Ward Christmas Party! 3 Weeks post surgery

I went to our Ward Christmas Party on Friday, December 7. Pearl Harbor Day and 3 weeks post surgery.

Amy Harris and her daughter Lindsay took pictures to capture the magic of the night. Amy helped me to pose, but I tell ya,

I think I should have put my right foot forward. It's my better side. I'm wearing a blouse I haven't worn in well over a year. I ate a lot of beef this week. As a result, I lost only 4.2 pounds. Total lost is 28, so it's an average of a pound a day still, since I'm counting losing 7 pounds before the surgery. I now need only 1 tape measure to get around my hips and stomach. Next week I'll be taking my measurements and sharing them. I am starting to notice that I get sick every time I try to eat meat. I'm sick again tonight after just a little bit of chicken. Yikes! I'm not ready for that, but it may just be the case. I just know that it's not worth getting nauseated every time I eat meat. Yuck! Everybody says that they can tell in my face that I'm losing. Typical for me. I lose it from the top and at my ankles, until the skinny meets in the middle. Stomach and hips are the last to show signs of shrinkage. I will say that I noticed a little more room between myself and the steering wheel on my way to work this morning. On Saturday I crossed my knee to put on my shoe and was on my way out of the door before I realized that I had just passed a marker. I haven't been able to cross my leg in FOR E VER!

It has been 3 weeks since my surgery! The first day after the surgery I was able to get about 2 teaspoons of liquid down and I walked to the door of the hotel room and back, and to the bathroom. By the second day, I had made it to the end of the hall where I walked right into someone else's suite, because I thought it was a recreation room.

I was able to go to Cirque Du Soleil's Love, which had the music of the Beatles. Amazing and fun, till I had to climb the stairs to get back to my wheelchair. I almost passed out. I was able to spend the next week and Lance's and Caetie's with the rest of the family, except for Drew, Faith, and Baby Rowan. They were sorely missed. I realized that my sense of smell was a huge trigger to wanting to eat. The ugly part of the visit happened when I took a microscopic piece of crumb topping from an apple pie to let it "melt in my mouth." But I was caught! Embarrassing and shameful!! It was awful! The doctor told us about a man who almost died when he ate a hamburger the day after his surgery. Split his stomach in half! In my mind, the size of the crumb made it not so bad, but I know how everyone was shocked because it showed a lack of commitment. It was actually a very good learning moment for me. Since then, I have had to make choices every day. I realize it's going to be a DAILY battle for the rest of my life. It's good that I could learn that lesson during the first week. It was kind of a shocker for me and a "Come to Jesus" moment. I thought, "Oh no! What have I done?" But I almost immediately realized that I am very thankful for the sacrifices my family made to make the surgery happen. So... a few numbers here. I started out at 330. By the time I got to the office on Thursday, November 15, I weighed 323. I had already lost 7 lbs!

Here is a picture of me a day after the surgery. I'm feeling a little better. I weighed on Saturday, December 1, which was 2 weeks and 1 day after the surgery. I weighed 306! Tomorrow, December 7, marks 3 weeks since the surgery.

Here is a picture of me tonight, December 6, wearing some red pajamas I got 2 Christmases ago. This is the first time I've been able to get the pants on and button the shirt all the way up. I'm not so thrilled about my stomach, but I can definitely see a difference in my face! Wow!

My bags are packed. I'm ready to go.

So I feel like I'm living in a dream. The time ticked away slowly at work today. I'm very excited, but still a bit nervous. I always get scared that I'll miss my flight when I fly anywhere. This trip is really important, so it makes me even more nervous. I chose to spend the night with my daughter Amie so that I could get more sleep, but here I am. Up at 11:30 p.m. I left my purse in the car when my brother Kim dropped me off at my daughter's. I had to borrow a car to go get it. I hope it's just nerves and not early onset Alzheimer's. The flight leaves right before 10:00 a.m. EST and my appointment is at 1:00 p.m. in Las Vegas. Just 8 minutes from the airport. Nerves! Whew!

Pre-Surgery Measurements

Here are some pictures that will serve as official "Before" shots. We had a little trouble with the camera. A couple of notes are warranted. I measured on the morning of November 2 before my feet and ankles swelled up. This was 2 weeks before my surgery date. And now... Onward!

