Need Your Help! Please!

Has anyone ever used either one of these two products? If you have, were they worth the money - (one is pretty spendy) aka: did they work!? I have tried a bit of everything, and recently have been using a couple of over the counter things, also some Vit E and some special Avon lotion that is supposed to firm the neck, blah blah blah, but I am still hoping to heal and fade this stupid ugly scar out a lot more. I am sure there has to be something out there that works better than what I've found so far. I don't necessarily want to use makeup to cover it, basically because I dont' do a lot of makeup anyway and don't want to have to rely on that all the time, you know? Anyway, if you have any advice on these products please share if you can! Any other suggestions would be fabulous! Thanks so much!
Darla

photos to share..... a lot

OK just a ton of photos to share - enjoy!!

-Our friend Liz working on a baby quilt with the help of Hershey doggie and Baily kitty
-Christopher and Karen's Homecoming Dance Photos
-YUMMY chocolate strawberry cheesecake our friends daughter made for us last night
-Dani, Tiffany and Micheal being SILLY kids
-Christopher fixing the fire alarm batteries - how'd he get up there? Better yet, how'd he get DOWN?
-Tiffany on our last day with baby Noah
-Chris and Noah on his last day

Darla

18 baby!!!! No more 18W for me!

This is BIG!

REALLY REALLY BIG!!

Well, actually, it is smaller, but in the grand scheme
of things for ME it is HUGE!!!!

Running running running...

HOLY MOLY PEOPLE! I am worn out! I am back to the running thing with a vengence and after doing a good, long hard run yesterday (over a mile straight) I decided to keep right on trucking today. This a.m. I got my sister Lisa up and moving with me at 5 a.m. - and her daughter Mindy too - and we went and ran the greenbelt by the river. This is a 2.34 mile loop around the river and falls and it is a great early morning trek. Today we did three runs, one short warmup run and two long ones - well over a mile total. I think we actually did close to 1.5 miles total. It felt good and I am so glad I had company with me. HOWEVER....even if I did not, I had my new "toy" to keep me going! Ed bought me a Sansa Fuze MP3 player for my Bday and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it - and last night my oldest son Chris brought me what I have been DYING for - the running jacket/sleeve armband too! Now I am running in style baby! It is really nice and it worked fabulously this morning! THANK YOU CHRIS! XOXO

OK off and running, ha ha, literally! No, seriously, have a ton to do today, first day with no more baby Noah (sniff sniff) and lots to do. House, laundry, all that fun stuff plus Bday shopping with Lisa and maybe some other fun things! :O) We shall see. Tonight is ladies card class at Church, something I love and look forward to so much. I am anxious to go play with all my goodies and make some nice cards, heavens knows I have a TON of THANK YOU's to get out!

Alright, that is all from me - later folks!

Darla

OK Lisa, this is just for you!

I want to go here and do this - hope YOU guys have fun this weekend without us! Whaaaa!! :O( Boo hoo for me! (for those who don't know, that would be Island Park and riding the 4wheelers)

*sigh* Darla



(photo is of Chris last Thanksgiving riding in 'the pit' scaring Mom to death!)

Goodies!

I keep forgetting to share this.... last Friday my friend Lisa and I went out to Ririe to my neice Punki's house to get some goodies - straight from the dirt! Aren't these all just gorgeous?!? Punki's hubby, Doug, raised the most beautiful garden this year and I was just absolutly amazed, he did a great job, it was so perfect and better yet, they shared with us! Mmmmmmm! Carrots and onions, baby cucumberes and mini chili peppers and ooodles of tomato and beets - some peppers too! Just tons of delishish home grown veggies straight from the garden! YUM! We are canning the tomato's and I made a HUGE batch of the weight watchers veggie soup - but still have oodles more! Punki even sent us home with some of her frozen raspberry jam (OMG TO DIE FOR!!!) and some corn she'd put up! DELISH! THANK YOU to Doug and Punki for thier generousity and love! YUMMY-O!

