I Cheated on my ALLI

Well, I have been dieting, like most people, since the first of the year. I took up running again and have been watching what I eat. I am down about 12 pound so far...not bad for 3 weeks.

A few days ago, I started an over the counter, FDA approved aid called ALLI, that is supposed to help you lose 50% more fat than dieting alone. I carefully read all the little books they provided, and the possible side effects and their unpleasantries. How lucky I felt to not have any negative experiences...

...until today that is.

I think the reason I did not have any problems with ALLI is because I was eating really healthy: whole grains, fruits, veggies, fish,etc. Last night however, we picked up take-out....Fried Chicken and potatoe salad. It was oh-so good!

Apparently my stomach betrayed me, and told my ALLI that I cheated and today I am in trouble. ALLI has become my enemy! It is right up there with the stomach flu. All I want to say is, make sure you do NOT eat more than 7 grams of fat in one sitting.

More Company on the Way

In two weeks we will be hosting our friends Barb (Baer) & Kyra Johnson from the Detroit area. Also, we just learned that their nephew/cousin Philip may be joining them from Ohio as well. On their last night of staying Austin Huber has made plans to join us too!

I always did want a BIG family, so I guess I just have to borrow other people's kids for a week at a time! We can't wait to meet Philip and spend some time with Austin, Barb & Kyra whom we've known for about 18 years. The group plans to spend a full week of fellowship and skiing at Copper Mtn. and we can hardly wait! FUN!!!!!

Coming Along

Today was Whitley's first day back to her old, neighborhood school. She was received warmly and is happy to be back. She felt a little lost jumping into some of the classes midstream, but hopefully will adjust soon.

Tonight, I thought I would snap a picture of her working on her science project. This evening she completed her otline and penned 4 paragraphs to her first draft. She has one little section left to finish on her display board, and her paper to finish. I hope she does well!

Our weekend thus far....

Last night we went clothes shopping for our growing Whitley, who needed some more street clothes, now that she will no longer be going to a charter school. We did okay but did not find as many pieces as I hoped for; she is VERY particular. Her most fave purchase was a pair of .....SKINNY JEANS!! We told her that for the price they should be called 24/7 jeans, because they may be the only pair we can afford for her to wear all week!!!

Today we spent over 7 hours working intently on her Science Project and display. Whitley had incredible focus today! The only thing she has left is her report to write. She plans to do that tomorrow, but she still has 2 weeks to complete it, so no pressure there.

Tomorrow, I think she wants to get her hair highlighted and try the mall scene again. We also need to go to Walgreens to get our passport pictures taken. Other than that, I was assigned 670 Math problems on Wednesday that are due Monday and I'm not even to the halfway mark yet.

Hope your weekend is great!

CONQUEST

con*quest (kon'kwest) n.

The 1.) Act or process of conquering

2.) One that has captivated or overcome

3.) A person whose affections have been won

The new year has presented many challenges and changes for everyone in the Samuels family. There have been many questions that needed answering and and many situations that needed revision. In a way, we have been on a conquest, and as a result, we have conquered!!!!

This past week, we have moved Whitley back to her neighborhood school. This takes my communting down from about 450 miles a week to only 45 miles. We also have the option of bus service now, and in the years ahead. Whitley is really excited to see her old friends more often, but understands that many will go different ways for Middle School next year. It is a chance she is willing to take.

I have cut down on my schedule and will be graduating next Spring instead of next Christmas, w/out losing my scholarship.

John has agreed to pick up Whitley when she needs to stay over for after-school activities and cook a few nights a week. We have also agreed to rent a place during my 21 months of clinicals so that we do not have to move from our main house in the near future.

Closing on a high note, we have booked a 10 day vacation and cruise that we will embark upon when school is out. Passports are applied for, our room is booked and now we just need to work on scheduling our excursions! Now that's more like it!

And one more thing...the name of the ship we are sailing on, which is pictured above, is you guessed.....

The Carnival Conquest!!!

Facials and Perfume

It was a nice long weekend.

Friday, we went to the mall and John was on a quest for a bottle of perfume for Jamie. The scent qualifications were: it has to be mysterious, has to take him away, can't go sour, not over-bearing and doesn't scream a particular fragrance, like roses or spice. After nearly 4 hours of being swabbed with scents, cleansing our noses into coffee beans we found a cologne....Christian Dior's "J'dore". We even found one for Whit, but she is not getting it until Valentine's day. It is by Haraku, called "Love".