Surgery

I am going to have a gastric bypass surgery and I will be documenting my big adventure here. My children have offered to pay for this procedure for me to help me get healthy. A once-in-a-lifetime gift that blows you away. Some of this is going to be embarrassing because I'm going to be exposing my life through pictures and stories that will bring you into my private world. I'm happy to do this to share with my family and friends, past, present, and future my journey. I don't know that it will wind up being amazing. I expect that many of the days will seem boring and plain, just like everyone else's lives, but I plan to share the joyous, fun, and exciting moments as well as the mundane, hard, and "I can't believe she did that" times. I'm going to have a gastric sleeve done at Blossom Bariatrics by Dr. Tom Umbach. I found out about his practice through my doctor, May Bullecer. I thought she made a mistake because it's in Nevada, but his pricing is REALLY affordable, and his staff is AMAZING! They are the NICEST people you will ever visit with. Their desire to help people just comes across in every conversation. I cannot wait to meet them in person!! My surgery is going to be on November 16 and I will be flying with my daughter Amie and my daughter-in-law Amy to Las Vegas the day before. We'll meet my other daughter-in-law Caetie there for a pre-surgery meeting. I hope to do something fun that night to enjoy the city with them before I have to take it easy to recoup.

35 years!!!!

So I'm not even going to comment about the fact that I haven't blogged in FOREVER. I just want to say that I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for 35 years as of May 6, 2012! It was fast and testimony day and I got to hear Cailey's testimony. She talked about how her mom and her Granny Robin can do anything and she talked about families. I also bore my testimony that because we are God's hands, we help each other to accomplish things here. He offers tender mercies and opens the windows of heaven in our behalf and gives us amazing families and friends to help strengthen us during this earth life. I know that through God nothing is impossible. I feel the Lord's hand in all that I do and I need his guidance every day. I haven't been perfect in the last 35 years, but I know my Savior more now and I have learned a lot. I have the most amazing children in the world and they all have the most awesome partners! I have 14 grandchildren and number 15 is on the way!!! Lucky! I wish I could find Ralph Nicholson to thank him again for telling me about the church. He gets an A+ for member missionary work.

New Calling and Taxes

Well, I definitely need to get better at keeping people posted about what's happening with me.

I got realeased from Primary today as the Sunbeam teacher. I was just getting to know my 4th class, and I'm really going to miss Primary, but I'm actually pretty excited about getting to know more of the sisters in the ward. I was feeling inadequate but certainly willing. Getting set apart always makes a huge difference.

I've been helping people with their taxes at Jackson Hewitt. Finished up the classes and passed everything I needed to pass, so I'm helping out in a couple of the stores. I love the face time I get with people!

I haven't been seeing a lot of the family, but I spent the night at Bryce's and then I got to see Megamind with Amie and the girls on Saturday night.

Six weeks till our family vacation to Destin!!!

Tax classes and Roaches

I'm taking tax classes through Jackson Hewitt on Monday and Wednesday nights from 6:00 to 9:00. I am always the last one to finish my tests and I'm not leaving until 9:30. We haven't had books to take home and study, so it's been a challenge. I'm diggin the fact that I'll have a second income in January. I'm hoping to put together enough to get a car.

I'll be getting some shopping tips from Bryce on the car. He just traded in his truck and bought a different truck for his new side business AND a car that he can drive to work. Not sure what he paid for the truck but the car was under $3,000. Sweet!

So everybody knows that I have a paralyzing fear of roaches. You also know that I have seen the big ones that look like Transformer bugs with unnaturally large bodies that seem like tanks because you seriously can't kill them with less than a very powerful swat with the heaviest shoe you can find. Wimpy fly swatters from the Dollar Store are ineffective.


I found one of these still alive but upside-down and flailing its ugly legs on an over-turned pot I had left out to dry. I FREAKED OUT! I grabbed some bug spray that has the attached pump sprayer and left the mutant to die in a pool of poison. Yeah! It WAS STILL MOVING after all that spraying! Well, Amie and Clay came over the next day while I was at work and got rid of that one, a dead one under my bed, and another I had left by the downstairs bathroom as an example to his mutant friends of how THEY would be crushed if they showed their ugly faces.

They put some killing powder around the walls and put out roach traps. The next day Bryce told me he laid down 3 gallons of spray. I sleep snug as a bug in a rug now! Especially on Monday and Wednesday nights.

