My Big Belly Laugh

Okay, so it's been almost two weeks since I started this losing weight thing. Thank you all for your support and comments. During that time, I have lost...dudutadu...6 pounds!!! Yeah to me!! I have not exercised every day due to ice storms and the Sabbath being a day of rest (thank heavens), but I have done fairly well. I also compromised. Some of you may see it as quitting, but no, I couldn't run. I am not a runner, I am a walker. I tried the running thing and didn't want to do it again. The walking thing I like and can do it fast and WANT to do it again. So, I walk instead of run. It works for me. I haven't had junk food in two weeks. No candy, no juice, no chips or cookies, no brownies, no ice cream and believe it or not, no chocolate. I have smelt it and touched it but it has not crossed my lips. Now, THAT has been hard!!! I even have See's chocolate suckers in my utensils drawer in the kitchen calling my name, but for 1 year, I have changed my name!!!
My big belly laugh for the day??? Okay, Kylie and Kathryn are doing this with me. Yeah, like Kylie needs to lose weight..WHATEVER. She claims she just wants her muscle back and flat tummy. Her tummy gets any flatter and she'll be inside out. Anyways, Kathryn and I go to Target to get some bathroom scales...you know, the things that talk to you? Mine have said, 'Get off me you big lugg' or 'Only one at a time please', or just lately 'It's now or never lady'. So, the time is now. We are looking at the boxes for the best scales..some tell you your body fat (like I don't KNOW already I'm fat), some tell you your mass something or other (land mass?) and then others just get right to the point and start flashing in big numbers your three digit body weight. Big RED numbers even..(like you can't read them from where you're standing).
So, we find some scales that are not in a box and I put them on the ground and stand on them, waiting for some kind of moaning and groaning to come forth before flashing my three digit number. Pleasantly surprised, okay, SHOCKED, I see it register 25 pounds less than what I knew I was 2 weeks ago. I laughed and insisted it had to be wrong...so Kathryn volunteers to get on and see if it will proclaim her to weigh 25 pounds less also. It does, to which she exclaims, 'This one lies to us and doesn't talk back. Let's get it!!!" Big belly laugh right in the middle of the store. We must have laughed for 10 minutes.
Needless to say, it's not the one we came home with. At this point, we need a little more accuracy, not humor in our dieting endeavors. But it did make me smile.

All Safely Home

These three are my boys. There's a fourth one too..Chris Colegrove, but because he and Kylie are no longer together, it makes for a slight awkwardness in including him in the post. So, I won't. But he hung with the other three, but just not as much. And in fact, if I were to include the 'fourth', it would really be Kylie. But these three boys are my boys.
I taught them for two years in Seminary and they did most everything together from the time we moved here 6 years ago. Not so much at the very beginning when they found Jordan a little 'too cowboy' for them, but after awhile, they finally accepted him for who he was.
Ricky has always been considered the more popular of the boys, especially at school. He had friends both member and non member alike. Everyone liked Ricky. He also dated the Bishop's daughter, Katie, who also hung out with the guys for awhile until she chose to take another path. But Ricky was the athletic, popular at school jock - motorcycles, girls and friends.
Mark was always the braniac smart one, yet when he was with the others, they ALL lacked for common sense.(stories to be told later) Mark studied hard and always went the extra mile to get the good grades and scholarships for school. He loved hanging with friends and coming up with fun things to do and dated at times, but Mark's main love were cars. He loved cars...fast cars, sporty cars, expensive cars, racey cars...anything to do with cars, he was doing it.
Then there was Jordan...the hmmm, what would you call Jordan??? The misfit?? Jordan was socially awkward, couldn't even SPELL cool, never dated or wanted to date, FORGOT to turn in his school homework, didn't want to get hurt in sports, Kylie was his best friend but only after his horse. Jordan loved two things...Kylie and his horse. In most everything he was lazy except in training Kasey and spending time with Kylie.

