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We want to welcome you to our family blog. We are posting this as a way to keep in touch with family and friends and we hope that you enjoy reading about the events that happen in our family. Kasey is currently preaching part-time at Holland's Gin Church of Christ (www.hollandsgin.weebly.com) and works full-time as the store manager for McClary Tire Co. I am a full-time wife and mother. God has blessed us with two beautiful boys: Chase, age 12 and Hunter, age 5.

Come visit our Bible Classes at Holland's Gin Church of Christ!

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Kasey and I are so blessed to be a part of the church family at Holland's Gin Church of Christ. Kasey preaches there part-time with Carl Witty serving as their full-time preacher. We would really love for you to visit us and bring your children to our Bible Classes, too. To find out more about the Church that meets at Holland's Gin and their Bible Classes visit the following website: www.hollandsgin.weebly.com. Come study with us!

Family Portraits 2010

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Journal Entries

Thank you for joining us today! We hope you enjoy catching up with us. Feel free to leave comments on our blog. We would love to hear from you!

Weekly Weigh-in results - August 31, 2009

I lost 1.8 pounds last week for a total of 30.8 pounds lost over the past 13 weeks. I have 20.2 more pounds to go to reach my goal. I earned another little 5 lb. star sticker for my star catcher book marker today, too. Wooh! Hoo! I know it sounds silly to get so excited about a sticker.

Great job, Chase!

Over the first three weeks of school, Chase has maintained an A average, has only recieved one check mark on his behavior chart (which was my fault because I forgot to sign his planner) and he made a score of 100 on his first Math Test. Great job, Chase! Click on the smilebox below to see a little prize from Mom and Dad for having such a fantastic first three weeks of school! We love you!
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Cub Scouts at the Huntsville Stars Game - August 21, 2009

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The cub scouts and their families from ABS Pack 25 enjoyed a funfilled evening at the Huntsville Stars Baseball Game on August 21, 2009. We enjoyed the game, but we also enjoyed each other's company and snacking on some typical baseball game snacks. We got to run out on the field while "Who Let the Dog's Out" played loudly over the speakers. We got our picture made with Homer (the mascot). After the ballgame, we saw an awsome fireworks show. It only lasted about 10 minutes, but it was the best way to end a great evening with all of our scout friends and family from Pack 25. Many thanks goes out to David Fortenberry (our Cubmaster) for organizing this fun activity! To view the slideshow above, just click on "play". Enjoy the slideshow!

Poor Chase - August 28, 2009

I had to take Chase to the doctor yesterday. He has been complaining with a sharp pain in his lower back the past couple of days. He went to Mrs. Ella (school nurse) yesterday and she suggested he be examined by his doctor for a possible crack in his tail bone. Fortunately, ...he has no fracture. He just has a badly bruised tail bone that he thinks was caused by a fall in PE or when he fell off the ladder going up to his bed. Dr. Hull said that he needs to rest flat on his back or on his belly when he is not at school for about a week. He is not happy about not being able to be up and about doing as he pleases. But, he does like Momma bringing things to him while laying in bed. ha! ha! He can take Advil or Motrin for the pain to get him through school. He will not be allowed to take PE until September 3rd.

Try this "Make-over" - August 28, 2009

If you are on a weight loss journey and need a little inspiration to keep going, you can visit this website: www.weightmirror.com. You can upload a current photo of you, then enter your current weight, height, and how many pounds you want to lose. It will "make-over" your photo image and create an image of a "skinnier you". Then you can print the "before and after" photos and keep with you for inspiration to keep trying to reach your goal. I tried this and the results really inspired me to keep going. I have 21 more pounds to lose and now that I have seen a picture of how I will look when I reach my goal, I am not going to give up.

Chase is now a 5th grade reading buddy at school

One of the jobs of a 5th grader at ABS is to be a Reading Buddy to a student in Kindergarten. Miss Atherton emailed this picture to me today of Chase reading to his little buddy from KG named Cody. Chase has plenty of experience reading to his little brother. So, hopefully, Cody will enjoy spending some reading time with Chase this year.