Darla

LOVE this quote.....

Life's a journey,
not a destination.
It's easier to stay on plan
than to get back on plan.





My sweetest friend, Dolly, posted this in a message
today and I loved it, immediatly printed it up and put
it on our fridge! I think it is a good one, not sure if
it originated from Weight Watchers or not so I can't
give credit other than to her for sharing it but it
is a GREAT quote.
Have a good Sunday and week ahead!

Darla

JUST IN TIME!!!!!

My bf Lisa did a great thing, just in time too! After a great enlightment last night on my quest for better health, she treated me to THIS BOOK today for my Bday!

LUV YA LISA!!!!!!!!!

Also got this great Bday card from my "monkey friend" Cindy who has been a huge source of inspiration on my weight loss travels... Love it too! I am a lucky girl!

Darla

WOWIE! Lookie around folks!

Lookie here! Love it! Thank you Robin!!!!!

Big News.

Sit down folks - hold on to your hats.

Darla.
Got.
a job! ok ok a REAL job.

SERIOUSLY! I start work Oct 6th at the Hilton Garden Suites Hotel here in town, it is down by the greenbelt near the Shilo Convention Center Hotel and it is a new place and is ohhhhhhh so nice. I am looking forward to getting out and doing something with myself for a change. Sad to loose baby Noah to a daycare, but needed this so much. I'll be on varied shifts in the beginning and then it will get mor routine. I will be doing bookeeping and front desk check in/reservations and so on. So, after being home for 4 years I am back! Whoo whoo!

:O) Darla

I think I need to do more of this, and this and that too...

So, I have not been getting to the gym much at all lately - I've kept up pretty well on walking and some running but no really intense workouts and I think that attributes to a lot of things going on in my world. Seriously.
This a.m. I did my good old routine, off to the gym at 4:30 a.m., did 65 minutes of good, hard, sweaty workout and I feel so much better already. Gave me time to clear my head and think think think. Maybe the health and fitness thing isn't just all about a flatter belly hmmmm?

Have a good one!
Darla

How SWEEEET!

So, I have been a terrible blogger, for a couple of reasons but that does not really matter I guess. Anyway, I finally have a few pix to share.
Last night was Christopher's HS Homecoming Dance... one of the few formal dances of the year. Being his Sr year in HS it was a big deal, I suddenly realized (yet again) that he is doing all these things for the last time. Sniff sniff. So, he asked out the sweetest lil' gal from school, she actually goes to school across town at the other HS but she is a cutie pie anyway. Her dress is just AMAZING gorgeous -- it is the prettiest purple and jeweled and just WOW! They made a beautiful couple and looked so happy together. They had a great time too, Chris said, dinner, dancing, all that fun stuff. So glad he made this memory. :O)
Of course, I made them come over for photos before the dance... so we got some of Chris before he left to pick her up, the two of them, and being the cheezy Mom that I am, I made Ed take a picutre of me with Chris too - goes back to one of those "last time" things... Silly me. We were going out too, for date night with our friends Blake and Lisa, and I actually had my hair done in something rather than a ponytail and wasn't wearing a baggy tshirt! WOW! LOL
So, anyway, here are the photos for you. I also have some of the parade from Friday that I need to download as well. I'll try to do that later today...
More later!
Darla

FRIDAY!!!!!

OK first off, big weekend here - HOMECOMING is this weekend and we have lots to do. Chris is doing the float in the parade today for the German Club which means his Dad is helping - crazy, but fun. Tonight will be the game. Tommorrow night the dance. Lots going on. Should be some fun though! Go SKYLINE!

So, I went for a long walk this a.m. - did not plan to run at all - but something came over me and I went for it. Didn't do too bad either for not stretching or anything else. I ran a whoppin' 1/2 mile but at least I did it.

Today is weigh in day, not sure where I'll be, prob about the same as last week which is ok but not fab bc I have this huge goal coming up that I am nowhere near reaching yet.

