The Blog formerly know as The Abundant Lakeridge Life

Saying Goodbye

2012-01-02T17:54:00.002-06:00

Today we said goodbye to our beloved Brother Mo. He has meant so much to our family for so many years. We first met him about 15 years ago when Riverside Baptist Church still met in the Acton Hardware Store. We moved on to the new Riverside building, then on to CrossBridge Community Church with him. He baptized both Andrew and Amy and spent many hours giving freely of his time to help our family. He died on December 29th, our 24th anniversary. He taught us so many things, how to pray, how to serve others and how to never give up! We will miss him dearly!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-01T19:07:00.002-06:00

Here we are at 2012...time does fly! Adam and I just celebrated 24 years of marriage. Andrew is 20 and Amy 13...time does fly!

One of my goals for the year is to take a picture a day. Here is my picture from my walk today with Amy...4 miles!

Starting Over

2011-08-16T20:46:00.003-05:00

Well, I am trying to come up with a new name for my blog since we no longer live on Lakeridge. I'm gonna try to start blogging here again as well. Since last January 2010, we moved from Lakeridge into another neighborhood in Helena and like it so much more than we thought we would. Our home is not nearly as big, but it is PLENTY big for the 3 of us. (We are never home anyway). The shop (http://www.alterationsbygeorge.com) is growing and getting busier everyday and our lives are just so busy. Amy is now in 8th grade and on the dance team. I am so proud of the beautiful young lady that she has become. Andrew is 20 and living in Montevallo on his own. I am proud of him too!

I am now a RUNNER...a real one, not a fake one :) Check out my other blog http://www.churchladiesteam.blogspot.com/

I am loving running more and more everyday. I can't wait for the temp to change so it won't be so hard to get in my mileage.

I saved 138.00 at Publix!

2010-01-23T18:59:00.002-06:00

I started couponing again and thanks to http://www.iheartpublix.com/ I got 178.00 worth of groceries for 68.00!!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T19:05:00.002-06:00

2009 flew by! I am thrilled that it is gone though...it was a tough year for me. I am looking forward to new beginnings in 2010. Our business is doing great but our goal is to make it even bigger and better in 2010.

My 2010 goals include:
Growing our business
Simplifing our home and belongings
Get serious about exercise and weight loss
Grow closer to God

Can I get this going again?

2009-12-16T20:16:00.001-06:00

Stacey motivated me tonight to start blogging again...thanks Stacey!

NOW OPEN!!

2009-01-29T18:10:00.005-06:00

www.alterationsbygeorge.com

Alterations, Embroidery and Screen Printing by George is officially open! We have worked hard to make the shop what we have envisioned for a long time. Our hours of operations are

M-F 9-5:30 and Saturday 10-2. Please stop by and check it out...if you mention my blog, you might just get a freebie!! Here are some pictures of the shop.

1st Annual Helena Bloggers Convention

2009-01-24T21:41:00.003-06:00

Well, hopefully not annual...maybe monthly or quarterly. I really had a great time getting together with some of the other Helena bloggers, some I already knew and some not. I could only make the coffee meeting and missed out on the margaritas (darn!). I loved listening to SJ talk about her blog and her experiences that blogging have brought to her. Read her blog HERE . I got to meet Bama Belle/ , dullbert , Terri (whom I realized I had won a massage from when I did the Helena Slim Down Challenge and never went to claim my prize :( ) Of course Leigh and Hewy were there. We sipped coffee for about an hour and chatted about blogging and other happenings in Helena. Lets do it again soon!!

Exciting News!

2009-01-04T19:46:00.002-06:00

My husband, Adam and I will be re-opening our business in Helena ...Alterations By George. We will be offering more services including alterations, embroidery, screenprinting, vinyl decals, gifts and lots more. We will open in the same location as before, next to Golden Rule BBQ on Hwy 52 in Helena. Our target open date is mid January. We are extremely excited about getting back out there in the community and offering these services to Helena and its surrounding areas.

I opened the business in Helena in December 2002 and in May 2007 moved the business in my home because of needed flexibility at the time. Since moving home, many of my customers have continued to use my services and I am excited to be able to serve them again in a retail location.

We have recently revamped our website www.alterationsbygeorge.com and will keep things updated there and here as we move towards opening. I hope to see you at our opening!

A Tribute to my Mom

2008-12-09T16:09:00.002-06:00

My Mom passed away Saturday morning at around 3am. She had been very sick for the past 2 months and got a lot worse on Wednesday. Thankfully, she went peacefully in her sleep and didn't have to struggle too long. Her obituary read:

CORA JACQUELINE ‘JACKIE’ ROBINSON
SYLACAUGA — Cora Jacqueline “Jackie” Robinson, 77, of Sylacauga, Alabama, went home to be with her Lord Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008.
She was born July 1, 1931, in Shelby County, Alabama, daughter of the late Jarrett A. Vick and the late Cora Lee Threadgill.
Mrs. Robinson is survived by her husband of 61 years, Charles William Robinson of Sylacauga; sons, Charles Ray Robinson and his wife, Jo Ann, and Joel L. “Joey” Robinson, all of Sylacauga; daughters, Sandra Gleason and husband Charlie of Sylacauga, Deedra George and husband Adam of Helena, Alabama, Kendra Ricks and husband Dale of Fayetteville, Alabama; sister, Ruby Robinson and husband Oscar, Jr. of Weogufka, Alabama; 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
She was a member of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, and was preceded in death by a loving son, Greg Robinson.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Stephanie Kelley and New Beacon Hospice.
Family will receive friends Sunday, Dec. 7, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Services will be held at Radney-Smith Funeral Home Chapel Monday, Dec. 8, 2008, at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Bill Gwathney and the Rev. Paul Vick officiating.
Interment will follow in the Talladega Springs Cemetery, Talladega Springs, Alabama. Grandsons will serve as pallbearers.