I moved!

Well, I finally moved out of Amie's basement! Yay for Amie and Clay regaining their privacy! Holy smokes, I lived there for a lot longer than anybody EVER expected. I REALLY appreciate having a place to stay and I am even more thankful for this new home.

I miss the noise! I've been to dinner and home evening and I had some time to play with Lia on Sunday before we went to a farewell break-the-fast for some people moving from the ward.

Clay and Bryce were over here on Saturday helping to set up things like the washer and dryer, stove, and tv. Bryce looked like Ghostbusters over here spraying for bugs. The roaches are the HUGE flying kind. I found a dead one Sunday morning and didn't see another one until tonight. It's dead and is in the downstairs bathroom. I have to work up the courage to go get it and throw it away. I envision it coming back to life and crawling on me or flying in my face. I may have to make friends with a neighbor and see if I can convince someone else to come in here to dispose of it. OR... I can put on my Big Girl pants and just take care of it. Yeah. That's what I'll do. Tomorrow.

Tonight I'm going to watch the rest of America's Got Talent.

Tyler and Andrea's Wedding

I haven't posted a thing in forever and decided that despite the lateness of the hour, I wanted to get some pictures of the wedding posted for everyone to enjoy. I think I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

I see a difference

Here's a picture of me and Amie in December last year. I had actually lost a bit of weight by then. I was feeling like I had not made any progress over the last year, but I do see a difference. Here is a picture of Caetie and me ready to go see Wicked. When I went to see them for Thanksgiving, I had a girl's night out with Caetie and it was a ton of fun! I'll be posting more pics and telling you about my best vacation EVER. For now, I am just getting myself psyched to keep up with my Biggest Loser workouts through the holidays.

Telling on myself

My mother called me Joan when I was growing up because she said I acted like a martyr. Yep. Joan of Arc. She would also call me Sarah, for Sarah Bernhardt, a movie star known for being melodramatic. She would put her hand on the back of her hand on her forehead and strike a pose to mock me. Man, my mother had me pegged.

So I guess, from an early age, I was trying to be manipulative to get my way. I do remember thinking that if I turned on the tears, people would feel sorry for me.

My mom would make us go out to play when I was a kid, and even though I didn’t always like it, most of the time I would be playing so hard, I would lose track of time. We had a rule that wherever you were in the neighborhood, or no matter how far you had pedaled your bike, when the street lights came on, you needed to be home.

We had a bike route we would ride that went down the Tyson’s driveway, across the street to the Rosemary Marston’s yard where we made a groove in the ditch to get around the stop sign (known in our circles as “Dead Man’s Curve”), back across to the Tyson’s yard, going back up the driveway, through the back gate, around the patio, and back through the gate to the driveway to start all over again. The hardest part for me was not Dead Man’s curve, but feeling confident enough to not lose my balance through the back gate.

The Marstons had a huge sycamore tree in their yard that hung with Spanish moss.We used the moss to build forts and armed ourselves with “sycamore balls” to stage battles And yes, we did get itchy. If I had ever seen a picture of a moss bug, I might have thought twice before covering myself in moss to hide from the enemy.

I didn’t always like being outside. When mama sent us out, we needed to really have to go to the bathroom badly or have something else seriously wrong before she would unlock the sliding glass door and let us in. One day it was unusually hot and I wanted to be inside so I threw up to “prove” to mama that I was sick. I think I could do it at will sometimes, because I definitely remember throwing up at school and getting to go home. That particular day when I "got sick" I got to go inside and sit in Daddy’s swivel recliner and watch TV, and it was so nice and cold inside, I even got a blanket. But when mama caught me making faces at the unfortunate kids who were still outside, she jerked me by the arm outta that chair, spanked my butt, and threw me outside so fast I barely had time to comprehend what had happened before I heard her tell me that I could throw up all I wanted to, but I was NOT coming back inside! It was hard to pull one over on my mother for very long.

Summer...YAY!