Guess I'll be posting pix later of the parade and Chris in his dance dress up too - more later!

Darla

Biggest Day!

I have been anticipating today for months - the new season, the new contestants, watching Bob and Jillian kick butts and take names... I LOVE THIS SHOW!!! It was a great season opener and as always it inspired me in ways I never thought of -- so, welcome back to the best reality tv show around!

Also wanted to wish my big sis Sherann a VERY HAPPY Bday and also note that today would have been Mom's Bday too, something special they shared, I hope your day was a good one sis! Love you! XOXO

Darla

Wanted to share....

Sept 15, 1990 I married this crazy fool.

It's been 18 years, literally HALF of my lifetime and we are still pretty happy kids - guess we'll never grow up - but to all those out there who said we were young and dumb, yea, we were, but hey, wer'e still together! Neener neener on you!
So Ed, thanks for the good times and the bad, we've done them all. The midnight trips to the ER, jumping of a bridge into the river, broken down cars, babies and diapers, vacations to the ocean, even a cruise, and how about the camping trips (HA!!) and all the other million things that have made up our lives in the last 18 years? Happy Anniversary to us! Luv ya babe! XO D

I am here.

Sorry guys, just been burried busy with the new house, kids getting back to school, babysitting and keeping up with life. I am still here though. I have some pix to share too but having "technical difficulites" getting them on here so bear with me please.

Darla

I'm going domestic

Freezer jam
Homemade zucchini bread
Fresh veggie soup last week
then over the weekend
Canning apples for pie filling
Drying apples in the dehydrator (as well as apricots)
Canning apricot jam
Canning chili, potatos and tomato too

FUN and a lot of work - who'da ever thunk DARLA spending that much time in the kitchen? GEESH! Thankfully my bf Lisa has a big awesome kitchen designed JUST for this purpose and the mess was all at HER house! ;o) It was fun though!

Darla

It was an early Birthday for Darla last night!!!!!!!!!!

I have all but been begging (hinting, whining, ok, begging) Ed for an IPod for my bday this month (the end of the month) and in his better judgement he chose THIS for me!!! LUCKY LUCKY ME!!! This is better, does video, pictures, music AND even radio!!
XOXOXOXO To Ed!

Darla :O) (I just KNOW this will help my running!When I finish my first marathon I'll be sure to give Ed all the credit!! LOL)

this is what i have done today ...

brownies (double batch)
with and without nuts
zucchini bread (triple batch)
with and without raisins and nuts
weight watchers veggie soup(single batch)
with veggies ... lolol silly me

So, it has be a very "domestic" type day for me here,
not a usual thing for me to spend a day in the
kitchen for no reason at all -- oh yea, I have
reasons -- need to take thank you's and goodies
to neighbors and friends who helped us move and
sister begged me to make veggie soup for us to get
skinny on - she buys, I make, it works for me!

TOTALLY a bad Mom this year.

Yes, I admit it, I am a bad Mom, or I was till' now. I skipped out on posting the kids 1st day of school from LAST week .... but I do have a good excuse, however, our friend Blake says excuses are like bum-holes, they are all the same and full of crap! So, that said, LOL, here are the kids 1st day of school pix from LAST week! Chris is now 17 and a Sr in HS... what a handsome guy he is! Dani is a freshman (9th grader) in JHS and is getting more gorgeous by the moment. Tiff jumped a grade (we are so proud of her!) and went from 5th to 7th this year and started JHS with Dani. She is growing up too fast. Lastly, lil' Micheal (who looks rather evil in these pix, reminds me of the kid off Friday the 13th movies for some reason?????) started 2nd grade and is all alone in elementary now. Sniff sniff. School hours vary be we start catching bus as early as 7:25 a.m. and some don't get home til' nearly 4:00pm - and poor Chris chose longer work hours this year so we dont' see him till' after 8:00pm most nights! Anyway, here ya go, my school crew!
Oh, and Micheal had already left before the group photo, bummer....
Darla