It has been really hard the last few days. Even though we were expecting her to pass away and thought we were prepared, I found out quickly that I was not ready. It was really hard realizing that I would never see or speak with her again. I know that she is in heaven now and will always live in my heart and mind, but still, nothing replaces being able to call your mom up to ask her how to do this or that. She will be so missed!

A new post???

2008-11-16T15:40:00.002-06:00

Where have the last 2 months gone! They just vanished before my eyes. It has been very hectic around the George household. My mom is very ill and I have been traveling to see her a few times a week, she lives about an hour away. She has cirrohsis of the liver and congestive heart failure and she does not have a good prognosis at this point. Please keep her in your prayers.

Adam's job at Arby's got downsized so he has been home for the last 2 months which has been a blessing in disguise with me having to be gone so much. He has been able to help out around the house and with the kids while I have been away.

We are looking to ramp up my alterations/embroidery business again and are exploring our options at this point. If you need any gifts monogrammed for Christmas, please call me!!

I know that God is in control of every aspect of our lives. You can almost see HIM unfolding every event and putting things in their place. We have an awesome GOD!!

The fish are biting...

2008-09-26T13:08:00.005-05:00

My fabulous husband drove to Sylacauga and back to get my Dad to bring him to our house to go fishing. My dad is still recovering from his surgery and is not able to drive so Adam offered to go get him so they could go fishing. They fished for many hours and caught a bunch of fish in our lake. Adam then drove him back home...what a wonderful man!

Long Time, No Post

2008-08-20T20:02:00.002-05:00

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. I am still here.
My dad had emergency surgery on July 27th and has been in the hospital until today. He is doing a lot better but still has a tough recovery ahead of him. I have been just to busy to even think about this blog.
The kids have started back to school and are adjusting very well. There has been a lot of sickness being passed around at the schools which Amy now has - sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, etc...
Pelham's first football game is Friday night and will actually be televised on the CSS station. Tune in and watch the band if you can't make it to the game. The half time show this year is Earth Wind and Fire. It should be awesome.

Until next time...

Gulf Shores

2008-07-17T17:27:00.002-05:00

We are in Gulf Shores this week staying at the Lighthouse. We stayed in this condo last year, the very same unit to be exact. We loved it so much, we decided to come back for more. We spent our first day down here soaking up the sun, going from beach to pool to beach to pool. We are planning on going to Lulu's tonight to eat. I am excited to go there because I have heard so much about it. Here are a few pics from today:

A Wonderful Day

2008-07-05T13:01:00.008-05:00

We had a blast yesterday on the 4th. We had about 35 people for our family's annual 4th of July cookout. Adam and I both had our parents here which is very rare for them both to be here at the same time.

Adam grilled hamburger and hotdogs and everyone brought food to go with it. We had WAY to much food and I was stuffed before to long.

I was extremely happy that my brother Joey got to come. This was his first big outing since he had his stroke last October. After his stroke, he was paralyzed on his left side and could not walk and was bedridden. He had regained most of his left leg abilities but still has a ways to go on his left arm. He is walking with a walker now with assistance and we were so blessed to have him here.
The kids enjoyed the pool...

And the adults enjoyed conversation and a good old fashioned gospel singing....

Everyone left at around 4:30 and we cleaned up real fast, rested for about 30 minutes and got ready for our friends who were coming at 6:00. Adam grilled chicken and we enjoyed our time with Karen, Steve, Al, Lacey, Lee and Luke. We ended the night with a few fireworks.

July 4th Prep

2008-07-03T08:10:00.003-05:00

We are having a TON of family over for the 4Th of July so yesterday I decided what I could pull together as far as decorating goes. I found a few red candles and some napkins that I had in storage. I also found my lollipop tree with my patriot lollipops. I did a search for easy to make decorations online and found these glorious stars from Martha Stewart . It took Amy and I about an hour to make our star garland and they turns out so great! I am going to clean and do more decorating today.

I made this flag cake last night for church and will make another for Friday. It was yummy and easy!! You can find the recipe HERE

Monday Meme

2008-06-30T10:35:00.009-05:00

I thought I would try a Meme because I enjoy seeing others do it like Leigh and Charnita
This post is Mute Monday, Trolls fabulous creation. The theme for MM is Summer.

Here is my interpretation of Summer...

It wouldn't be summer without Kenny Chesney's song "Summertime" which is my summer time theme song!!

Vegas Day 5

2008-06-29T17:55:00.007-05:00

On our last day in Vegas, Adam and I got up and decided to walk as far down the strip as we could, making sure we had seen everything we wanted to see. We walked and walked and walked. We actually made it all the way down to the Wynn, going through all of the casinos along the way.

We made it back to the Luxor and decided to rest for a while. Since it was our last night in Vegas, we wanted to have a nice dinner. We finally settled on Fiamma which is inside the MGM Grand.

The atmosphere and food were both outstanding. The bill was out of this world, but what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas so we won't tell how much it was.

After dinner, we went to see MGM's Crazy Horse Paris show. I went in expecting it to be a bit risque, which is fine...I have seen boobies before. What I didn't expect was the shear boredom of it all. This show was horrible. Even the guys agreed, it was bad. Would not recommend it at all.

We made our way back to the hotel and hit the casino one last time. After loosing a little more money to the slot machines, we head to bed and get ready to leave the next day.

We really had a great time with our friends in Vegas. We got to know everyone a little better and thats really what its all about...friendship!

Vegas Day 4...finally!!

2008-06-29T16:57:00.006-05:00

On day 4, we got up early, rented a van for 8 and headed toward the Grand Canyon. We drove to the Hoover Dam first and of course spent about an hour re-living the scenes from "Vegas Vacation" with Chevy Chase. We were on the "dam" road, taking the "dam" tour, looking for the "dam" bathroom...etc.

