Currently The 6th Target - The Women's Murder Club By James; Paetro, Maxine Patterson see related

Ok, I suck!

All right, I know I haven't updated in a  REALLY long time, so this might be a long one...

First of all, I'm on Facebook. I gave in...I did it...I set up a profile, snoop on all my friends and relatives, and update a few times a week.

Second, I am now married! I married my sweetheart of 4 and a half years, FJ Cooper. He is the love of my life and I am so excited that a) we found each other, and b) I get to spend the rest of my life with him! Our wedding was wonderful. There were only a few errors, none major. The first on is that the first time the preacher said FJ's name, he called him AJ! LOL! Poor FJ turned several shades of red, the preacher stuttered a little, and everyone laughed. Good way to lighten the mood, I guess! The second mistake was when I was putting on my dress. I'd had it altered (because I lost some more weight before the wedding and it needed to be a size smaller) and when they altered it, there was a hook and eye at the top of the zipper that never got replaced. Therefore, my zipper wouldn't stay up. Fortunately, my photographer (Deb Cole...check her out. She's great!) had safety pins and I was pinned into  my dress! The third and final "mistake" wasn't really anyone's fault but my own. The dress hadn't been hemmed enough and when I climbed the steps to the stage after Dad gave me away to FJ, I stepped on the dress and pulled the front down a little. Good for me, the only ones who noticed were my mortified bridesmaids (Victoria Peel and Mary Turnquist). I thought they were going to jump down and help me! Lucky for all of us, I made it up the steps, hiked the front of my dress back up, and proceeded to get married on a day that was almost perfect!

The honeymoon was a little strange, though. FJ and I have lived together for 4 years, but we sleep in different bedrooms because one of us (me) snores...So, we get to the hotel in Muscatine and it has Phanta=-Suites. We got the Henry VIII, which was a 2-story suite. It was awesome! the first story had a huge fireplace, an old-fashioned bar, and a very small bathroom. The second story had a two-person hot tub and a huge 4-poster bed. First thing we did? Filled up that hot tub, baby! It was really nice! Then, we decided we wanted supper, so we drove into Davenport to eat at Olive Garden, which was Fan-Tas-Tic! We ate and then drove back to the hotel. FJ and I, well, it was our honeymoon...and then we decided to go to sleep. We curled up next to each other in that huge bed and he proceeded to fall right asleep. Normally, I don't have any problem going to sleep, but being that close to someone after having your own bed for so long is a little strange...I tried to sleep, really I did! I laid on my back, on my side, on my stomach, on my other side. Nothing was working. Finally, I decided to go downstairs and sleep on the loveseat. I tell ya, NOT comfortable! So, I took the cushions off the loveseat and put them on the floor with a blanket. I "slept" there for about 20 minutes before realizing I was sleeping on a hotel room floor! EEEWWWW!!! At about 3 a.m. I decided I was just too stressed about this sleeping situation, so I hopped in the shower for some relaxing heat therapy. Unfortunately, that was what finally work FJ up. He not-so-politely asked what the hell I was doing. I told him I couldn't sleep and that I'd been awake all this time. He gave me a kiss on the forehead and said, "If you want to go home, you'll have to drive!" NOT a problem! lol We hopped in the car and drove the 45 minutes back to Burlington, where we woke Dad up (he was dog-sitting) and told him we were going to bed. We went to our respective bedrooms, fell asleep, and didn't wake up until Dad woke me up at 7:30 to tell me he was leaving for breakfast and church. Fine. At least I got a good 3 hours! lol

Anyway, if you didn't know, I have a job now at The O'Rourke Group. I do transcription for them there. I LOVE IT!!! Best job I ever had...seriously...(well, maybe besides being a tumbling coach. I did like that quite a bit!) I really like my job and my bosses. That's unusual for everybody to get along so well, but they do and I fit right in!

Brandy and Sophie are doing fine. I figured it out...Brandy was 3 when I got her, so that makes her almost 10 now. She still acts like a puppy. Sophie is as mean as ever, but if you leave her alone, sometimes she comes to you for pets and loves. She's weird!

