Hi there. Just wanted to see if I could build a new home with some new (and hopefully old) friends. I do not wanna be 'homeless' anymore so here I am! This is gonna be a place for friends to meet (hopefully) and talk about anything & everything.

My name is Tracy and I live in Deer Park, Texas. I have been married for 6 years. I was banded in April '07. Got 4 pounds away from goal, quit smoking and gained 46-50 pounds back so I am on my journey again. This time as a non-smoker :w00t:

This is a life change and with it comes lifelong friends...wanna come along for the ride? :blushing:

Same story here, we have a crowd coming in for dinner---all the kids, as well as my parents and brother, and a couple of family-less friends, Becky & Gary and their families. Will be a crowd---but one I enjoy to no end, and am excited about.

We have things ready for Kinsey in the morning. She and Manda are spending the night here, so Santa is coming here, we TOLD him at the mall!!! LOL Manda is so good to us! I know it is more exciting for Kinsey to have the whole family around, but Manda makes sure we are very involved, so she is spending the night, and we will wake up very early to Santa. My parents and brother will likely be here by 7AM to do gifts with them as well. Lenny and Ali will be over when the boys wake up. But Ali wants to sleep, so if the boys happen to stay in bed til 10 so will she.....our only hope is if our son wakes up and is raring to go----except then we get her in a very bad mood. She also said today the boys were not feeling good-----I hate that.

Abbey will be by with her family and be here for dinner, but they must do gifts with his family, then he will go back there later for the real dinner in his mind!! He will not waver in how he celebrates....but at least we will get to see them. We took over the truck to Corvin---he was unsure about it! He will grow to love it I am sure.

I have all the prep work done I can do-----just need to get some things ready to do breakfast.

I hope each of you has a wondrous Christmas, filled with all that you wished for. May you all be blessed with the love of family and friends. I personally feel blessed to have all of you in my life. You have enriched it beyond words. Together we will forge ahead in 2010----and we will battle this battle together---I am so glad to have you all here to help me!

Have a Merry Christmas, I hope all the angels are smiling down on you!!!

~merry christmas friends~hohoho

Wishing all of you and your families a wonderful Christmas filled with love and joy.

Thank you for being my friends

Merry Christmas.

Wishing everyone a very happy and great day.

Hugs to you.

I actually tried to keep my eating under control today. I did so-so. I didn't over do like the last two days, so I guess that's a plus.

Weather is horrible here. They are telling everyone to just stay home. We did, decided not to go to the in-laws. Good thing I had bought a ham last week. We fixed dinner for here and just had a nice quiet day at home. Watched a few movies that I had recorded.

Hubby said that it was a good day for all the kids that got sleds for christmas. I told him that kids don't get those anymore but that it sure did suck for all the kids that got bikes. Looks like they will have to wait for over a week before they can try them out. I got a hooded sweatshirt from our local high school, so I''m nice and warm.

Hope all you had a great day.

Here's a few more pics. Trying to get to church.

Jeez, Suzie, you certainly had a white Christmas! I would stay at home, bundled up in blankets with hot chocolate (Oh, sugar-free, of course)! Being from southern Louisiana, I have never experienced that much snow at once. Although, last year we did have a little over 3 inches where I live, which was amazing!

Suzanne-how pretty! Does it snow like that at Christmas for you every year or is it special when it happens?

Hi Cindy

Hope you all had a great Christmas. We already took the tree down. My Christmas dinner turned out very nice and I really impressed myself with the meal I made....my family was proud of me....that meant alot. My pecan pie was to die for and considering it was really only my 2nd one to make (the first one sucked) I was really happy!

Have a great weekend ladies!

Hi guys

merry christmas late. sorry,

I get very depressed during the holidays and this year is taking every ounce of my energy to be up for the kids. I spent most of today crashed, either laying around or crying

Why can't I just be happy. guess it is time to cler out some old shit and open my world to the new. Finding out again who my friends are!... just makes xmas even better for me

xoxoxo

love you all

Hey y'all!

