Initiation into Spinning

Well, I have been trying to summon up the courage to take a spinning class at the Y. It looked like a lot of fun, but it also looked really hard. I finally went to the 8:30 class this morning. The classes normally last for 45 minutes, however, when I got there today, I was informed that they were having an extended class due to their Strong Kids Fundraiser. I would last 90 minutes (double the regular class time). I thought, Ok, I can do this. I can always leave alittle early if I just can't take it anymore.

I walked in the class and to my delight, there was Michelle! I had run into her Monday at the Y and knew that she was doing some spinning classes and was so glad to see a familiar face. I also knew Debbie, who looks amazing!!

They start playing the most awesome music (Creed, Santana to name a few) and Michelle starts singing. She has the most amazing voice and I loved every minute of it. I had my own little Michelle James concert while I was working out! It made the time go by so fast!

I made it through the WHOLE class with no problems at all and I can't wait to go back. I was warned when I left by the instructor that I would be sore- especially in the rear end. She told me to make sure to soak in a hot bath preferably with Ebson Salt. Ouch! About an hour after the class, I felt my legs start to ache and it is getting worse by the minute....

I was really proud of my workout though. I burned approximately 800 calories and road about 24 miles on that bike! I can't wait to go again, if I can walk tomorrow.

Leap Day, Then and Now

The Facts:

What is a leap year?

A leap year is a year in which one extra day has been inserted, or intercalated, at the end of February. A leap year consists of 366 days, whereas other years, called common years, have 365 days.

Why are leap years needed?

Leap years are needed to keep our calendar in alignment with the earth's revolutions around the sun.

The Pictures:

This was Andrew and Amy on February 29, 2000

And this is them now, February 29, 2008:

(Amy and Kayla)

I miss my friend...my brother

It was 6 years ago today, February 23, 2002, that my life changed forever. I received a phone call from my sister Kendra at 6:00 am saying that Greg was gone....I thought gone where? He was dead. His wife Wanda had found him when she came home from working the midnight shift at Avondale Mills. He was gone. I was able to make it to their house before the coroner took him away and I am so thankful for that.

I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I still feel that punch in the stomach that the phone call brought to me that day. It was so painfully hard to say goodbye to Greg..and still is. I sometimes don't even think that it is true. I miss my friend...

They say that time heals all wounds and for a long time I didn't believe it. But I do agree that as time has gone by, the pain has weakened but it will never be forgotten. I like to take this day and celebrate Greg's life and honor his memory.

As a family, My Mom and Dad and siblings usually go to his grave site and say a few words on this day, but we were not able to go today because of other circumstances. Some of us were together today and we ate bologna sandwiches in his honor - Greg's go-to meal. I made Greg thousands of bologna sandwiches as we were growing up. Greg called me his little shadow because everywhere he went, I wanted to go. I idolized him and wanted to be like him when we were kids. He was 6 years older than me and I remember when he got his drivers license, we would go to the store for my mom and we would always "take the long way home". Our way of just spending time together. I miss my friend...

I wrote this letter one week after he died, just as a way of recording my pain and feelings. I have never shared it with anyone, but I guess I am now sharing it with the world...

3/1/2002

I wish that today was last week, that it was Friday 2/22 instead of Friday 3/1. I can't turn back time but if I could, this is what I would do. I would be there for my brother, I would get him the help he needed, I would hold him and tell him how much I love him, I would pray with him for forgiveness, I would ask him about his life, I would tell him about mine. I would hold him and never let him go! I wasn't there and he died alone. I wasn't there the days and weeks before - I didn't know that they would be his last. We never know.

My whole life changed on 2/23 when Kendra called and said, "Greg is gone." Life has not been and never will be the same again. My heart is torn apart with grief, sorrow, guilt and regret. I feel as if I can't go on but I know I have to.

I loved Greg so much just like I do the rest of my family. We were really close growing up. I was his little shadow. He was 6 years older than me and I thought everything he did was the coolest. I can't believe he is gone.

So much of what I am today was influenced by him. The kind of music I listen to, TV shows I like, I can't look up at the sky at night without thinking of Greg. We used to lay on top of the car at night and stare at the sky looking for falling stars and UFOs.

Greg, I miss you so much and always will...

Valentine's Day....a little late

Belated Valentine's Day picture of Amy with here loot bag from school. She is still eating chocolate out of that bag! She is hiding it from me so I won't steal any or be tempted.

Only Lost.....

We weighed in last night and I only lost 1 pound :( I guess I am glad that I didn't gain because I was sick last week and didnt eat right or work out. I am back on track as of today though. I ate my Kashi cereal for breakfast, tuna salad with crackers for lunch and a chicken taco salad for dinner and string cheese for snacks.



So far only 5 pounds lost since we started and my goal is to lose 40 pounds by June 1st! I have got to get on the ball with my exercise. It seems that everytime I start a diet I get sick and get sidetracked. Does that happen to anyone else but me?

Another distraction for me last week was Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!! I had ordered some from a friend before my diet started and of course they were delivered this week. I can not resist them! I only ate a few, but a few is too many!