I enjoyed Memorial Day weekend. Amy and Bryce came over for a barbecue and we got to sit outside. We had a feast of steak, watermelon, corn on the cob, smores, homemade oreo cookie ice cream and chocolate cake. Yes. I gained a little at Weight Watchers this week. *funny story coming*

I went walking with Amy on Tuesday and walked a HALF MILE! Woo hoo! Got to see Maddie, Presto, Action Jackson, and Gare Bear mid-week, so that was cool. It wasn't so bad seeing Bryce either. So Amy and I are going to be walking regularly on Tuesdays. There was a downpour on the way over, but I'm glad I stuck to the plan because we were able to get to the track. She lapped me once, but that's ok. It's just nice to get some one-on-one time with ya, Amy. *keep going.. funny stuff ahead*

Cailey had her piano recital last week. She did great! I have to figure out how to ddownload pics from my camera. When I do, I'll post some. Kendall had her ballet recital today and she was awesome. Nice cartwheel in the middle of a dance routine to "You Ain't Never Had a Friend Like Me." Faith was sick last weekend but she's better now. Clay's brother Brian is here visiting with his family. His Gracie is a clone of Faith. It's insane how much they look alike, down to their glasses.

No more suspense... Here's the funny story:

So we were all outside eating and enjoying the wonderful summer evening. Perfect weather. Clay and Brian had the kids on the trampoline and the rest of us were visiting at the table. Amie put Lia on the grass to let her crawl around, but soon realized that she may be eating something. She moved her and told us that she had been right by a dead worm. So close call, right? Well, Lia loved that grass and soon she had booked across the lawn to the edge by the trampoline. She got some playtime there, but Clay's dad brought her back over to the deck. Amie decided to give her a little more playtime on the grass, and within less than a minute I laughed and told Amie, you'd better check to see if she's eating that worm. I was only teasing, but apparently Lia had made her way right to that worm and had it in her mouth!!!!

Gnarly! Gave us all the jeebs.

Belated Birthday Post

Happy Birthday to me! For those of you who haven't guessed, I'm not 27. I know some young grannies, but that doesn't apply to me. Amie just used what she had in her cupboard. Just so happens that you can double that and know my real age. Another odd little trivia note is that Amie and I could have used the same candles on our cakes last year.
I really appreciated the birthday party with balloons in MY FAVORITE COLOR! I was still on Atkins at the time, and Amie made me a special chocolate mousse dessert. Nice!

Relay for Life

I joined Relay for Life when our bishopric encouraged us to become more active in the community. I thought that this would be a really special way to get to know some of the people better at work and help out with a worthy cause. It was amazing! Bryce helped out by offering a free 2 week cleaning that we sold raffle tickets for. We raised quite a bit of money for our team. Thank you, Doctor Carter! I also wanted to walk in the Relay as a milestone for myself. When I visited Lance and Caetie for Thanksgiving 2007, I got winded after walking just a few feet. At Relay, I wound up walking 2 miles and being on my feet for the majority of the time. We wound up getting rained out, which was very disappointing, but we still got to participate in the luminary service where they send lit lanterns into the night sky and have luminaries lit all along the track. It was very emotional and touching. I would encourage everybody to get involved next year.

A Tribute to Daddy

Twenty-five years ago, I was only 28 years old. Amie was 10, Curt was 8, Bryce was only 3, Lance was just a month old, and Drew was not even born. Yesterday was the anniversary of my dad's last Valentine's Day. I remember it every year. The first 10 years were harder, and although it's true what they say about time healing all wounds, time never makes you forget or long for that last chance to say, "I love you" one more time, or "I'm sorry for not being the princess you thought I was,", or wishing for a chance to be Daddy's Little Girl one more time.

Things I miss are hearing the song, "Robin, Robin, I've been thinking, What a fine world this would be...", "Peggy! Where's my no salt!", "Who farred that shot?", "Roostus Rastus, Johnson Brown," the song, "Peanut on the Railroad Track," and him calling me Daisy Mae. I miss lying in Mama and Daddy's expansive King bed while they simultaneously watched TV and read, and getting tickled till I couldn't stand it, and laughing, and running away from that awfully scary, children-chasing gorilla he became, or watching him wiggle his ears and whistle at the same time, and listening to the song "Cool Water" with him, and making that trip to the farm before the house was completed, and snuggling under some covers in the cold car while he grilled the best burger I've ever eaten to this day, and watching Hee Haw with him, and arguing that Eric Clapton HAD to be a better guitar player than Buck Owens or Roy Clark.