Well, after we took the "dam" pictures, we headed towards the west rim of the Grand Canyon. After an hour pit stop at the Double D grocery store, the long 14 mile dirt road, miles and miles of Joshua Trees, we made it to the Hualapai Indian Reservation where we had to board a bus to go onto the Canyon.

This was my 2nd time to see the Grand Canyon, and once again I was amazed at it's beauty. I could see it a dozen more times and still be in awe. I was afraid to go near the edge and Adam kept scaring me by getting so close.

VBS week

2008-06-24T14:05:00.002-05:00

We have VBS this week so I will not be able to post very often. Will update as soon as possible.

Vegas Day 3

2008-06-13T17:00:00.006-05:00

Well, day 3 started off a little slow since we had a late night. We got up, ate breakfast and the girls headed out to the pool for a while. I took this picture from my seat by the pool. I didn't take any of us by the pool, I wouldn't want to blind anyone or do any permanent damage!! After lunch, we headed down to the Venetian to go on the Gondola ride. There is an inside ride and an outside ride and we chose the inside because it was HOT outside. Adam and I rode with Jane and Dean and our driver serenaded us throughout the ride.
We returned to the Luxor after the ride and got ready for our 2nd show, Zumanity. Zumanity is another Cirque de Solea show, more on the sensual side and is performed at New York New York. It was amazing also and we had 2nd row seats for it. I wanted to bring one of the guys in the show home with me, but I don't think Adam would have approved :)

It was another amazing, yet tiring day. We walked and walked for miles each day. Day 4 to come later...

Vegas Day 2

2008-06-11T09:41:00.007-05:00

Monday morning we got up and ate breakfast at McDonald's there in the hotel. We met up with the group and went walking over to Mandalay Bay to check out their shops and restaurants. We ended up eating lunch at The Burger Bar . Adam and I split the chicken sandwich and an order of skinny fries. It's a good thing we split it because it was HUGE. and delicious!!

After lunch, we decided to go try our luck at the slot machines. We quickly found out that our luck was BAD. I did discover the 1 and 2 cent slots. You can play for at least an hour on the penny slots with a 20. After slots, we went back to the room to rest for a while and met up again with our group at 3 to head to happy hour at Diablo's Cantina. Then we made our way over to the MGM to hop on the Monerail. We each bought a one day pass and headed down to the last station, The Sahara. We walked through the Sahara then crossed the street to the Stratosphere. We went up to the top, to the lounge, got a table and had a round of Martini's and watched the sunset. (this was one of my favorite parts of the trip).

After the sunset, we took a cab over to the Fremont area to see the Fremont Street Experience . This is the older, original Vegas that I didn't even know existed. The main street is covered with the biggest big screen on the planet that has thousands of LED lights. We actually saw the Freebird Experience which was an awesome light show about all flying things...awesome!

And OF COURSE, ELVIS was there!!!

We started heading back to our hotel via a cab ride back to the Sahara, Monerail ride to MGM, then the 1/2 mile hike back to the Luxor. No one had to rock us to sleep!! Day 2 complete!!

Vegas Day 1

2008-06-09T20:52:00.007-05:00

Our flight left Sunday morning at 8 so we arrived at the airport at about 6:45. After going through security, we met up with our group (Karen, Steve, Donna, Tracey, Jane and Dean) who had already arrived. We flew US Airways for the first time. I must say that they did a fantastic job there and back. We flew on one of the smaller planes to Charlotte. You know, the one that you have to actually walk up steps to get on and off.

We got on a larger plane in Charlotte and after having my chair kicked numerous time by a 3 year old, we finally arrived in Vegas at around noon. We checked into our Hotel, The Luxor

The Luxor is one of the older Hotel/Casinos in Vegas but still had nice accommodations and was nice. We had 2 queen beds which I like having because you have one to put all your stuff on and one to sleep in. The elevators are actually called Inclinators because they do not go straight up and down, they incline at an angle which felt really weird but fun and different.
We settled into the room and unpacked our stuff. Adam and I had reservations to see "O" but had to pick up our tickets at the Bellagio. Karen and I decided to take the 1+ mile hike down there to get the tickets. We were successful in getting the tickets but then realized that it was almost time to meet our group for dinner. We ended up eating at Trader Vics . The food was amazing!!

I ended up getting the crabcake as my entree and it was fabulous! Adam and I had to leave dinner a little early to make our show. Even though the Bellagio was just across the street, it still took about 15 minutes to get to where we needed to be.

O - Cirque De Soleil was our first show to see in Vegas. We had 4th row seats and had a grand view of all the action. Their website describes the show as follows: Cirque du Soleil weaves an aquatic tapestry of artistry, surrealism and theatrical romance in the timeless production, "O." Inspired by the concept of infinity and the elegance of water's pure form, "O" pays tribute to the beauty of the theatre - from the simplest street performance to the most lavish of operas - where anything is possible and where the drama of life plays itself out before our very eyes. World-class acrobats, synchronized swimmers, divers and characters perform in, on, and above water to create a breathtaking experience.

The show was definitely worth the price of admission. We were amazed by the acrobatics and the integrated water, diving and fire. After the show, Adam and I took the mile+ hike back to the Luxor and crashed for the evening. Our first half day in Vegas was amazing!

Just back from Las Vegas

2008-06-07T18:19:00.002-05:00

I have been to Las Vegas this past week and am anxious to get back to blogging. You will hear all about my trip soon!

Technorati

2008-05-23T20:39:00.002-05:00

I found this new site from my fran Leigh and decided to sign up and check it out. You can see how your blog rates and who has linked to your blog...interesting!

Technorati Profile

Amy and Abby's Talent Show Performance

2008-05-20T16:04:00.002-05:00

If I do say so myself, Amy and Abby did a wonderful job in the talent show. There were a ton of kids who performed. I think we heard "Our Song" from Taylor Swift about 5 times and Hanna Montana about 6 or 7 times... Amy and Abby danced to "Fabulous" from High School Musical 2. I hope to have a video later but here are pictures.

