the family. Randie always likes to give me a scare (I'm always so jumpy), and Terri even used to work in the Dental field. They even have this cute little dog named Bella...I've often caught myself going "here kitty kitty" to their puppy! Haha, oops!

Terri & Randie Anderson

Burl, Brycent, & Kim

(Brycent's parents, Yay! Another Kim)

Since Easter we've enjoyed going to a local church with their family. Randie usually is working the sound & we sit with Kelli, Brycent, Terri, and Kyle & Jacque (Kelli's brother & sister-in-law whom both are former YMCA employees too). We enjoy everyone's company.

Did I mention Brycent does tatoos?

It's official, he is truely "Sharkbait" now!

For Brycent's birthday we were invited to go to LAS VEGAS with his parents & Kelli's parents. We were Vegas virgins until this trip. So it was exciting to take in all the sights of the strip with our new friends! Plus as a bonus surprise...Brycent proposed to Kelli during dinner! We all new it was coming (except Brycent's dad, who almost ruined the set up)...he went with the classic "oops I dropped my phone under the table" excuse to get down on his knee :)

The proposal!

At dinner

The "prom" pic...we were at The Flamingo

One of Mike's nicknames for his arm is "Chicken Wing"

...so finding this life size suit at the MGM was hilarious!!

It's amazing what people do to other people's cars in Casino

parking garages in Las Vegas!

This was a crack up to find in the Venetian!

We arrived in Vegas @ 11:45pm...we got in bed at 4:51am!

I haven't pulled an all-nighter since I was 21yrs old!

The gardens in The Bellagio! This place smelled so beautiful!

At The Bellagio

The "Big Kittys" at The MGM

Kim & Kelli with the Eifel Tower behind us.

Eifel Tower

As far as my health goes I am proud to say I've lost 41lbs in 8wks! I still have lots to go, but I'm really feeling it now! What I can keep down daily has been improving...I'm loving veggie & minestrone soups, peanut butter spoons, refried beans, tuna, wheat thins, & avacado right now. Items that are a hit & miss are chicken, breads, & especially hamburger! I really feel at a low when I've forgotten to take my vitamins, I kinda run out of gas about 4pm then, which unfortunately is bad because it is my busiest time at work somedays. After all the walking in Vegas that we did, it wa sconfirmation that my surgery was worth it! I was able to make it through the night....where as 6 months ago I would be unable to breathe & need a break every 5 minutes! I felt so good about myself & how far I've come!

Enjoy the pics! Next adventure is Jamie's wedding next month in May! Yay!

One Month & Beyond

On March 24th it was my 1 month anniversary of having had surgery! Everything is healing well...I'm just going to have to live with this pentagram shaped scarring on my tummy, no biggie. Reminders of another one of life's challenges. I've lost another 10 lbs since my last weigh in, that's 26 lbs total on the paperwork as of the 23rd, but now 28 lbs as of the 25th.

Foods I still must avoid are any snacky cracky things like chips, cookies, granola bars, candy bars, crackers (maybe 6 wheat thins a day if I so desire), ice cream, soda, most fast foods, watermelon (no nutrients, just sugar), iceberg lettuce (no nutrients, just fiber), & unfortunately no alcohol :(

**Next statements are not for the weak stomachs.

For the last week I have been doing a lot of throwing up. I have days where I can tolerate things like salad, beans, eggs, cheese...and the next minute it's caught in my throat & up it comes. It's tiring & embarrassing when I'm with company. I apologize & excuse myself, it is what it is. My body is relearning hungar, cravings, tolerance & volume.

The positives: down 2 pant sizes & 1 shirt size. I see a thinner face when I look in the mirror. That makes me smile. My goal weight given from the doctor seemed impossible, but I was reassured that this is my 1 year target weight...so no pressure to be down more than what I am.

I think my biggest struggle that I will have, will be to stay motivated & continue physical activity (exercising). I will be going back to work next Tuesday & a lot of my day is spent at a desk in front of a computer. I will have to utilize my 10 min breaks for short walks & park far away from the building.

Taken 2/7/10

Taken 3/9/10

Taken 3/20/10

~*Thanks again for all the support!*~

Jamie & Scott's Wedding Shower

Pictures from the Wedding Shower of the decorations & guests.

I'm making DVD copies for anyone who wants one...let me know!

A Short video collage I made of Jamie & Scott....we played it at the shower.