Instead of hanging out with us, Whitley received her first facial from a lady at the Estee' Lauder counter. She has come a long way from her first experience at the age of two with make-up. (see picture).

Saturday, our mouths had their first encounter with Indian food. Our friends Grant & Christi gave us the nudge with an agreeable meal of Tandoori Chicken and rice, Chuteny, Naan, and Pompadouns. Chardonnay wine accented the palette of spices and it was very good indeed! Whitley also enjoyed a sleepover at Izzy's.

Sunday, Izzy stayed at our house and the playdate continued well into the day. It was such a beautiful, warm day and hour by hour we peeled another layer of clothing off until we were down to short sleeves and jeans. I took the girls to a great sledding hilll (north-facing) and the moisture made for slick conditions and great snowman building. I finished the day, by heading to the gym at 7pm for an evening run!

Yes, a facial and perfume, never hurt a girl's long weekend!

Heart, Teeth & Heatstroke

I know it's a silly title but it quickly covers the latest happenings here in the Rocky Mountains.

HEART: Whitley was checked out by Children's Hospital of Denver and was given a clean bill of health. Everything is A-OK and she can proceed with the meds! Thank the Lord!

TEETH: Whitley's sceince experiment proved several things: 1) Never suck on lemons; the lemon juice (acid) was highly corrosive to the teeth compared to sugar. 2) Mouthwash only freshens breath; it is not a subsitute for brushing and the teeth rotted! 3) Flouride toothpaste was the best all around. Because the enamel was spared, the tooth was whiter, healthier and cavity free! 3) Stay away from tartar control toothpaste; results may prevent tartar, but the rest of the tooth decayed and rotted anyway 4) Baking soda didn't do a bad job, but there were still many "spots" (starts of cavities), so this applies to the "natural/organic" toothpastes.

The bottom line is, everyday your teeth and bones break down and repair themselves, leaving microscopic holes. Left unbrushed, malnourished and uncared for the breaking down process would exceed osteogenesis, or bone building. The neat thing about fluoride is is contians PO 34 which is phosphorous. It bonds easily to teeth and fills in those microscopic holes that would otherwise lead to cavities. Always, look for fluoride toothpaste. However, too much of a good thing can be just as harmful. Check to make sure that fluoride levels are adequate, neither too high or too low if you have a natural well for drinking water. Happy Brushing!!!!

HEATSTROKE: Here in Colorado, we are experiencing a heat wave! it is supposed to be close to 70 by Tuesday!!! I know that seems hard to believe because many of you in the Midwest have been in subzero temps. for most of the week. How us Coloradans wished we were getting that cold as that is what is needed to kill the Lodgepole Pine Beetle that is said to have destroyed another 400,000 acres of our forests in 2008!!! Research shows that for nature to kill the beetle, we need -30 to -50 degrees weather sustained for 3-5 days, while the beetle is in the pupa or larva stage.

Back to you in the Midwest: Fear not, Winter Solstice is over, which means our days are now getting longer and summer will be here before we know it. Only 17 weeks of school left in the year!!! If we are lucky enough, we can squeeze a trip to somewhere warm and welcome summer a little sooner. Before you know it, summer will once again return! Think warm!!!!

Here are some things to keep in mind about HEATSTROKE (also known as hyperthermia):

A heat stroke is when the body's internal temperature exceeds 106 degrees. The body has tried to sweat profusely to cool itself; this is why being hydrated is so important. Dehydration means there is no water left to sweat, and therefore, this natural evaporative cooler begins to break down, causing other organs to shut down to conserve energy. No organs, no heart, no life!!!

Heat Strokes are preceeded by heat exhaustion which includes the following: nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headache, weakness, muscle cramps and dizziness. The next symptoms give warning that the body is in dire straights: high body temp., loss of sweating, confusion, disorientated, agitation, hallucinations, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing and last, seizures and coma.

Infants, small children and the elderly are most susceptible to these dangers as their body processes and protein synthesis work more slowly and are not able to rapidly correct situations that throw the body out of homeostasis. These age groups, coupled by their inability to care for themselves also explains how easily it is to get behind on life-saving fluids.

We hope today's blog on the heart, teeth and heatstroke were helpful!!!