Roger Shultz in Helena Today!

2008-05-20T15:41:00.004-05:00

As I walked into Amy's 4th grade class today for their end of the year party, there stands Roger Shultz! Roger was on this past season of The Biggest Loser and came in 2nd place. I absolutely loved him on the show and have been highly motivated by his success. He has lost 165 pounds since he started the show! He was working this week with one of the dad's from our class and came in today to talk to the kids in Mrs. Landrum's class. He autographed all of their memory books and let the kids ask questions. I, of course was snapping pictures of him and did ask him if he still wears his BodyBugg. He said that yes, he wears it all the time and that it has been very instrumental in him loosing the weight. I think he is actually set up to sell them now so if anyone is looking to buy one I know he would appreciate you buying it from his because he is presently unemployed. I got someone to take my picture with him and wouldn't you know it, my camera battery died...the story of my life. Another mom took it with her camera and is supposed to email it to me. I am sure that he thought I was some crazy fan because I just kept asking him stuff...oh well, he is my weight loss hero!

Pride on 3...Pride on 3

Extraordinary Women's Conference

2008-05-19T11:32:00.004-05:00

I had the privilege of attending the Extraordinary Women's Conference last weekend at Shades Mountain Baptist Church. There were over 2800 women there and we really felt the God there with us. The speakers were fabulous! Friday night we heard Chonda Pierce, a christian comedian and she had us all rolling with laughter!

After Chonda spoke, we heard a concert from Mark Schultz, a wonderful christian artist. You may have heard some of his music if you listen to christian radio (I do). He sings "Letters from War", "Walking Her Home", You are a child of Mine...and many other great hits. He was absolutely amazing and had the WHOLE audience crying because of his beautiful song lyrics.

On Saturday, we heard Lisa Whelchel speak. You probably remember her from The Facts Of Life sitcom where she played Blair. She is a fabulous speaker and has written many books on Parenting and Homeschooling.

After Lisa, we were in for a treat with a mini concert from Mandesa! You know her from the 5th season of American Idol. She has hit the Christian charts with hit after hit and was amazing!

After lunch we heard from Michelle McKinney Hammond who gave a dramatic performance. She told the story of Hannah from the bible and was one of my favorite speakers at the conference. She has a beautiful voice and used song and words to give a strong message to remind me that it's not about Me, It's about God!!

Last but not least, we got to hear Karen Kingsbury speak. She is my favorite christian author and spoke about living today as if it were your last. How to make the most of your time with your family, children, and friends. It was powerful. At the end of her speech, she read a poem that she had written that is published in "Let me hold you longer" and had us all crying like babies.

It was an awesome experience to be there. I learned a lot and spent time with God. Thanks to my wonderful husband for taking care of things at home so I could go. I love you!!

Andrew performs with the Vulcan Bones tonight

2008-05-15T09:49:00.002-05:00

Andrew has been performing with the Vulcan Bones (Samford University Trombone Choir) for several months and tonight they will be performing at the Birmingham Public Library Central Location at 6:30.

Read all about it HERE

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T20:24:00.005-05:00

My Mother's Day was wonderful! My BodyBugg came in on Friday so I have been experimenting with that. Adam and Amy cooked breakfast for me, eggs, bacon and fruit.

Amy and I went to church, then went to Sylacauga to see my Mom. We had a wonderful visit with Mom, Dad, Joey, Kendra, Anna and Anthony.

After I got home, my bodybugg said I had only burned 1700 of my 2550 calories for the day, so I walked on the treadmill for an hour while I watched the season finale of Survivor.

So far today I have burned 2624. I did a spinning class today for 45 minutes and have been fairly active throughout the day. It is super cool to be able to tell how many calories you have burned. It seems to be pretty accurate and is a great motivational tool!

90 days until...

2008-05-07T21:42:00.002-05:00

The BIG 4-0!!! I can't believe I am turning 40 in just 3 months!! August 5th to be exact. There are some things I want to do before I turn 40. The biggest, most important thing I want to do before I turn 40 is loss 30 lbs! The Helena Slim Down Challenge is almost over and I am not going to win...I think I am in 4th place - pitiful! I have got to do this on my own. I ordered the BodyBugg for my Mother's Day present and I am counting on this device to help me stay on track. You wear it on your arm and it calculates the amount of calories you burn. It has an online program where you can track your food intake, therefore figuring out if you have a calorie deficiency or not. They used this device on the Biggest Loser this season. Roger talked about it on the Rick and Bubba show the other day and I decided to go ahead and order it. It is scheduled to be delivered on Friday.

Congratulations to...

2008-05-07T20:41:00.004-05:00

Andrew, Wesley and Brandi! We attended the PHS Band Spring concert last night. The performances were excellent! Awards were given out to the Outstanding Bandsman and Outstanding Musician for each class.

Freshman Class

OB - Michael Kierspe

OM - Kendall Partridge

Sophomore Class

OB - Kaitlyn Burnside

OM - Brandi McPherson

Junior Class

OB - Wesley Smith

OM - Andrew George

Senior Class

OB - Carol Creel

OM - Ian Detwiller

Emily Smith received the Award of Distinction for the Senior Class.

Amy's Dance Recital

2008-05-05T17:22:00.002-05:00

We attended Amy's dance recital this weekend. She dances at Dance Etc. in Pelham and has been dancing for 7 years. She was in 3 dances and did a beautiful job!

All-State Honor Band

2008-04-26T17:13:00.002-05:00

Andrew attended the All-State Honor Band last weekend and made 2ND chair in the Red band (top band). 650 students attended from across Alabama and were divided into 3 bands, Red, White and Blue with Red being the top band. I am so proud of him for making 2ND chair (which means he is the 2ND best in the state!) It was at Auburn University which he had to overcome (we are all Alabama fans). I just can't believe that he has grown up so fast and is 17.