Quick drive-by post. I'll have to go back and catch up with everyone another time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

More family tomorrow. Then a busy week with work. Talk to y'all soon... I hope!!!!

Good morning!

Whew....what an eventful past week. I am so glad it is over but it sure was worth it. Now things get back to 'normal'. DH starts back on nights tonight, my dss is going home so it will just be me and the girls later.

On New years eve dh and I are going to Louisiana to visit friends and ring in the new year. We are gonna make a bonfire :smile: and eat, DRINK, and laugh. I can not wait! Good times!

I haven't weighed. I probably wont until New Years when we get home. I really do not want to but I need to be accountable. Ugh.

Hi Jenn-the New Year is just around the corner and I see great things in your future. Just do it!

Hi Michelle

Have a great Sunday everyone.

Hey girls!

We had a great Christmas! All the kids were here, and the grandkids---it got noisy at times, but it was lots of fun.

My DIL did as expected, and they slept in, they didn't come over til around noon, but Kinsey had Santa here, and we had a blast with it. We jingled bells outside the window, and Rick made deer prints in the snow, she swears she heard the reindeer on the roof! We actually had to upset her, and make her open her gifts after a point. She wanted to play with what she had, she didn't care! LOL. But much of what remained to be open, went with the things she already had---doll house furniture etc. Worked out well, we got to concentrate our attention on her joy alone. Then when the boys showed up, we could do the same with Connor---and just watch his amazed expressions etc. The little boys were not as impressed!! Corvin loved the paper--Garrick, was non plussed by any of it. Yesterday we got the oldest 2, and had special time with just them. So while it was not how I had hoped, it worked out wonderfully!

Took Rick in to work at 2AM this morning. He left for TX. Will be gone 2 weeks we believe. Made me so sad. I got stopped in a DWI checkpoint coming home from taking him. I took him over so his vehicle would not be sitting in the icy cold unstarted and unwatched for 2 weeks. When he gets in I will go get him!

I told the officer I had just dropped my husband off at work, he told me my eyes looked a little glassy---and made me follow the pen with my eyes without moving my head!!! LOL I told him, they were sending him out of town for 2 weeks, and yes I was upset, and had shed a couple of tears, as well as it being well past my bedtime!

Somehow he ask about him leaving and found out they had an entire semi covoy headed for their roadblock! He sent me on my not so merry way---and it was dismantling when Rick come through. He called about noon and had made it to the motel, and was headed out to location, where he has to meet up with the guys he is working with. They are putting in loooooong hours.

I did ok with my eating. I ate, but stayed so busy, it was not overdone seriously!!

I weighed the same this morning as I did Christmas Eve or whenever, I have an extra 2-3 pounds to deal with is all.

Jenn, my brother has depression issues with the holidays, so I understand it some. I hope the new year brings you renewed hope, and lots of new exciting opportunities in your life.

I have the Food Network on, and they are making me so hungry, I am going to find something to eat!!

Will talk to you in awhile, expect more of me with him being gone........

OK, the holidays are somewhat over. And I for one am glad. The eating has been out of control. Actually I really haven't eaten that much but it's been junk. I had a fill last monday and I just haven't been a model bandster.

It finally stopped snowing. Thank goodness. We shoveled 3 times. Today was the last of the snow fall till about wednesday. They are calling for about another inch. Yesterday we shoveled again and I had hubby take me to the grocery store. They were having a sale and I wanted to get some shrimp. Hubby and I like boiled shrimp and also cooked on the grill.

The last few days I have spent in front of the TV. I have watched about 6 movies that I had recorded. I also watched all 7 episodes of Ugly Betty. There were a few other things I got caught up on. My butt is tired of sitting.