I don't miss sharing ONE bathroom at the summer place in Bluffton.

He gave us a good life, and while there were things that went on behind closed doors that I was never privy to growing up, I know in my heart that my dad, The Senator, as he is known in Velociworld, worked hard to provide us with privileges of music, dance, sports, the ballet, clothes every Christmas from Rich's in Atlanta, special Disney movies about the wilderness, shopping sprees with friends, drive-in movies with red Kool-Aid and brown, butter-greasy grocery bags full of home-popped popcorn (My favorite was the double feature of "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Tell-Tale Heart"), homes where we could spend time on the water skiing, crabbing, fishing, and shrimping, red towels that had our names embroidered on them, and, once, a long time ago, the honor of wearing t-shirts that said, "Vote for my Daddy."

I want my children and my grandchildren to know that they have a lot to look forward to when they see him on the other side of the veil and hug him and talk with him and give out those hugs and kisses he missed in this life. I am so proud to be the daughter of Ralph Lloyd Crawford Sr.

I love and miss you, Daddy!

Happy 28th Lance!

So here we are in the new year! Happy Birthday to Lance today! Yay! Here's a picture of him rockin' out with his bros when they got together at Curt's before the big family reunion. Good times! Check out my boys! Talk about mad skillz! Dude!

Give it to Mikey..... He'll eat anything!

Hmmmm..... What's on the menu tonight? What can I make on the fly? Through the years I have seen some interesting things in refrigerators and freezers. We had a cow eye in the fridge when Lindy did a science project in high school. Nice! I used to go giggin' for frogs as a young newlywed. Talk about budget food! I've had to tolerate a few minor myocardial infarctions when I lived with an avid fisherman who had a habit of leaving fish heads intact. I wasn't used to opening the fidge to find something looking back at me with an open mouth that seemed to say, "How YOU doin?" I've seen my share of white butcher paper with black magic markered labels on various and sundry (and sometimes surprising!) body parts from pigs, cows, elk, and deer. I'm tellin ya, I thought I'd seen it all. But the latest thing to hit the freezer in the Dunford home has me surprised yet again...
Yep! It's Scamper! Amie noticed an odd smell that rivaled a pungent diaper in the office and when she had Clay check on Scamper, they learned that he had unfortunately died. I know they loved him, but I'm thinking taxidermy is a more viable option.
I was happy to learn that the cute little ball of fur that attacked me on the stairs one morning was not intended to be Amie's next culinary experiment to make my Atkins diet more appealing. Clay's just been waiting for his hectic schedule to allow him the time to preside over a befitting funeral for the family pet that is no more.

Good Timber

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.


The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.


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Ghoulies and Ghosties and Long-legged Beasties

"From ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties, and things that go bump in the night, good Lord deliver us."

This has been one of my favorite Halloweens in a long time. I guess it's because I got to experience first-hand through the eyes of some of my grandchildren that excitement that builds all month long. Amie and Clay started things off with a Halloweenie Roast on a Friday when it rained all day. Poor Clay was out in the rain mowing the lawn, and the rain never did let up. It ended up being a ton of fun. Clay grilled the hot dogs, they set up a jump house in the garage for maybe 25 kids who showed up, and by dang they DID get a fire going in the barbecue pit for the marshmallow roast.


I decided to decorate my desk for work. Amie carved the pupkin for me during a Family Home Evening, and I made some spiders out of pipe cleaners and googly eyes. I had the most decorated desk at the office. I especially liked the black garbage bags I laid for the foundation. You can't see the sign I had that said, "Watch out for flying monkeys."


So on Tuesday before Halloween, we had a chance to dress in our costumes and go to the church for Trunk or Treat. Here's the whole crew:

Amie went as Giselle:



Here I am as a witch. When I dressed up for work, I painted my nails black.


Take one more look at the group: Who is that Mullet Man? And did you see the princess, the cute witch, and the 2 kitty cats?(hint: one is fast asleep)


When I get a chance, I'll have to show you the pics Amy took of Madison, Preston, and Jackson on Halloween. Madison was a bride, Preston was a soldier, and Jackson was the cutest puppy I've ever seen! I sat at the bottom of the driveway all decked out in my witch's garb to hand out candy to the kiddies, and I had a ton of fun! It did get pretty cold, though. There was hot chocolate for everybody when it was all over.