Weekend Warriors

2008-04-26T16:35:00.005-05:00

Our patio table got damaged in the last big storm that we had. It blew off our top deck and the glass shattered into a million pieces. We started looking at tables to replace it and could never really find what we wanted that was within our budget. Well, we decided to make our own table top using the existing frame from the table. It started out like this:

We purchased some tile from Home Depot and started to work:

And here is the finished project!

FINALLY!!!

2008-04-16T10:01:00.002-05:00

Finally, I am beginning to see some results from all this dieting and exercising. I think my body was just in a state of shock all this time thinking I surely wasn't going to stick to this regimen. I lost 6 pounds for this two week period. I won the massage from Helena BodySpa and am so excited about my visit there.

I warned the other contestants that I would lose the most weight for the next weigh in also. I feel like I am finally seeing some progress and and excited about keeping it up!

Great Weekend

2008-04-16T09:52:00.004-05:00

As opposed to last week's crummy weekend, this weekend was fabulous! Hubby and I get away by ourselves. We went to Philadelphia Mississippi and found out what we didn't want to do in Vegas....gamble! Neither of us enjoy it or are good at it. If anyone has any pointers or gives lessons, let me know. We enjoyed our stay nevertheless. We has drinks at the Luna Lounge, then ate at the Galaxy Restaurant in the Golden Moon.

The view was amazing and the food was too! Before dinner, we caught watched Shania Twin perform...yes Twin not Twain. She was a pretty good impersonation and was good entertainment.

I was disappointed that I didn't get to go watch Michelle perform at Big Mountain Idol. I will make sure I am there Friday.

A Crummy Weekend

2008-04-07T15:44:00.002-05:00

My weekend was a little blurry, literally. Last week I started in with the pollen allergy issues that I get this time of year and by Friday it had escalated into a full blown allergy/sinus yucky yucks! I managed to make it to Big Mountain Idol but was really miserable through the whole event (but I really wanted to hear Michelle and of course she was next to last). Saturday morning I woke up, went to spinning class and came home, cleaned out some drawers and my closet trying to make myself believe that I wasn't really sick. It caught up with me big time Saturday evening. My eyes were continuously watering, I was sneezing, nose running, head foggy.... It felt like I needed to sneeze all the time. You know how it feels just before you sneeze? Eyes water up, nose burns, eyes and nose draw up??? That's how I felt Saturday and Sunday. I did have to go to church Sunday morning because I was in a play. I managed to get through that, then came back home and went to bed. I went to the Dr. today and he says it is a sinus infection, gave me 2 shots (I hope they don't make me gain any weight!) and I got some antibiotic and some allergy stuff. I do feel better now but need a longggggg nap.

Next weekend should be better though. Hubby and I are going to Philadelphia (Mississippi). We have never been there before but wanted to get in a little practice before we go to Vegas in June.

PRAYER REQUEST: My mom is having an artiriorgram tomorrow at Shelby Hospital. Please pray that the procedure will go well and they will find out what is wrong with her heart.

Big Mountain Idol

2008-04-05T10:42:00.002-05:00

Amy and I went out to watch the Big Mountain Idol contest last night at Big Mountain Coffee. The place was packed...don't tell the fire marshall. It was great to see some of my blogging friends (Leigh, Dusty, Michelle and Hewy was apparently there somewhere.)
It was incredibly hot and packed out with people but the performers did great, especially Michelle! (you go girl).

At first the voting was to be based on your purchase, you get a ballot per item purchased. However, when they realized that the purchasing line would NEVER accommodate all the people there, they just decided to pass out ballots. I recommend that they pass out one ballot per person as they enter the door. (JMO)

Overall, it was a fun evening out and it ended up being a free event for us, as we didn't have an opportunity to purchase any drinks.

GO MICHELLE!!

Quick and Easy Dinner

2008-04-03T17:43:00.003-05:00

I have been boiling some chicken breast at the beginning of each week so that I can pull one out and use it for a quick, healthy meal, lunch or dinner. Tonight, I found myself cooking for myself only so I used a chicken breast, an onion, some squash and Mrs. Dash and came up with a quick healthy meal. It is very filling!

A fresh start

2008-04-03T16:19:00.002-05:00

Well after going about a month with little to no weight loss, I am officially starting over. I have a renewed sense of urgency as far as this weight is concerned. All of the contestants in the Slim Down challenge seem to be stuck or having a plateau.

I have recommited to working out every day, NO MATTER WHAT. And eating healthy, NO MATTER WHAT. I have seen results with my clothes fitting differently but I don't think I am working hard enough. I took a spinning class Tuesday night, Wednesday morning and today. My body wants to lie down and take a nap so bad but I am refusing to let it.

I have to lose this weight. For myself and for my family. I really get discouraged sometimes when I don't see results but I am determined to keep going.

I WANT TO BE THE BIGGEST LOSER!!!

Guess what time it is???

2008-03-12T17:06:00.002-05:00

It's Spring time and its time for Spring Cleaning. I was motivated to do my spring cleaning by reading http://www.momadvice.com/blog/archive/2008_03_01_archive.htm

(someone teach me how to link properly)...

Anyway, I started today by cleaning my refrigerator, inside and out. I didn't take a before picture, but it was getting pretty bad in there.

Here is after:

My son's obsession

2008-03-12T17:03:00.002-05:00

Andrew seems to be obsessed with Mountain Dew lately...he can't get enough and has even resorted to building a Mountain Dew pyramid in his room.

Look how cute!

The Abundant Lakeridge Life

2008-03-12T16:59:00.006-05:00

I love living where we live for many reasons, but here are 2:

Adam and Amy can go feed the fish in our lake in the afternoons

And the geese land on a regular basis and we get to watch them eat and swim around the lake.