Mooney's Grove Park

About 2 weeks ago Mike & I took another visit to Mooney's Grove Park in Visalia. We got there early enough to have a picnic lunch, walk through the historical museum as well as some of the outside preserved buildings, & feed the ducks. We were bummed to learn that we had just missed a civil war reinactment by an hour. Here are a few pics of the neat antiques & the like we got to see!

The green headed ducks are so pretty---my favs!

They look like they just experienced a "foot-popping" kiss! haha

The oldest school house building in Tulare County,

used until the mid 1960's. Mike believes his grandmother

attended primary school in this very building.

Actual desks used!

What a truck from the Dustbowl Era would have looked like.

One of the oldest engine trains in Tulare County.

The inside of the train.

This building was filled with antique parts & tools.

This was the "First Visalia City Jail"...it was no bigger

than a 10x12 room. It had a wash basin & a chair & a bucket.

No bars, looked just like an animal pen,

with a wall that came up to your waist.

A shed full of old wagons, for single use or

multiple passengers. They even had an old

mail postal wagon & hearse wagon.

Looking in the windows all around the house you could

see how the interior & furniture would have

looked in the old pioneer days (kitchen/bedroom/living room).

Careful Mike, I think someone is watching you from the window!

Old wedding gowns & misc women's articles.

Old children's shoes, hats, clothing, toys & photos of early settlers.

A family portrait, antique sitting chairs, dolls & dollhouse.

Drop It Like It's Hot!

February 24th was my BIG DAY...(no pun intended)...I was scheduled for a 10:30 surgery, however, after the doc & his asst. took their lunch break they were ready for me by 12. Get this...I even got a 2-for-1! Apparently, I had a Hiatal Hernia, which was fixed! By definition: "A hiatal hernia occurs when part of your stomach pushes upward through your diaphragm. Your diaphragm normally has a small opening (hiatus) that allows your food tube (esophagus) to pass through on its way to connect to your stomach. The stomach can push up through this opening and cause a hiatal hernia." I was back in my room by 4pm...with Mike, my dad, & good friend Zach being the 1st people I recall seeing. They were so loud I wanted to kick them out! Haha! Typical guys! Mike & Jamie spent the rest of the afternoon with me, getting me up to walk & sip water & ice chips. I never really had much stomache pain. It was mostly in my upper back, shoulders & neck. I even experienced this almost 2 hr irritation in my right eye. It was as if my contact was floating in my eye & I couldn't get it out....but nothing was there, my nurse even checked?!? Another weird one for the books!

So now my journey begins on this week-long liquid-only diet of broth & jello. Oh yay! (note the enthusiasm). By Saturday (3 days in) I had my 1st emotional melt down. I honestly felt like I would rather not eat at all, then have to suck down anymore broth. It's harder than you think to not be able to eat or enjoy tasting something in your mouth. I will never suffer from Anorexia. The family was trying to be very supportive....ok for those of you who remember or know my Dad, know his "supportive methods" are not typical....or nice sometimes. Joining them for dinner was not so bad, it was like "to eat" would be to much work & my stomache wasn't hungary, but I did wish I could at least lick on the steak they were enjoying! It's a mental trip!

Now that I'm home & in week 2, I have been able to advance to some solid-like foods. This has been a morale boost! I've enjoyed refried beans more than you know! Other things I've tried have been applesauce (yum!), pudding (not too good, still too thick), egg salad (better to tolerate without the white part), PEANUT BUTTER SPOONS (my fave snack!), mashed potatos/yams (makes me thirsty, need to watch the salt), & today for the 1st time a 1/2 of banana (fills you up quick). I can only eat about 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of any of these items at any given time. My stomach basically went from the size of a football to the size of a large egg! So my little pouch gets full fast! Again, I'm not that hungary...still seems like a lot of work to eat sometimes...but I think my mind is ok with it because I have FLAVOR back in my life!

It's been 13 days since my surgery and I have already lost 14 lbs since my weigh in just before surgery. A pound a day...and it could be more as long as I continue to walk (which I am!). By Jamie's wedding I could be down 65 lbs...which is amazing...like 2 more dress sizes! Oh and btw my blood sugar level has not been over 100 since my surgery! I just am keeping my eye on the prize & am continuing to change my relationship with food every day. Thanks for everyone's support. I'll keep you posted :)