FJ has a 14-year-old son named Logan. I love Logan, which is good because, although I'm not his mother, he is the only child I'll ever help raise. He has some issues with getting his homework done, but I think as he matures, he'll get it figured out.

I guess that's about it for now! Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday. Merry Christmas and God bless!

Currently Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked Years) By Gregory Maguire see related

New job...YAY!!!

Hi friends and family!

I HAVE A NEW JOB!!! I work in a psychiatrist's office doing transcription. Basically, one psychiatrist and four therapists record their notes into a tape recorder. Then, they give me the tapes and I listen and type what they said. And...due to HIPAA and a confidentiality statement that I signed, that's about all I can tell you about my job. (Oh, and I do some filing when the receptionists are busy...but that's all I'm a-gonna say!)

I am coming off of my Zyrexa, which is the med that made me gain so much weight. It worked really well for controlling the voices, so hopefully Geodon will work just as well because that's what we're replacing the hated Zyprexa with. So far, so good! I think having a job helps too because I now have a reason to be healthy. I only work about 10-15 hours a week, but that's good because I don't get too stressed, which mitigates the symptoms.

I think my mom hit the nail on the head during one of our conversations lately. She said that I may never know why I got sick, but with my office skills, communication skills, and diplomacy, I could very possibly become an advocate for the mentally ill. I'm really interested in this, but I have no idea where to start. I guess I'm not too worried yet because I just got this job and I want to devote my time to it. I do want to save up some money to visit Gail and to take an Intro to Psych class at SCC. This work schedule (I work 3:30 - 7 p.m.) also makes it possible for me to go back to school should I desire and major in Psychology. I think that would be really interesting, and I would be able to go to WIU for that. There are so many opportunities for me right now and life is really looking up!

So...it's snowing today. End of March and it's snowing. My tulips and crocuses are already up, but Gma Becker says they'll survive the snow. I thought it was a sure sign of spring, but I guess I'll have to wait a little longer...sigh...

Big congrats to Mike and Kim and their new little bundle of joy,Curtis! Good job, you two. He's a doll, and I love looking at your pics of him!

Big congrats to Grant and Victoria and their baby girl, Madalyn! Can't wait to see pics of her; she sounds adorable and you two must be very proud of yourselves!

Big thanks to all who have and are currently supporting me in my weight loss battle...and, make no mistake, it IS a battle! haha! I've lost a little over 8 pounds this month...YAY!!! Mom and Dad: when you come back in May, I will be at least 15 pounds lighter, so, yes, we ARE going shopping!

EBBA-DEE, EBBA-DEE...that's all folks! be safe and happy and know that I love you all!

Currently You Were Born for This: Seven Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles By Bruce Wilkinson see related

That's what SHE said!

Well, my near and dear friends and fam, I have turned a new page in my life. I have devoted myself to better health. I want to lose 100 pounds in one year. I know that's an awfully lofty goal, but I think the first 20 or so will come off easily. Anyway, here's what I'm doing:

I joined Weight Watchers...again. (No, I really mean it this time!) Last year, I joined for a month and then realized that I couldn't afford the monthly fees. I don't have that problem anymore. No, I'm not rich...just have a very loving grandfather who gave me a VERY generous gift for Christmas 2010. Well, last year I joined WW for 1 month and went to the YMCA 5 times a week for one month. Granted, I did lose weight and gained muscle tone. However, it was just too much, too soon. I could not handle the heat, so I got my plus-size butt outta that kitchen! I needed something I could do easily, but would require a LIFESTYLE change, not just a diet and exercise plan impossible for anyone with low self-esteem to live with. I missed a day here or there or I ate up all my points by 11 a.m. and all of the sudden, the floodgates opened and I was so down on myself! (Ashamed to go to the gym after missing 2 days of water aerobics in a row...scared I'd see my instructor there and she'd ask and I'd have to come up with something good/bad about explosive diarrhea, a great-aunt's cousin's dead cat, or something equally terrible as an excuse.)

Also, I couldn't believe that I could have THAT many points per day. I was eating all day long, and not losing weight. (No one told me about reading labels to determine portion sizes! haha - joke's on me!)