Making Clothes

2008-03-12T16:51:00.004-05:00

Every now and then, I get to take a break from the normal hemming of pants and replacing zippers and I get to do something fun. I get to make clothing for two of my favorite customers, Ashby and Lexie. Here are some items that I made for them today.

This pink top for Lexie, that goes with some dot pants that I made for her the other day.

I also made these 2 pair of ruffle pants for Ashby and monogrammed tops to match.

I hope they like them!!

Spinning - Round TWO

2008-03-01T12:41:00.002-06:00

Well, I soaked in a hot bath last night, then got in the massage chair for about 20 minutes and this morning I was not as soar as I had expected. I woke up at about 8:00 and decided to go try it again. I took an Interval spinning class that lasted 45 minutes, rode about 9 miles and worked off about 450 calories. I am just loving this spinning. I feel like I have finally found an exercise that I like and can stick with.

Initiation into Spinning

2008-02-29T17:58:00.003-06:00

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

2008-02-29T17:12:00.002-06:00

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

2008-02-23T17:17:00.005-06:00

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

2008-02-21T19:16:00.002-06:00

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.....

2008-02-20T20:07:00.005-06:00

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

2008-02-19T12:57:00.003-06:00

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

2008-02-16T21:01:00.002-06:00

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!

2008-02-16T20:36:00.005-06:00

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

2008-02-11T18:36:00.000-06:00

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!

2008-02-05T21:41:00.001-06:00

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?

2008-02-04T19:06:00.000-06:00

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

Death...and Life

2008-02-04T17:07:00.000-06:00

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

The Official Announcement

2008-01-30T20:01:00.000-06:00

Well today it's official. The Helena Newsletter came in the mail today announcing to the whole city that I am a contestant in the Slim Down Challenge. We didn't know that we would be getting pictures made that night or else I would have dressed up a little and not looked quite so fat. LOL

I have been on the diet for a week now and I can already tell that I have lost weight. So far, it has been fairly easy to stick to. I have found myself eating to many Quacker Quak Rice Snack (ranch flavor). Those little buggers are good! I have been getting my cardio in at the YMCA and have done resistance training once. We weigh in next Tuesday night and I want to have lost at least 5 pounds.

This weekend will be a challenge for me though. Friday night we are having a pizza party for my brother Joey, Saturday night is a Women's Night Out for our church ladies group and of course Sunday is the big Super Bowl and we are having people over. Any suggestions on low fat super bowl snacks???

Miss PHS Pagent

2008-01-28T18:39:00.000-06:00

Andrew was fortunate enough to be chosen as an escort in the Miss PHS pageant Saturday night. He got to wear a tux and hang out with 40 beautiful young women for a few hours...tough life huh. The lovely Emily Busby was chosen as Miss PHS 2008. Congrats Emily!!

Meme Questionarre

2008-01-25T18:35:00.000-06:00

Meme Questionarre

This is a tag game. I was tagged to participate by my blogger friend, Leigh. In the context of web logs / 'blogs / blogging and other kinds of personal web sites it's some kind of list of questions that you saw somewhere else and you decided to answer the questions. Then someone else sees them and does them and so on and so on. I generally consider these to be actual questions and not some multiple choice quizzes that determine some result at the end (what color you are most like, what cartoon character are you, what 80s movie are you). I'll answer all of the questions and then tag someone to do the same.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE ? My Mom saw my name in a magazine I think...
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Wednesday...I went to see my brother Joey and was overwhelmed with how well he was doing...I cried :)
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? No, its sloppy
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? roast beef
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? 2 of the cutest kids you will ever see:)
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yea I think I would. I try to be a good friend and am a very good listener.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Sometimes.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes, they have never given me any trouble.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No, My hubby did it and I almost had a heart attack watching him.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I really don't have a favorite. I don't eat much cereal cause I have never been a breakfast eater. On my new diet though I have to eat breakfast and have been eating Kashi Crunch cereal. It is good.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No, but then I am frustrated when I go to put them on.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? No
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? chocolate almond
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Usually the hem of their pants. Since I am a seamstress, I always notice when pants are to long or short.
15. RED OR PINK? pink
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? my weight
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My brother Greg who died 6 years ago
18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? blue workout pants and sneakers
19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Quaker's Quake Ranch rice cake snacks
20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Seinfeld
21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Green
22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Amazing Grace by Philosophy
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Adam
24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Alabama football
25. HAIR COLOR? dirty blond
26. EYE COLOR? hazel
27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no
28. FAVORITE FOOD? Adam's steaks, Mama's tomato gravy and biscuits
29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Scary movies
30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Two weeks with Sally Field
31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? white tshirt
32. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
33. HUGS OR KISSES? both
34. FAVORITE DESSERT? anything chocolate
35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Today I started and finished The Christmas Box by Richard Evans
36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I dont have one...laptop
37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Celebrity Apprentice
38. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Keith Urban singing
39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Neither
40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Hawaii
41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Sewing I guess
42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Sylacauga

Good News and Bad News

2008-01-24T16:10:00.000-06:00

Well first the good... We had our first Slim Down Meeting Tuesday night. We met with the nutritionist and trainer and Dave and his lovely wife. It was a lot of info to take in but I think I will be able to handle it fine. Good News: Our weight will NOT be written in the Helena News letter. YEAH!!! I was dreading that the most.

Bad News...I weigh 213.6 pounds! YIKES!!

I went to workout today for the first time. I took the Body Step class with Beth and it was GREAT. Whipped my butt but it was fun. Beth was amazing and I had to have sweated at least a pound or 2 off.

I also went to the grocery store today to buy all of my healthy food. This will be where I have a lot to learn. Food labels are really confusing to me. It is hard to tell if things are bad for you or not.