Now, you put these three guys together, and have Kylie tagging along a year younger than the rest, and you have quite the group. But somehow, they fit, and for three solid years, did most anything and everything together.
How many of us know what 'cow-tipping' is??? Or how to make dry ice bombs and can find 100 ways to use one? Or fircrackers, bottle rockets and BB guns??? Don't get me started...the stories these four can tell would curdle your blood. But they've done it all, and more.
Jordan left first on his mission, in October 06. The mission calls came with Jordan going Calif - San Bernardino - then Ricky to Brazil and Mark to Calif, Los Angeles Spanish speaking. With Jordan leaving first, the other three were lost for several weeks until Ricky left late November. Mark left two months later in Jan of 07. Of course, Chris left in November also, by the time they were all gone, Kylie was one lost puppy all alone. She still had her senior year and one year of college before any of them would be coming home. It was probably most rough on her.
I wrote Jordan every week of his mission. The other three, Mark, Ricky and Chris, I wrote every other week their entire missions. I prided myself on keeping in touch and them with me.
And now, they have all come home, with Mark being the last to arrive this past week. He got home Wednesday under some very difficult family situations - illness, etc with his dad (no details now), but spent the first day with his family (although he did call me), but he finally came over Friday night. I was the first person he came to see after his mission - of course, Kylie and Ricky were both here too - so it made for a wonderful 3 hour reunion in which while here, Jordan called for me, but I had Mark answer the phone. Oh, how fun it was to watch the FOUR of them conversing through the phone lines between eachother laughing and talking. I cou;dn't have been more content since the night of the BYU/TCU game traveling home with my little family.
So, they are all safely home now. Some things have changed, Geez, Kylie's married and Mike was here too..and it was funny to see how Ricky and Mark 'eyed' him over, being the guy who married their best friends little sister. They seemed the same, yet slightly more mature as they talked about their missions - I could tell they missed having Jordan right there with them, but that will come soon enough. Just listening to them with Kylie, reliving a lot of memories was so fun.
So, I'm content...a little sore from running every day three days in a row, but not nearly as bad as I thought I would be. I've realized how much junk food I eat...and I'm lonely without it. I've realized also WHY I eat it...no issues with my mother or anything like that, I eat it because I'm bored. So I just need to stay busy. I've also learned what I should and shouldn't eat before exercising - no cabbage, (it tends to self propel you) and not too much water (I could have used a fire hydrant twice).
Yesterday, Del and I had a great day - we went to the temple first thing in the morning, came home and did housework together, then went grocery shopping together, laundry together and then watched the BYU basketball team beat SDSU together. It made for a really fun day.
And now today has been a very nice Sabbath Day. I feel blessed. Content. Isn't that how mothers should feel when their little brood is all home tucked safely in their beds?? Jordan away, but you get the jest of it....

Blah, Blah, Blah

OK, here I am three weeks into the New Year - I am reading others blogs who are in the same BLAHland that I seem to be in....it's the 'post holiday blues'...or 'I have no life' syndrome....or 'nothing interesting is happening that merits blogging about' or 'FLATLINED' , as Dana seems to feel. Ditto, ditto, ditto!!!! It's not that I'm non functioning cuz I am at work every morning seeing patients and making money, but I don't seem to be accomplishing anything 'NEW". Maybe THAT's it...there is nothing NEW in my life... the same old, same old...yes, it's a new year, and I have the goal of being better than I was last year...but better MUST mean SOMETHING more than last year...something NEW.
Okay, time for brutal honesty...and my blogging friends, this MUST NOT be shared or passed on to your hubbies...it's too disgusting to me for YOU to have to know this...
Okay, I'm fat...this tub of lard has got to go this year. I was just laying on the couch, watching t.v and lifted my shirt to scratch my tummy - OH MY GOSH!! You know how bread dough looks as it's rising and then collapses...that flabby, blubbery look...??? That was my belly - bloated about 20 inches high!!! I'm pretty sure I am at an all time 'high' (weight). I literally took my belly into my hands and moved it around like jelly until I busted out laughing. Of course, I'm home alone and went to stand in front of the mirror. My thought?? 'POOR DEL".
Okay, so my mind raced...what am I going to do about this? Two years ago, I had a blood work up and hormone testing done by the doctor to see about my medications...It revealed very high cholesterol (251), sugar glucose level or 'too much sugar' level of 593 (normal is in the 100's) and basic 'you're disgusting Marlys' numbers that should have alerted me a little more drastically that I was needing to make some changes. But, I've been too lazy, or it has seemed too hard to come up with something that would make a difference. I don't have the money to do Jenny Craig or NutriSystems, but I finally am disgusted enough to know that i don't want to go another day without some attempt to get my physical health under control.
So, I turn to you, my family and friends for advice and encouragement. Dana, Meredith and Shelley, don't even SPEAK the words PX90 whatever thing. I'm not desiring DEATH, yet. Just words of encouragement, an occasional laugh picturing me running around the block with my belly hanging to my knees and a stern word if you see me eating ANOTHER piece of cheesecake.
I think I have found my 'something new' for the year...or two, or three. I DO have 50 pounds to lose!!!
Let the games begin.