Then there was the fact that I LOVE FOOD!!!!!!! I love it. Morning, noon, night, doesn't matter. Anytime, anywhere, anything. If it can put padding on my arse and a spare tire around my belly, I want it! (See - lifestyle change. I had to stop obsessing over food, and I felt that, at that time, WW was "feeding" my obsession...pun definitely intended!)

So...

I'm back on track with WW and I love their new PointsPlus program. I doesn't just assign points to foods, but takes into account the fat grams, carbs, protein, and fiber of the food and spits out a points value based on those credentials. WOW! I'm going to spend the $12 to buy a points calculator! I mean, fat and carbs are something we're all concerned about. Protein is good for you...in moderation. And fiber...can anyone say "Whole Grains!?" And, no, I'm not counting calories. I'm following the WW PointsPlus program, tracking everything I eat or drink and trying to follow the FDA's Healthy Guidelines (You know: minimal fat, lots of fruits and veggies, some dairy, etc.) I'm also drinking a lot of water. (I was about to type, "I'm also drinking a lot," but that might give people the wrong impression about WW!)

Here's the truth, and it pains me to say it: I weighed in last Thursday at over 300 pounds. (Gosh, it hurts even to type it!) As a 5'4" woman, I'm dangerously obese. I'm on medications for depression, high pulse rate, and high blood pressure...and I'm only 27. I like to watch professional wrestling. I outweigh a lot of the guys on there and they are all over 6' tall. Not only is that supremely depressing (low self-esteem again) but also it is really scary.

Therefore, I have also taken Jillian Michaels' 6-week Last Chance Workout challenge. It's a DVD, and a good one. I watched the whole thing before even trying it out because I wasn't sure, at my weight, if I'd be able to do any of the exercises. It's set up so Weeks 1 &2, you do Monday thru Saturday, alternating upper and lower body workouts mixed with cardio. For example, on Week 1, Day 1 (which I did this morning!) there is a 10-minute warm-up, followed by 20 minutes of exercises, and ending with 5 minutes of cool-down. There exercises there in the middle are alternating cardio (which I hate) and weight training (which I don't mind so much). The exercises are timed. You only do each exercise for 30 seconds. I love that! You don't get bored, and since there are no breaks, you're doing cardio without ever realizing it! Jillian may be a witch on The Biggest Loser, but she knows how to motivate and I think I actually look up to her now. She's worked hard for the body she has, and I'm going to work hard for the body I want.

love,

hay

I know I haven't updated in awhile, but...

Yo! Wasssuuuppp my homies?!

All right, that's outta my system.

There's been a lot going on in my life, yet when I sit down to write it, it feels like a whole lotta nuthin'. I get up a little after 5 in the a.m., make coffee for FJ, watch the weather channel (OMG...it's soooo cold!!!) and go back to bed until about 8. I exercise from 9-10, eat a light lunch around 10:30-11, then start on my chores. FJ's been working so many hours...he can get all of the overtime he could possibly want, and thank God for that because it's the only way we could have had Christmas for Logan. Anywho, my chores are basic house cleaning stuff: dishes, laundry, sweeping and mopping the floors, and practicing my flute and piano. I also make sure that I've at least started supper by the time FJ gets home at 6:30. See: Not a lot going on, but I'm still kept busy!

Anyone here love Obama as much as I do? Doubtful! Yesterday he signed in to law that new bill on tax cuts. While this may or may not affect me (not sure yet) there was another point in th ebill that made me weep tears of gratitude. I am eligible for another 13 MONTHS of unemployment benefits. That will almost definitely get me thru until my disability claim goes to court. In March, it will have been one year that I started the process. Haven't heard anything lately, but my attorney says it can take awhile and that I should keep going to my doctor and therapist and making sure they are documenting everything. They could possibly be supeoned to testify on my behalf. I hope they do, or that I have a bad day on the day I go to court because, quite frankly, when I feel good, I also feel "normal". I want that judge to see that I cannot hold a full-time job because of my illness.

Mom and Dad came back for the two deer shotgun seasons. It was good to see them. Mom and I went shopping and that sucked because I had gained back some of my weight and Mom was upset and no clothes would fit me. Finally got a pair of brown pants that I really like and a pair of blue jeans that I kinda don't. (But, they were cheap and they fit...at this point in my life/weight struggle, that's pretty much all I can ask for. Sigh.