Today I also registered at Sparkpeople.com. This is a free online diet and fitness community which allows you to keep an online food/workout diary. It tracks all of your calories, carbs, fats, protein, etc. It is really cool and best of all FREE.

I will be back in the gym in the morning and hopefully my body wont hurt to bad...

2008-01-20T12:32:00.000-06:00

Life can change in the blink of an eye...
I am deeply saddened by the news that Rick Burgess's son Bronner Burgess died yesterday. I don't know Rick or his family but I do spend a few of hours each week listening to Rick and Bubba on the radio. Reading the news, I'm reminded of how precious life is. And my thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this painful time.

No one knows how they will react when face with a tragedy like this. I am truely touched by the Burgess Family's response posted on the Rick and Bubba website. www.rickandbubba.com

We ask that you bathe Rick, Sherri, and the entire Burgess family in prayer as they deal with the loss of their youngest son, Bronner Burgess.
We all are grieving together in this terrible loss.

The Burgess's want to give all Honor and Glory to GOD for the many blessings He has given us, especially the life of Bronner Burgess. And while we do not understand, we know who is in charge and His will be done in life and in death.

My prayers go out to the Burgess family. May God give you the strength to face the coming days and the comfort in knowing that Bronner is waiting for you in Heaven.

Fun while it lasted...

2008-01-19T15:13:00.000-06:00

The snow didnt last long. We played in it for a few hours and now it is mostly melted. Here are a few pictures:

Snow!!

2008-01-19T09:04:00.000-06:00

It started snowing in Helena at around 8:30 am this morning. We expect to get some accumulation. I had to wake my daughter up so she could see the snow or else she probably would have slept until noon. We are all excited and cant wait to build our snowman no matter how small he might be!

Will it snow...or Not??

2008-01-18T12:26:00.000-06:00

Well, the weather men are forecasting snow. We have all been here before. You run out to the grocery store buying bread, milk, sandwich fixings, cereal etc. only for nothing whatsoever to happen. Guaranteed, tonight's newscast will report live from the grocery stores where there is a mad dash to buy up all the milk and bread.

Reluctantly, I went to the store earlier and bought what we were out of and plan on making a pot of chili and chicken soup. I do hope that it snows because we haven't had a significant amount of snow since New Years Day 2002 (see pics). I like watching it snow and watching the kids play in it. When we were kids my Mom would always make snow ice cream. It was delish but I don't know how sanitary it was.

Anyhow, I hope it snows!!!

Prayers Needed

2008-01-16T20:24:00.000-06:00

My brother Joey is back in the hospital. He has been back in there for a week. He has advanced cirrhosis of the liver and is not doing well at all. It is hard to see someone who was just a few months ago living a somewhat normal life just lying there in bed, some days not even able to speak.

My Dad is also in the hospital for the 3rd time in a month. He has atrial fibrillation and the Dr's so far cant get his heart back in rhythm.

Lastly, please pray for my sister's brother in law Donald Ricks. He was just recently diagnosed with cancer in several parts of his body. He is going through chemo right now and I pray that the chemo will shrink the cancer and alleviate some of his pain.

I pray that God will heal all three of these people. Please join me in praying for them.

I Got Picked!!!

2008-01-12T17:17:00.000-06:00

Oh My Gosh!!! I have been chosen to be in the Helena Slim Down Challenge! I just found out today and I am thrilled. The Helena Slim Down Challenge is based on The Biggest Loser concept. 6 contestants from Helena and 6 from Pelham are chosen to be in a weight loss contest. The winners in the past have won a cruise in addition to about 40 plus pounds! I applied for the contest 2 years ago, the first year of the contest. I was chosen as an alternate but didn't have any success because there was no one on one training and I just cant loss this weight without some major training and education. Anyhow, I reapplied this year and have been chosen as a contestant.
I plan on plotting my progress on my blog and hopefully can be an inspiration to others who are trying to loss weight. We have our first meeting in a week or so and I will keep you all updated...Wish me luck!!

20 year Anniversary

2008-01-10T14:48:00.000-06:00

Adam and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary on December 29th. We went to Ruth's Chris steakhouse for a wonderful meal and then to Ivory's at the Wynfree.

I really can't remember my life without Adam. We have had a wonderful 20 years and I can't wait for the next 20. There have been ups and downs, but mainly ups!!

I love you sweety!!

2008-01-01T16:11:00.000-06:00

I had the privaledge yesterday to be with my Uncle Buster as he passed from Earth into Heaven. He had an amazing life and was loved by many. He is now in Heaven with his wife Margie, his parents, 2 of his sisters, Clara Faye and Carmanita and with Greg. We will miss him dearly.

James P. "Buster" Robinson
1925 - 2008
James P. "Buster" Robinson April 26, 1925-Monday, December 31, 2007
Age: 82 years Residence: Sylacauga, Alabama Died: Coosa Valley Medical Center
Survived By Son, Mickey (Debbie) Robinson of Sylacauga; Granddaughter, Michelle Robinson of Orlando, FL; Sisters, Lillian Maness of Fayetteville, and Jo Ann (Oliver) White of Childersburg; Brothers, Charles (Jackie) Robinson of Sylacauga, and Wilbur (Gail) Robinson of Dothan
Additional Biographical Information He was preceded in death by his wife, Margie K. Robinson, and was a member of Shelvin Rock Baptist Church.
The family will accept flowers or contributions to Shelvin Rock Baptist Church, 570 Peckerwood Meadows Circle, Sylacauga, AL, 35151.
Pallbearers will be Roy Johnson, Rudy White, Tony White, David Robinson, Jimmy Maness and Ray Robinson. Honorary pallbearers will be Randy Gaither, Buddy Green, Barry Saffold, John Albritton, and Chris Knight.Memorial messages may be sent to the family at www.radneysmith.com
Visitation Wednesday, January 2, from 5:30 until 8:00 p.m.Funeral Service 1:00 p.m., Thursday, January 3, 2008 Radney-Smith ChapelClergy: Rev. Tony McGradyInterment: Talladega Springs Cemetery Talladega Springs, Alabama

Oh Christmas Tree

2007-12-30T21:50:00.000-06:00

We pulled out our artificial pre-lite tree this year and it still looks great. We purchased it about 4 years ago after years and years of buying a real tree. I love the smell of the real tree but not the mess or the work of putting the lights on. Amy decorated most of the tree this year, I just did the top and a little rearranging. We put our tree up the week after Thanksgiving and it is actually still up. I will try to get it down in a couple of days.