God Bless America

Today is Inaguration Day where we are swearing in our new President of the United States, Barack Huessein Obama. Significance? Not just the 'changing of the guard', but history in the making. He will be our first African American President - with the middle name Huessein? Why is that a little scary to me?
Anyways, I have always prayed for our president of the country - but even more so now; not because he's black, not because he's Democrat and not because his middle name is Huessein, but because more than ever, our nation needs to be led with divine intervention. Somehow, we need our political leaders to feel the promptings and direction of the spirit guiding them - some sense of 'higher' direction -and even the NEED to HAVE a higher influence directing them. That they can't and shouldn't do this 'on their own'.
So, pray for our president. There are others that I would say to pray for too, but I truly believe 'they' are beyond hope. Hopefully Obama knows there is a God and that he needs HIS help. Hopefully Obama loves his family enough that he will remain faithful and devoted to them. Hopefully Obama loves this country enough that he will think of IT before he thinks of wanting to 'make everyone else happy.' Hopefully, we will survive these next four years as a counrty without too many cuts, bruises and broken bones.
Survival mode : bent knees, bowed head and pleading heart.

Then Even Better

I was raised in a home of watching good movies and listening to great music. And when the two could be combined? Then even better, We were a family that LOVED musicals...The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, The Student Prince, West Side Story, Oklahoma, The King and I, The Happiest Millionaire, Singing in the Rain, White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Calamity Jane and many many others.
Last night, it was 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.' The first time my kids saw this was when Jordan was about 12, so that made Kylie almost 11 and Kathryn about 7. We watched it ALL the time; not just yearly, but probably once a month. The kids LOVED the songs and the acting. It was the same with several of the other musicals..we watched them on a monthly basis. Del and I wanted our children to appreciate good movies and good music, and when the two could be combined...then even better.
To this day, my kids LOVE musicals. Last night, Kathryn was searching through the channels for something to watch when up popped 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'. Del and I were in the kitchen doing dishes when we heard a squeel of delight and the singing start! We just smiled as we realized our 16 year old teenage daughter was at home on a Saturday night, with her parents, THRILLED to be watching a good movie. Every time a song would start, we would hear her say, Oh, this one is my favorite!' or 'Oh, I love this one the best'. When we finished the dishes, we sat on the couch all snuggled up together to watch the rest of the movie. It was a great moment.
Friday, the schools were closed and I didn't have work, so Kathryn and I went to the movies...the dollor theater..to see what? High School Musical Three. Yep, she was the only teenager in there, especially there with her mother...but did that bother her? Nope!!! And we LOVED it. Good music - a little corny acting and storyline - but wonderful!!! There was romance, singing, dancing and just good fun. Guess what she wants to do on Monday on her second day off of school? She wants to go see it again, this time with her dad.
We need more quality movies/musicals being made in today's world. They are uplifting, enjoyable and inspiring for upcoming musicians and performers. My kids love 'Newsies', which is a musical made years ago and came out about when Jordan was 10 or so. When friends would come to our house to hang out, that's what our kids would want them to watch. Even as teenagers, they would share the movie with their friends.
I guess my point is...I love the way Del and I have raised our children to love good movies and music and if the two are combined, then even better. Last night was sooo satisfying to me, to hear the three of us singing about 'those sobbin women' and about 'love in spring'. etc etc...

