And sometimes the "negative" aren't always bad.
My dad is permanently disabled... he can't work, sits at home all the time... and has a hard time getting around. HOWEVER... while we lived in Chicago, he was kind enough to babysit my kids after school while I was at work. SO--- while he was disabled (negative) he was able to spend quality time with his grandkids and form stronger bonds with them (positive).

Most grandparents are lucky to see their grandkids on some weekends or over the summer, let alone every day.

One should never focus on what is out of reach and unchangeable, but rather take steps to change that which is... SOMETIMES it makes the unchangeable more bearable.

I'm not an old timer... but I'm not a newcomer either. I took a month off from here and I feel like JSH became a ghost town!
Most of my friends aren't posting or they don't log on.... it's sad.

The new faces I see are refreshing, though... and I hope I have a chance to get to know you through the forums.


-J

Debbie... I can relate. I used to live in Chicago. I have nerve damage in my back. The cold weather there was constantly making my condition worse... I moved to Arizona January 30th... and I swear most days I don't feel any pain at all. I am SO grateful to have mobility and be able to walk without pain.

The key is to not let the "bad stuff" get you down... keep plugging away and eventually it comes up roses.

Good and bad... there are 2 sides to every coin... it's all about your perspective. I think life gives us challenges to make us stronger or to teach us things about ourselves or others... and no matter how hard the struggle, eventually some good comes out of it.

I have not walked an easy road... but I have no regrets because I am a better person for where I have come from. I think the BAD stuff is only BAD if we choose NOT to turn it positive.

I love my job... I am a full time mom and a free-lance artist... anything from scrapbooks and photo art to graphic design and personalized greeting cards/invitations. I work when I want, take only the jobs I WANT to do... and I have tons of time with my kids. It's AWESOME! The best is that sometimes they can help me too... we recently did this birth announcement, and my daughter's footprint was the "stamp" for the background. We had SO much fun "foot painting"!

On-line relationships can eventually go to the next level. I had a 9 month internet relationship with my husband before we ever met face to face. For 9 months the people I told had nothing but negative things to say.

Nope. I actually married the guy. Everyone thought I was nuts... until they met him... now they think he's great.

People need to learn to think outside the box and not worry so much what everyone else thinks.

Nope. We live with the in-laws until August... but my hubby transfers from Guam to San Diego then. His ship is forward deployed to Iraq... so we are going to live in San Diego so when his boat is in port we can see him.

I love my hubby's parents.... but I don't want to live with them forever. It's a temporary situation so we can save some money.

So I found out recently that I am pregnant... about 1 month into the pregnancy now... due end of November...
My mom-in-law comes and says "it's going to be twins"...

Apparently twins run (STRONGLY)on my husband's side for both mom's side and dad's. They are due to surface in my husband's generation. (There are 6 sets between the 2 sides, all brothers or sisters of his parents OR 1st Cousins of theirs).

I have 2 kids from a previous marriage... so I know lots of people get a kick out of spooking you with wives tales... but what's the likelihood of truth here? I thought twins was a maternal gene...

AND to boot... my husband lost a set of twins and his fiance about 8 or 9 years ago. (they died due to medical complications )

I'm all for the "more the merrier"... but my hubby is active duty Navy and won't be around much the next few years due to deployment to Iraq. I'm a little scared about having a 7 year old, a 4 year old and TWIN infants...

Can anyone put my mind at ease? Or are twins most likely in my future?

I recently became a "Navy Wife"... my husband's been in 11 years. He currently is stationed in Guam.

Just wanted to say THANK YOU for your service and sacrifices.

No dates. Hubby's stationed in Guam... sigh.


Happy Saturday night to all.

<---- toasts with glass of water (can't drink alcohol... it's bad for baby... )

I weighed 178 last March..... am finally down to about 135.... I didn't exercise... I just changed my eating habits. So I'm doing really good... except, now that I am pregnant, I'm gonna gain it all back! That's irony for ya, huh?

As we get older, our metabolisms change... that could be part of it. Something that helped me: I ate a 1/4 of fresh grapefruit (no sugar or other sweeteners added) before every meal... there's something in grapefruit that helps break down food and helps digestion. ALSO... add more fiber to your diet... benefiber can be added to anything--- coffee, milk, tea... water... it's colorless and tasteless... giving your body extra fiber will also help weightloss.

Keep in mind: Muscle weighs more than fat. If there are certain areas you are trying to slim down, you might want to double check that you are exercising the correct muscles to tone down... you might very well need to work on different muscles.

just a thought. Good luck to you.

Thanks, Shutter. It's been an amazing so far... (yeah, we still got those stars in our eyes... I hope those stars never stop twinkling).

I'm exhausted.

Happy Friday, my friends.

what's wrong with mental instability? (Only joking).

Sorry to hear it, Dude. I wish you best of luck the nezxt time around.

Orangecat! I love the squirrel pic!

my husband and I have a joint email address. we have no secrets. i actually have the password to his other email from when we first met, as he has mine.

of course, ours has to be a relationship of honesty and trust... considering he is active duty navy and we aren't physically together for long periods of time at present.

I married into a military family. My husband is currently active duty Navy. Is isn't so much that they don't care for their families... but it's a different mindset. I know my husband loves me and the kids very much, but he signed up for something somewhat of a higher purpose. He has a duty to serve his country. Even when he's tough on the outside, I know he misses us a great deal. In fact, the last time we parted ways, I actually saw the tears in his eyes.
Don't think the don't care about their families... sometimes the tough exterior is all that keeps them from falling apart while they are gone.