Happy Birthday Amy!!

2007-12-30T21:31:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Amy's birthday with a party at our home which include 15 of her closest friends. The girls decorated gingerbread Christmas trees, which took me 2 days to bake and put together. It was worth it though because the girls had a blast. She received lots of goodies including 4 new Webkinz and money...right up her alley.

Keith Urban Concert December 1, 2007

2007-12-30T21:12:00.000-06:00

This was my 6th Keith Urban concert....I think. I sort of lost count. They just keep getting better and better. Marcia and I went and had 8th row tickets! We had a great view.

I really didn't like that he was with Nicole at first...I was selfish and wanted him for myself. The idea is growing on me though and he really does seem happy. He dedicated "Got It Right This Time" to Nicole and it was amazing. I can't wait for my 7th concert hopefully in 2008. Below is a review of the concert by Mary Colurso.

Keith Urban belies his tabloid rep with stellar concert at BJCC Arena
Posted by Mary Colurso December 02, 2007 6:40 PM
Categories: Music, Reviews, Scene
Keith Urban played guitar vignettes from rock anthems -- including "Smoke on the Water," "Walk This Way" and "Life in the Fast Lane" -- Saturday night at the BJCC Arena.Review rating: Five out of five stars
Let's get a few things straight about Keith Urban.
Tabloid celebrity hasn't done him any favors, but his recent stint in rehab, his marriage to actress Nicole Kidman and his image as a NashVegas lightweight were eclipsed Saturday night at the BJCC Arena.
Urban's 9:35 p.m. concert was an electrifying experience -- surprisingly so, we must admit -- and skillful enough to rival other music superstars.
First of all, Urban's two-hour show was much more rock than country, heavy on guitar bravado and solos from the extremely adept frontman.
Urban led his five-member band with clear-eyed assurance, played to the crowd without seeming like an egotist and displayed genuine joy in the music.
The well-balanced set list included greatest hits and new material, including "Days Go By," "Where the Blacktop Ends," "You're My Better Half," "Tonight I Wanna Cry," "Making Memories of Us," "Somebody Like You," "Raining on Sunday," "Shine," "I Told You So" and "Faster Car."
Performed live, these songs had a dynamic quality -- a vibrant force and exciting authenticity -- that's missing from the radio versions.
Of course, Urban's scruffy good looks caused much screaming and sign waving from the audience's female contingent. Fan fever ran high and shrill in the arena, which was more than two-thirds full.
But Urban, 40, proved that talent is his most valuable commodity.
From the moment he walked on stage, greeting the crowd with a solo vocal, it was obvious that Urban needed no prerecorded help. His microphone was on -- no bogus lip-syncing or dishonest use of "guide vocals" -- and it stayed hot throughout the long, satisfying set.
Technically, Urban's team gave the audience a superior production, from the huge, crystal-clear images projected on a screen behind the stage to the amazingly good sound quality.
Although simple, the stage set worked extremely well; it included an extension that stretched more than halfway through the arena and ended in a circular mini-stage.
This catwalk provided ticketholders in the back with a much better view and allowed Urban to interact with the audience in an up-close and personal way. He and the band performed several songs there, in the round, as a camera on an overhead track captured every subtle move.
Final verdict: Urban has grown into an astonishingly polished and confident performer, capable of headlining an arena show and turning skeptics into believers.
Supermarket rags, you've done him wrong.

More Thanksgiving

2007-12-18T16:57:00.000-06:00

On Thanksgiving day, we went to Sylacauga to visit the Robinson's. We all overate again! After we ate, we went to the rehab center to see Joey. We all gathered in a big room and brought Joey in there. We all told what we were thankful for, took pictures and eventually ended up singing...we are a singing family. It was a memorable Thanksgiving for sure.

Thanksgiving

2007-12-18T16:43:00.000-06:00

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, we took our traditional trip to Decatur, Alabama to see the George's. We ate dressing, ham, turkey and all the trimmings. As usual, I ate way to much. January 1st I am going on a diet, I swear! We enjoyed our afternoon. Adam, Andrew and Amy threw the frisbie until it broke in half. It was a beautiful, warm day.

Been Busy

2007-11-20T14:28:00.000-06:00

I havent posted in a while because my brother Joey has been in the hospital for a month. I have been staying with him and trying to keep up with my work and just havent had time to be online.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Moundville Field trip

2007-10-10T16:54:00.000-05:00

The 4th grade went to Moundville last Friday. It was a lot of fun seeing all of the different Native American crafts and trades. Amy had a blast!

She hung out with Abby and Sara and had her picture made with her teacher Mrs. Landrum (whom she loves:)

Happy 80th Birthday Daddy!!

2007-09-23T20:39:00.000-05:00

WOW! We had a blast celebrating Daddy's 80th birthday. We had a surprise party for him at Mt. Vernon Church and he seemed totally surprised. There were about 40 people there and we had a ton of food and everyone gave him money on his money tree. He got 322.00 plus a 20.00 walmart gift card. Lets go shopping Daddy!!

Michael and Amber get married

2007-09-23T20:08:00.001-05:00

Hey,
It was great to be able to attend Michael and Amber's wedding on Saturday. I know that Greg was there in spirit but I sure did miss him.