P.S. note..Jordan was called to be the executive secretary in the Bishopric up at school. He went to his first 'Bishopric Meeting' EARLY this morning...funny kid. He also helped do a temple assignment EARLY Saturday morning before going to a wrestling match at 8:00 am where he wrestled three matches, winning the first by two points, went out and threw up before going out and winning the next two also. He said by the end of all his meetings today, he felt like 'he had been hit by a mack truck'. Oh Jordan, welcome to being an adult..add a wife and children to that scenerio and 'welcome to being a father'. It's only just starting son...

My Daddy's Hands

At the age of 11, I started working for my dad, who was a dentist. His first assistant was Betty Ebright and she was amazing. My daddy adored her and found her very valuable to the success of his dental practice. She was going to train me to be daddy's 'first assistant'.
For years and years, every day after school, I would go down to my dad's office where Betty would teach me what was what, and where everything went and when and how to do most everything she knew how to do. I worked hard and was paid well. Betty would instruct me in certain procedures and then I would assist my dad with the next patient. At first, dad would be very tolerant of my little mishaps and slowness of speed. But, the better I got, the more he got on me to 'move faster'..'mix this faster Marlys'..'hand me this, hand me that'...'faster Marlys, faster Marlys', until there would be days that I would go home crying. But I was good, and daddy knew it so that finally around age 15, we were the fastest 4 handed dentistry team you could find. I used to LOVE to watch our hands pass off and intercept instruments between the two of us. I had daddy's hands - 'Packard hands' - short, but fast. And we worked well together.
Today, those hands have retired from dentistry and have slowed to a saddening pace. Just this past week, my daddy was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease...a very surprising and unexpected turn of events. Daddy has always been the epitamy (sp?) of health. At age 83, he has held his own with the best of them and has been active as a sealer in the temple and his stake patriarch in Utah. There has not been many a day over his 83 years that he has not been able to fulfil his church callings, take care of my mother and be the best father and grandfather in the world. He has been a Regional Representative, a branch president, taught Seminary for years, a Mission President, a temple president, stake patriarch twice, a Spanish Regional Patriarch and temple sealer for years. He has been in the Scouting program for years being awarded the Silver Beaver - helped raise 12 children and 60 something grandchildren, teaching them all a variety of tons of games - card games, board games, mind games and Make a Million, and most of all, teaching the infinite techniques of making homemade taffy - all while practicing dentistry for 40+ years. It wouldn't surprise me to find a red 'S' on his chest.
This week, he has taken a sudden and surprising health turn for the worst. He is in pain, immobile, has tremors and shaking of hands and legs and finds himself sleeping most of the day. When I say this is sudden, I mean, last week he was NORMAL!!! But some in the temple noticed a drag in his walk and some shaking in his hands and brought it to the attention of my mother. She watched and sadly observed the same. She was stunned to see the obvious muscle weakness throughout his body and the way it was debilitating his performance. Then the diagnosis. Many tears - my father is devestated at his limitations...my mother is visibly shaken. This is has been a stunning announcement to us 12 children. I'm not quite sure how to take it all in right now or when is the appropriate time to have my melt down. I'm told we should wait until we see how dad reacts to certain medications...to see if he shows any improvement. But my emotions are telling me that I'm already mourning the loss of the 'daddy' that I've always known. I'm sad and I'm afraid that he will never be the same again.
I never thought 83 was that old when I watched my daddy at family reunion and other get-togethers. But this past week, he gave a new definition to 'aged'. It's the first time I have had to consider my daddy 'old' and I don't like it. I don't like it all.
Those hands that have always been busy in serving his Heavenly Father, family and friends, are now firmly clasped together so that no-one will notice how severe the tremors have become. He has found that by holding them together is the only way others won't notice.
But I will always notice the hands that I watched for years.