For those readers out there, I started reading Ted Dekker's "The Bride Collector." GREAT BOOK! I liked it so much I went to the library to check out more of his stuff. Come to realize he's a Christian and has written several books with Bill Bright, co-founder or Campus Crusade for Christ!

Well, my dear ones, I have to get going. The smells emanating from my oven tell me that my manicotti is almost finished!

love

hay

Currently Hinds Feet on High Places Complete and Unabridged by Hannah Hurnard By Hannah Hurnard see related

I guess it could be worse...

Well, friends, let's start off with the good news: FJ got a job!!! He's now working first shift at Case IH on the production line. We're very excited about this answer to prayer!

I've been volunteering at the public library twice a week. I enjoy it a lot...more than I thought I would, since all I do is re-shelve books, movies, VHS cassettes, and audio books. I'm eternally grateful to my mother for instilling in me, not only the desire to do well in my endeavors, but also the knowledge of alphabetizing and Dewey Decimal!

I'm still looking for a job, so if you know of anything in the Burlington area (15-20 hours per week, maximum) let me know...I guess I'm looking for something clerical. I enjoyed being a receptionist at IWC, sorry to have had to let that job go, but health comes first.

Speaking of health, I'm a mess. For those of you who know me well, let me just say that the symptoms of my illness are rearing their ugly heads. I can't get into a psychiatrist until October, so I called my regular, M.D. physician, and he told me to come on in. I went in yesterday and I was wearing my Beth Moore T-shirt. (She's an incredibly gifted Christian motivational speaker who has written numerous Bible studies and give many speeches a year nationwide. I was blessed to be able to see her via satellite back in April.) Anywho, my doctor, after reading my shirt, asked if I had contacted a minister about this problem. I said yes, that both of the pastors at my church are Prayer Warriors on my behalf and that I've been annointed with oil from the Holy Land. (What an amazing experience...remind me to tell you about it sometime!) Then, my doc asked if meditation and prayer helped. Well, sometimes it does, but a lot of the time, I simply cannot focus my attention long e7nough for something like meditation. So Doc, bless his heart, asked if he could pray for me! Absolutely, I said. So, after spending about 40 minutes with me, we closed out doctor/patient session with a little prayer...God has totally blessed my socks off through this man. Be sure to thank Him for that!

Yesterday, after seeing the doctor, I went to one of the Temp agencies here in town. I filled out an application and had an interview. The lady I spoke with wants me to come back today to do a computer test. Since I have had experience with MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, she's going to test me on that stuff, as well as give me a typing test to see how fast and accurately I can type. I'm kinda pretty really sort of excited about that. I told her I can only work 15-20 hours a week (any more than that screws up my disability) and she said she may have something for me as early as next week. Here's hopin'!

And now, for Hayley's endorsements:
     I just finished reading the book "Push" by a woman named Sapphire. It's the book from which the movie "Precious" was made. WOW!!! It is Intense! It's not your nighttime, get-ready-for-bed, curl-up-for-a-warm-fuzzy-feeling kind of book. I never saw the movie, but if it's true to the book, I kinda don't want to. It's hard enough reading about this poor girl...watching it would probably break my heart.
     I'm also reading "Hinds' Feet on High Places" by Hannah Hurhard. Also very good book...really makes you think. Especially in my situation, when I feel like I'm at the bottom of the mountain and my only companions are Sorrow and Suffering. I often cling to these companions so fiercely that I forget my Shepherd is merely a prayer away. I am sooooo excited about making it to the High Places with my Shepherd. The scary part will be over because He will have (didn't need to, but did anyway) earned my trust but always being there to help these crippled feet climb to the High Places. I will rest in His arms for a bit, then travel back down the mountain and share the story of my journey and my Shepherd with those crippled by physical disabilities, mental illnesses, emotional roadblocks, fear, and grief. Helping me tot he High Places is His gift to me; returning to the Lowlands and helping others reach the High Places will be my gift to Him. Read this book. A lot. Seriously...many times over...just read and read and when you finish, read it again!