Back to work tomorrow. I think when I get home that I will have hubby bring all the totes in and I will pack up all the christmas stuff. I just feel like having my house back in order before the new year gets here. I'll also have to go over to my sisters to deal with some insurance stuff she needs taken care of.

Jenn, Holidays are hard for me. But i'm looking at it right now as a new start. I have a whole new year ahead of me and I'm going to work my hardest to make it a good one. Financially and healthwise. You can do this also. I have faith in you.

Kat, I know it will be hard on your for the next 2 weeks. Look at it as time to get some stuff done that you have been putting off. I can think of all kinds of things I would be getting done. Like cleaning out closets. Hmmm. I think I'm gonna start on that this week anyway. lol.

I'll check in tomoorow morning before I head to work.

Funny that you say that Suzie, I usually do find a project to do that Rick has been dreading----but nothing comes to mind this time.

Tomorrow I am going to the book store---and stocking up. Tuesday my MIL has her gall bladder removed, so I will be with the family at the hosp. all day. Then I think I will make plans to cook, and have dinner for them for a few days after surgery---keep my FIL happy anyway! LOL Gives me a plan.

After that, I too plan on putting Christmas away, and just going to take it a day at a time. I want to take Kinsey and Connor and go to see the Chipmunk Sqeak-quel. I know they both loved the original. They do so well together.

Wizard of Oz is on TV right now, I called so both of them could watch it. When Manda was about 3 we watched it, and days, maybe even weeks went by and one day she ask me what an ohmy was. I had no idea what she was trying to say....finally she sings to me....Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My! She knew what lions, and tigers and bears were but the Oh My was confusing her! Makes me smile to remember there was a time she was just as entertaining as Kinsey, I just think life was so busy, I failed to enjoy it as I should have.

Spoke to Rick, he is in.....got in about 6---he and his boys have a call out at midnight! 6 hours sleep following an 18 hour day......poor him.

Will be back later!

Good Morning

Kat, Suzanne and Tracy

thanks for having such confidence in me. I am starting to feel like I'm going to be alone for the rest of my life. In the last week I have once again cleaned out closets and have lost more friends and put an end to everyone I have been dating.

I am heart sick about some things that have happened, and have not slept more than an hour in days. Today seems to be the worst, could no sleep, cried most of the night and feel sick.

My love for kev is that kind of love that you are truely lucky if you experience in life and it is hard to "settle" for anything that doesn't even come close to filling my heart like he does. I know if I find it again, I'll be the luckiest person in the world, but it makes me not want to settle for someone because I don't want to be alone anymore.

anyway, that is my night from hell.... I guess the only thing I'm getting out of all this right now is realizing what I want from life and where I want to be. Now I just need to figure out how to get there

Morning girls.

Jenn, your message mad me sad. I guess I really didn't realize what an impact Kev had on you and that his mental issue took such a toll on your relationship. I guess that would be hard to get over. I can see where you would still have a love for him, just not for his issues. Your right that you may never find that kind of love again, but have faith that it can happen. And like you said, don't just jump into a relataionship just to try and find it. It will come to you.

What makes me sad is knowing that I may someday lose my Hubby and then where will I be. Lost just like you and not knowing if I will ever have that same love from someone again.

Speaking of hubby, he just went into the bathroom. I think he's going to want to take me to work this morning. It's bitterly cold and the roads are still snow packed. I told him that it's going to suck to get back in my car after work and not have any heat. I only live about a mile from work and my car won't have time to heat up by the time I get home. I teased him about taking me and than coming to get me so I wouldn't have get into a cold car. He's so funny about it. Says I'm a whaaa whaaa. :thumbup:

It's 29 degrees out and they are calling for a cold front to come thru today. Really??? I did pull out a steak and when I get home I'll get the crockpot out and make a steak soup for dinner tonight. Lots of veggies in it. Something healthy besides all the cookies and junk I have been eating.

I have decided that I will not weigh till New Years day. I will start fresh then. New year and a new start.

Have a good day and I'll check in soon.