Kimberly's Weekly Weigh-in Results 8-24-09

We met our new Weight Watcher's Leader today. She was great! Her name is Paula Newquist. She gave us some great pointers for staying on track with our new healthy lifestyles we are all trying to achieve. I lost 2.2 pounds last week for a total of 29 pounds lost over the past 12 weeks. One more pound to earn another 5lb star for my star catcher bookmarker. I have 22 more pounds to go to reach my goal. Slowly but surely, I am committed to getting there!

My Poor Baby - August 20, 2009


During supper tonight, Hunter fell out of his chair at the kitchen table. On his way down, his face hit the window sill behind the table. He cried and cried, but I could not tell where he was hurt at that moment. Throughout the night, the bruise started appearing on his face. It goes from his little cheek all the way back to his ear. It has gotten bluer and even more purple since this picture. He is pitiful! My poor baby. Now he has to go to Pre-school in the morning looking like he has been in a fight.

Thursdays with Maddie - August 20, 2009

We are very excited that Maddie (my niece) will be spending Thursday afternoons with us. Since her mom went back to work, Maddie is going home with various relatives and friends during the week after school. We are lucky to get her on Thursdays. As you can see in the photo, Hunter has already put her to work reading books to him. If Mrs. Raley is giving them extra points for reading this year, I am sure she will rack up a lot of reading points at my house with Hunter this year. She is such a joy and I am so glad to have a girl around the house!

Weekly Weigh-in at Weight Watchers - August 17, 2009



I only lost .4 lbs. last week for a new total of 26.8 lbs lost over the past 11 weeks. Even though it was not much of a loss last week, at least it was still a loss. My WW leader told me that I am reaching a point where the weight loss journey will get a little slower, but every little loss is great news to me. As long as it is not a gain. I am going to keep doing what I am doing. The only thing I have added to my diet and exercise routine is some strength training to try to begin toning up. I am going to keep tracking my food in my WW food journal and also try to drink more water. I'm not going to give up. I have 23.2 more pounds to go!

Hunter's 1st Day of Pre-School - August 14, 2009

Hunter had a great day at Pre-School today at Little Tots. He loves his teacher, Lisa Davis. Mrs. Lisa said he did very good today. He even kept his glasses on all morning. I was so glad he did that. I was nervous about him losing them. He was so excited to see Walker Brand and Austin Clark in his class. He was also glad to see Ragan Hamm. She is not in his class, but he got to play with her on the playground today. He misses them from Market Street Church of Christ where Kasey used to preach. He was also glad to see Walker's mom, Mrs. Beth. She used to be his Bible class teacher at Market Street and he has been missing her, too.

He told me they learned about the letter "A" and about circles today. He had to take an apple to school today to represent the letter "A". He also got to tell about some things he did this summer and show the others his "Summertime Project" that Mrs. Lisa hung upon the wall. It was a sunshine with pictures of him on it. He was very proud of it.

The only tears that were shed today were Mommy's. I was not sad when I left him there this morning. But, I started crying on the way home because I was so proud of him. This is another milestone for him. I think he is going to have a great year!

Enjoy the following slideshow of his first day!

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Chase is liking 5th Grade so far... August 12, 2009

Chase really likes his new teacher and he has enjoyed getting to see Cody and Austin again. He has not complained about going to bed early and getting up early at all this week. This is a first for him. I think he is going to have a great year.

Hunter is getting nervous about Pre-school

Hunter has really been excited about the idea of pre-school. He can't wait to see some of his friends from Market Street. He talks about getting to play with Walker and Ragan all the time. However, today for some reason, he asked me, "Who is going to be at the pre-school if I have a problem?" I told him that if he has a problem, he can go to his teacher. If she can't help him, she will call me and I will be there really fast. I asked him what kind of problem was he worried about. He said, "What if something itchy gets on me while I am playing on the playground?" I now realized he was worried about what he would do if a bug gets on him and who is going to get it off. He is terrified of any kind of bug - even butterflies. Every time we go to the park or play in the backyard, as soon as he hears something buzz pass him, he is ready to go inside. He is so funny! Hopefully, no one will see him have a breakdown if something flies by. Hee! Hee!