A New Do for Dee

BEFORE

I finally did something about this mop that I have been carrying around on my head! I made an appointment last week with Ginger from Kemp Hair Salon in Pelham. Since Saturday, I have been in the bed with the virus that has been going around (soar throat, head about to explode, congestion, etc...) but today I finally felt human again and just in time for my appointment with Ginger. I LOVE IT!!

AFTER!!

Happy Birthday Joey

Today is my brother Joey's birthday. (51) Joey has had a rough go of it for the past 4 months. On October 22nd, he had a stoke and was paralyzed on his left side. He had a severe brain hemorage and was lucky to have survived it. He then was diagnosed with advanced cirrhosis of the liver and had been in and out of the hospital about 5 or 6 times.

I know that every thing happens for a reason and that God has a plan for everything that we go to. I know that Joey has grown closer to God through his illness and so have I. I have also gotten closer to Joey. I have spent more time with him these last 4 months than I have the last 4 years. I have been blessed to share this time with him and am so thankful for everyday that God gives us to share together.

Happy Birthday Joey! I love you!

My Baby is 17!

Andrew's 17th birthday was yesterday. I can't believe it has been 17 years since he was born. He had a little party with some of his friends tonight. Jay brought over Rock Band and Guitar Hero and we had Little Ceasar's Pizza so they were well entertained and well fed.

Me in a bikini

This was probably one of the last times I work a bikini, in public anyways. This was probably around 1977, Panama City. Our family didn't get to go on vacation often but there were a few times that we got to go to the beach and I treasure those memories. This picture is of my Dad (in the pants), me, my sister Kendra and my brother Greg. I love looking back at these old pictures and going back to my childhood. I wish sometimes I could just go back to that time in my life.
I WILL be in a bikini again and will be sure to post my hot, bikini pictures here for the world to see!! (one day...)

I lost weight!

We weighed in tonight and I lost 4 pounds which was exactly how much I was supposed to lose. We are to lose 2 pounds per week to maintain a healthy weight lose rate. I was hoping to lose a little more than that, but I can live with 4 pounds :)

I celebrated with a Zaxby's grilled house salad - YUMMY! My fav from Zaxby's.

Who Am I?

An inspirational You Tube video of one of my favorite Casting Crown songs, Who Am I

Death...and Life

I stole this from my Sister's blog:

Death - What a wonderful way to explain it
A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."
Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."
"You don't know? You, a Christian man, Do not know what is on the other side?"
The doctor was holding the handle of the door; On the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, And as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room And leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog?
He's never been in this room before.
He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here,
And when the door opened, he sprang in without fear.
I know little of what is on the other side of death,
But I do know one thing...
I know my Master is there and that is enough."

Donald Ricks
Last night, my brother-in-law's brother, Donald Ricks lost his battle with cancer. He was diagnosed about a month ago with a very agressive cancer and had started chemo and radiation but God chose to bring him home to him yesterday. Donald was an extremely talented man who had a voice straight from Heaven and played the piano by ear. He could play and sing anything. He was always loving and kind to me everytime I saw him. My heart goes out to his family and I know that he will be greatly missed.

Bro. Mo
Our pastor, Bro. Mo was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer June 2007. He was having pain in his stomach and went to the doctor for what he thought was a hurnea. It turned out to be cancer. Luckily, he had discovered it in time because most of this type of cancer goes undetected for a long time and by the time it is discovered it is to late. There is only a 10% survival rate for the type of cancer he had. On the Sunday before his surgery, we prayed for him at church. Bro. Harris (our co-paster) led us in prayer as we circled around him and his family. Bro. Harris prayed that the tumor would just jump out into the surgeons hands and the surgery would be a success. Well, those were almost the surgeons exact words and he talked to the family after surgery. He said that the tumer was the size of a lemon (they were previously told it was the size of a cantalope) and it came out so easily, it almost jumped out.
Our church rejoiced over this answer to our prayer. Bro. Mo went through chemo and radiation after that and had a really rough time but just before Christmas, he completed his treatments and thought all was well.
Well, a few weeks ago he started having pain in his stomach again and went to the dr. to see what was up. They did an mri and it showed a spot in the same place as the cancer was last time. His dr's confirmed that it was cancer and that he would need a pet scan to see if the cancer had spread to any other parts of his body. Last Friday, the surgeon called him and told him that the tumor seemed to be attached to his liver and was inopperable and the future did not look good for him. Of course, he and his family were devastated.
Last Sunday, our church surrounded he and his family again asking God to remove all cancer from his body and to let his pet scan come out crystal clear. It was a very emotional prayer.
He got the results of his scan this past Tuesday and....it came out crystal clear. NO CANCER to be found in his body, not even the spot that was seen on the mri. God peformed a miracle. We are rejoicing and are so overwhelmed with God's loving spirit. He DOES still peform miracles even today.

So the question is why does he heal some and not others? I don't know the answer to that question. I just know that God has a plan and a purpose for all of us. He knows best for what is to come of our lives. We just have to trust and accept his will.

But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Exodus 9:16