Measuring the Return on my Investments

I have been thinking about what certain people and things in my life mean to me, measured by the amount of time and thought I have given them over the years. It has helped me to realize what my true priorities ARE and what they SHOULD be and what adjustments I need to make accordingly.
Del has been involved in the stock market and investing for over 25 years. He loves it and it is his passion. He has been with me for the same 25 years. He loves me and truly is passionate about our marriage too. A good investment with many good returns; eternal returns.
Have all my investments been as wise and productive?
No...I tend to not invest my time and emotions in all the right things...I need to realize more that the time I spend in front of the t.v brings me only 1 hour of pleasure and immediate return, compared to the one hour of reading my scriptures bringing me an eternity of returns of knowledge and relationship with my Savior. That the time on my knees in prayer brings me more in tune with my Father than the extra time I spend reading People magazine to know about movie stars.
I thought about it this past weekend with it being my birthday. I have invested a lot of time and emotion in certain relationships with family and friends and I saw, this weekend, the return of some of my investment. I heard birthday wishes from every one of my sisters....I love them - they love me. We've not always been able to spend as much time or energy on our relationships because we have families, but they remembered me. I heard from my children - okay, I had to remind Jordan what day it was, but he would have remembered soon enough. The ladies at the office remembered...I had not said a word, but they remembered and were so generous and kind. I spend a LOT of time with those ladies - one of my best investments.
And then, I reflected on some of my time and emotions that I have invested in that have shown no return. I need to no longer focus my time on those, hoping for a return that just won't come. I need to move on, recognizing those non-profitable investments as a learning experience and trade them in for more eternal benefits.
My dear Kathryn realized the same thing this past week - a friendship she has invested more than a good year in was given up so quickly by the other person. She made the comment to me..'Mom, you and I seem to invest more in friendships than the one we thought was our friend.' I could see her broken heart. She doesn't see mine as often, but we do understand each other.
So, my investments this year will be more carefully weighed and analyzed. I'm going to go more towards the 'eternal return' of things instead of what I have previously invested my time and emotions in. I will BE the better friend, I will BE diligent in my prayers and scripture reading, I will BE the better sister, I will BE the better mom and wife..I will BE the better daughter of my Heavenly Father. Those things will bring me the desired return I seek.

Does it Matter Anymore???

So, once you hit a certain age, does it even matter anymore when someone asks you how old you are? I LOOK one age, FEEL another age, WISH I were yet another age and ACTUALLY AM 49. Ok, so Del just looks over and says, 'What age do you think you look?' After 26 years of marriage, he's still not REAL brilliant as to the 'do and do not ask' questions. At least I don't look like Kathryn did for her birthday. Here's the last picture of this eye of hers...It's been quite painful for her, but she's been a trooper.
So my big birthday plans? Do the laundry, go grocery shopping, work on the jigsaw puzzle, vacuum, dust, watch the BYU basketball game and watch a few movies with Del and Kathryn. Oh, we are also going to dinner to Maggiano's as a family - good Italian food!!! Elaine took me out to lunch yesterday with Kylie and Kathryn also - we had such a good time as girls, chit chatting about everything. I love Elaine...she is so relaxing to be around and so kind to take care of me on my special day.
And I must not forget that I am actually typing on my Christmas/birthday gift from Del...my own laptop computer. It has been SOOO nice to just get on it without having to wait in line for 'my turn' to type and read emails. Thank you sweetie...He's so good to me.
So I guess certain things DO matter on your birthday...just not the age!

In Living Color

So, if you look closely, you can see how this bruise has started it's rainbow of colors..mostly purple. As the day has progressed, so has the width and depth of the bruise. It's much worse in person, as Kathryn found out at Young Women's tonight. Several people made comments of how bad it looked. She's using the story that her drunken mother couldn't handle the pressure today of needing to feed her only child the only meal of the day and snapped., planting a good one on her daughter. We'll go with that for today. I'm going to take pictures again in the morning or tomorrow sometime. She's sure getting a lot of attention from it...but it's her birthday; the attention SHOULD be on her.
Tomorrow will be a new day though..and a new story of how it happened. Should be good.