Results at Weight Watchers Today

After dropping Chase off to school this morning, Hunter and I went to my weekly weight watchers meeting.

We learned some important lessons about overcoming cravings today. Today I learned four ways to avoid or to react better to cravings:
1. Distract Yourself for at least 10 or 15 minutes with some other activity or thoughts and see if the craving goes away. Also, try drinking a glass of water.
2. If that does not work - choose a healthier version of the craving. (For example: if you are craving a sweet brownie, eat one of the WW chocolate snack cakes that are only worth one point.)
3. Put yourself in a controlled environment where you can only have a controlled portion of your craving. Example: If you want ice cream, don't go to the store and buy a half gallon of ice cream. You may go home and eat too much of it. Go thru a drive-thru and get just a small cup of ice cream that is already portioned out for you.
4. Analyze your craving to see what might have triggered it. Ask yourself: When was the last time I ate, have I deprived myself of this item for a long time, or is it something emotional?

I thought this advice was too good not to share!

I lost 1.8 pounds last week for a new total of 26.4 pounds lost in 10 weeks. I earned a 25lb weight for my 10% keychain, a 25lb magnet, an another 5lb star for my starcatcher bookmark. I posted a picture below of my little rewards. They are not much, but they mean a lot to me. I have 23.6 more pounds to go.

First Day of School for Chase (Sorry no photos)

Well, I guess Chase thinks he is too big for "first day of school photos". He did not want me to take pictures today. He really did not want me to walk inside the school with him this morning. But, he could not carry all of the 5th grade school supplies by himself. I told him that Hunter and I would stay for chapel this morning if he wanted us to. He said, "You don't have to." I could tell he'd rather be on his own today. I am proud of him for wanting some independence. But, I am also sad that the time has come when having Mom around is not so cool. He hasn't actually said that because he would never want to hurt my feelings. But, I can just tell.

I am looking forward to Cub Scouting this year. He has finished earning all 20 of his Webelos Activity Pins. But, he has to work on his Arrow of Light and he is still working on earning the 50 miler award for hiking. He will also work on earning the Loving Servant award that teaches him how to be a good servant to God, his country, and to others. Hopefully, by the Spring of this school year, he will bridge over into Boy Scouts. Although, he may not always put them into practice, he has learned so many skills from Cub Scouting that hopefully will help him in life to be a good person as well as some important safety and survival skills.

I am looking forward to his campouts and especially for the trip to the USS Alabama Battleship in Mobile again. The scouts will spend the night on the battleship, while the mommies that go can relax in a hotel nearby.

I hope Chase has a good year in school and I pray that God will help him overcome any obstacles that he may face. He suffers from severe inattentive ADD which causes him to lag behind the other students at times while doing "in class" activities. But, he is very smart and usually overcomes these obstacles the best way that he can. Luckily, we have had a few really good teachers that understand his weaknesses and allow him to finish "classwork" at home sometimes. He has been able to keep his grades up this way and he learns even more by us spending some "one on one" time at home on the things that he struggles with when he is in a class full of other students and faced with many distractions. He still has an overall "A" GPA since KG.

But, I worry because he knows how much harder he has to work to keep up with everyone else that he gets too stressed at times. Not everyone has a mother's patience when dealing with ADD. So, I just say a prayer everyday for him to deal with things and just do his best.

Hunter begins pre-school on Friday, August 14th. I will probably cry a little bit that day. But, I will also be very proud of him.

More Healthy Recipes

Here are some more healthy recipes I would like to share. I do not have the WW points values totalled for all of these recipes. But they are yummy. Enjoy!
Healthy Recipes

Weight Loss Photo Journal (Made it halfway to my goal!)

The following two pictures were taken on June 1, 2009 at my first Weight Watcher's Meeting. I weighed 166 pounds. With the help of my team leader, I set a goal to lose 50 pounds toward reaching a weight in my height's healthy weight range. I am barely 5 feet tall.


As of August 5, 2009, I have made it halfway to my goal. (See pictures below...)I have lost 25 pounds and have gone from a size XL to a Medium. I have gone from a size 14/16 to a size 10. I am feeling so much better physically and mentally. I have 25 more pounds to go to be in the Weight Watchers healthy weight range for my height. I hope I can keep this up!

Weight Watcher Recipes provided by Tona Haggermaker

The following link will take you to a file which contains many yummy weight watchers recipes. Tona Haggermaker sent this file to me and I would like to share it with you. Enjoy!
Ww_recipes Volume 1

Another Update on Crutcher - August 4, 2009

Crutcher may be transferred to Limestone Health Facility on Hobbs Street either today or Wednesday to begin physical therapy. He will remain there for 20 days. Please continue to pray for him and his family as he heals from his surgery.

Weigh-in Results on August 3, 2009

I lost another 1.6 pounds last week for a new total of 24.6 pounds lost over the past nine weeks. I have 25.4 more pounds to go to reach my goal.

Three New Recipes from Weight Watchers - August 4, 2009

Chicken Spaghetti
POINTS® Value: 5 per serving
Servings: 8

Ingredients
1 cup(s) chopped celery
1 can 98% Fat Free cream of mushroom soup
1 can 98% Fat Free tomato soup
8 oz uncooked whole-wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 medium green pepper chopped
1 small onion chopped
16 oz cooked chicken fillet shredded
1 cup Kraft 2% Milk Reduced Fat Natural Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions:
Cook 8 oz. pack of whole wheat spachetti noodles according to package directions. Set aside.
In a large container mix celery, onion, green pepper, mushrroms, chicken broth, tomato soup, cream of mushroom soup, and chicken together.
Add the mixture above to the noodles and stir all ingredients together. Pour this in a 9x13 pyrex dish that's been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle shredded mozzerella cheese on top and then bake for 5 more minutes.
Makes 8 (1cup) servings.
Exchanges: 2 meats, 1 fat, 2 starches

Dorito Casserole
POINTS® Value: 6 per serving
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound 2% Velveeta Cheese
2 TBSP chili powder
1 can 98% Fat Free cream of chicken soup
1 can Ro-tel
6 ounces Baked Doritos

Instructions:
Brown ground beef. Add seasoning, soup, and ro-tel.
Crush dorito chips and put half of them in a 9X13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Add half of the meat and half of the cheese.
Repeat another layer of the remaining chips, meat, and cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.


Squash Dressing
POINTS® Value: 1 per serving
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked, mashed, drained yellow squash
1/2 cup corn meal
1 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 1/4 tsp sage
garlic salt to taste
1 tsp onion flakes
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together. Spray an 8X8 inch pan with cooking spray. Pour dressing mixture in pan. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Update on Crutcher - August 2, 2009

Crutcher was admitted back into the hospital on Thursday evening. Dr. Johnson said the bypass surgery did not work and Crutcher had no bloodflow to his foot again. Unfortunately, there was nothing else Dr. Johnson could try to get bloodflow circulating to the foot. On Friday evening, Dr. Johnson performed surgery to remove Crutcher's foot and part of the leg about six inches above the ankle area.

Crutcher is doing pretty good considering what he has been through. He is still very uncomfortable and is suffering from "phantom pains". Dr. Johnson said it would take the brain and body a while to adjust to the foot not being there and he would still feel pain ("phantom pain") in the foot and ankle area as if it were still there.

He will be in the hospital a few days before being released to a rehab facility for about 20 days. The family is trying to get him in Limestone Health Facility during that time for physical therapy. When his leg heals, he will be fitted for a prosthesis. Hunter and Chase think Grand-daddy is going to get a bionic foot. They think it is going to be pretty cool. At least this way, they are not traumatized by the fact that Grand-daddy had to lose his foot.

Please continue to pray for "Grand-daddy" and the rest of the family.