Sweet Sixteen 16

Do you see this child??? I love this child, black eye and all!!! Yep, she got a black eye for her birthday! We're pretty cheap on b-day gifts aren't we??? No, yesterday, she got hit in the eye at school and today, it started with the swelling and coloring. It will be even better in a couple of days, but she looks great with it for her birthday.

Yep, my little baby dolly is 16 years old - legal to date, legal to drive, legal to ....nope, that's all. And she is so excited for this big day. She came BOUNCING into my bedroom this morning even before the alarm went off to take her to Seminary. Friends had been texting her Happy Birthday wishes since midnight and so she didn't get to sleep very well...but up she was for Seminary both happy and pleasant...and with very suspicious parents. She gabbed all the way to Seminary, sang with the EFY Cd that was playing and jumped out and SKIPPED into Seminary - this is at 6:00 AM!!! She came out just as happy with a cupcake and birthday gift from a friend and then went off to school VERY happy.

I will sneak off during lunch to get her a present; her friend will be picking her up after school and taking her to Young Women's tonight but then we'll celebrate her birthday on Saturday along with mine.

I love Kathryn... she has some great goals and dreams for this 2009 year. She will be going to EFY this year, we'll be taking her to see the Broadway show Wicked, and I think we'll send her to Utah for a week or so. Also, she is actually going to go to girls camp this year too as a YCL, of which she is very excited. She saw her counselor at school yesterday and is on track to graduate a year early, at the end of her Junior year. Although I would prefer her going her senior also, I have told her that as long as she continues to do as well as she has been in school, she can graduate when she wants. So I support her in whatever she wants.

Congratulations Kathryn on your 16th birthday - and I love you very much.

To Be My BETTER Self

I'm 6 days into the new year already but have thought long and hard on what I want to accomplish this year in my life. I turn 49 on Saturday, just one year short of what many consider to be the time called 'midlife'. But figuring I don't plan on living until I'm 100, I went through that 'midlife' thing when I was 40. So I'm thinking I've been on the 'downhill' for about 8-9 years or so...So, how am I feeling about this year?
Optimistic. I know I'm not in the best of physical shape, spiritual shape, financial shape OR mental shape...BUT, I am optimistic of making great strides in all areas to be the BETTER ME this year. I just want improvement this year in all areas of my life - note, I didn't say 'perfection' in these areas, just improvement - growth - to be BETTER than I was last year. I want to make more of an effort to be alive - to LIVE each day in enjoyment of what that day had to offer and what I was able to contribute. To be better...nothing more profound than that.

Welcome to 2009!!!

The New Year has started off the same way last year ended - having tons of fun with family. You can see Kathryn's cute new haircut in these pictures. She is still trying to adjust to not having long hair anymore. I guess 10 inches was quite a lot for her. She went to Six Flags with Kylie today; a birthday gift from Kylie. They had a blast. And then tonight was the wedding reception of Scarlett Packard, who is my cousin Meredith and his wife Corinne's daughter that live in McKinney. Lots of family showed up and we all had so much fun visiting and laughing etc.
So, that is how we have started the New Year. New Years Eve was spent with Mike and Kylie gone to Six Flags with Scarlett and her new husband; Jordan was on his first date up in Utah with a girl named Kelly Gabbert(she was a missionary in his district in the MTC), and then Kathryn went to the Richardson stake dance with her cousins Chris and Michael. Of course, Del and I stayed home and just enjoyed watching football and the quiet of the house. We have never been much of 'staying up late' kind-of people, so Del went to bed before midnight and I stayed up and waited for Kathryn to get home.
New Years Day was spent here at home with Mike and Kylie sharing a yummy turkey dinner with us and playing tons of games. But by 8:00, we were all so exhausted that everyone went home and to bed. We are certainly not what you would call 'party animals'.
Today was a LAZY day - I picked up a friend from the airport but that was about it. Jordan was needing me to adjust some things on his school class schedule, so I did that online and then Michael came over for a few hours to play three handed Make a Million until it was time for the wedding reception.
Now, we're home from that, settling in for the night by watching a good football game.
I'm excited about a new year...and all the possibilities it holds for both me and my family.