WHERE IS AFRICA?

Africa is where Brad is.
Africa is Brad's once in a life life journey.
Africa is where my heart remains until by Braddy returns home.

I am writing this blog on my fourth day of Brad's 16 day trip to Zimbabwe, Africa. I am lucky to have received a couple of e-mails from him while he has been away. Here are a few notes to summarize what he has shared with me.

Plane trip to New York had hard seats.

5 hour flight to New York, 16 hours to South Africa, 2 hours to Zimbabwe...LONG TRIP! So tired!

Poorest area he has ever visited before.

Hospital reminds him of early 20th century with a x-ray machine.

People are all very friendly.

Eat basic meat and salads.

Takes about 30 minutes to access internet.

Some TV for families with a satellite dish.

Kids thought it is was funny he didn't wear a long sleeze shirt and tie during a devotion service. Brad wore his traditional dockers and polo shirt. Love him!

Sleeps every night under a mosquito net.


I miss Brad terribly and I know he looks forward to returning home, but I am HAPPY he is enjoying this once in a lifetime experience. Please keep him in your prayers and thoughts for a great trip and safe travels home.

Check out "Nyadire, Mutoko, Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe" on Google Earth to get a basic lay of the land. It's a whole different world out there.


HANKUNA MATATA


PS Pardon any type/spelling errors. I am attempting this blog post on the iPad which doesn't allow for the same features of doing on a PC.

Pacific Northwest DEVOR Family FUN

We are officially on our way home. We decided to take our time to get home by traveling by way of the Pacific Northwest Coast.

Before leaving Washington, however, we drove up to northern Washington to see a high school friend and her daughter Reghan. It was great to catch up again (in person, not via FB or Twitter).

HELLO BLOGGERS...why do my pics do this!!  I am open to comments to help with this problem.

On our way down we drove through Tilamook where they make Tilamook cheese and ice cream.  We tried both-YUMMY!!

We have fallen in love with the Oregon coast. There are endless beach views which simply take your breath away.

Good night y'all.  Come back soon to hear about our final days of summer vacation.

Pacific Northwest DEVOR FAMILY FUN

WARNING:  Long post with several pictures.

SAN FRANCISCO

We began our trip early on Saturday, July 2nd.  We were all looking forward to a road trip and leaving the home front for a while.  Our first stop was San Francisco.  We got there around 2 p.m. and checked into our hotel.  Brad and I stayed at this hotel about 10 years ago, so we were familiar with the area and remembered it being fairly accessible to public transportation and walking distance to some attractions.  Since we already have to pay $20/day for parking, we always prefer leaving our car so we don't have to pay a parking fee AGAIN somewhere else. 

We stayed at the Americana Best Western.  They recently remodeled it with a more contemporary look, so this made it a fun environment.  Here are a few shots of our room and surroundings.

We dropped off all the luggage and headed straight out.  First stop would be Lomard "Crooked" Street.  Checked out the iPhone map and it said it would be a 2.1 mile walk...NO PROBLEM.  We made it but forgot about the San Francisco hills.  Whew!!

Sunday, July 3rd we slept in for a bit and took our time getting ready before heading out around 10 a.m.  Our goal today was to visit Chinatown.  The night prior, I did a little research and found a self guided tour which included about 13 "discrete" spots.  I uploaded the itinerary onto my phone and we were off.  Here were a few of the highlights.

Chinatown Gate and main entrance.  "Where's Waldo (Emily/Juan)?"

Old Saint Mary's Cathedral, the city's first Catholic Cathedral built in 1854.

Chinatown Kite Shop.

Eastern Bakery-oldest bakery in Chinatown opening in 1924.  It was recommended to try the Golden Yolk Mooncake.  We did...once was enough.  :-)

Tin How Temple.  This stop had you walk up 3 flights of stairs to a beautiful temple where locals come to pray and mediate.  It was beautifully decorated with gold lanterns amid smoky ribbons of incense.  (Pictures were not allowed inside).  I loved this sight, because it is something you would never stop at just by walking by.  It was a GREAT stop.

Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company is where they make fortune cookies (DUH!!).  This was fun to watch and the employees were so sweet.  Giving us free samples over and over again, but you had to pay 50 cents for a photo.  Too funny!

Ten Ren Tea Company was a great stop to re-hydrate.

We ended our visit in Chinatown by having some traditional Chinese food at the House of Nanking.  Yum-O!

From there we walked down to Fisherman's Wharf.  We only spent a few minutes here because it was "uncomfortably" busy and we planed on going to this area tomorrow.

We were pooped, so decided to take the cable car to cut about 2 miles off our hilly walk back to the hotel.  Earlier in the day we stopped at the Cable Car Museum, so it was fascinating to see it all in action.

Our final day in San Francisco began early.  We had reservation to take a ferry to Alcatraz Island.  Here are a few pictures of our morning in Alcatraz.

 VANCOUVER, WA
July 5th, we continued north by making a stop over in Vancouver, Washington.  My Uncle Monty, Aunt Joan, and Crystal moved here about a year ago.  We had dinner with the family and then headed for a the hotel for a much needed nights sleep. 

Here is a pic of the family in front of their home in Vancouver.

The next day we headed out to view Mt. Saint Helen's.  It was interesting to see a natural disaster which didn't happen hundreds of years ago, but really very recently (1980).



(Sorry about the pic orientation-a few did this and I DON'T know why?)

SEATTLE



We then headed to Seattle, WA.  We stayed only a few blocks from the major sight seeing places in Seattle.  We stayed at the Moore Hotel.  This hotel is old and traditional, but had a clean bed and a warm shower. We liked it.



We visited the Pike Place Market Place.  This was a fun experience with so much to see.  We were in fresh produce and flower heaven.  We, of course, had to visit the World Famous Pike Place Fish guys.  They were so nice and really showed why CNN named them the "most fun place to work" in 2001.

The next day we headed to the Space Needle area and a local art show in Pioneer Square.

We also went to the Seattle Art Museum-free admission on Thursday's and we were sold

 We ended our day with some classic fish and chips on a Seattle dock.  It has been a great couple of days here in Seattle.

Tomorrow, we are heading to see Kami Bible, a high school friend, in Northern Washington and then will take a couple of days to travel the coast back home. 

Well, you made it to the bottom of this very long post.  Thank you for taking time to travel with us via the blog.  :-)

Admitting your problem is the first step, RIGHT MONTH 6

So, here we are again.  Aren't you all tired of us by now. 

Brandi and I have been on our weight loss journey for 6 months now and are both feeling good about our accomplishments.  Unfortunately, I have hit a major plateau.  I am working towards getting over the hump and I know I will I just have to be patient.  A great thing about doing this with Brandi is she continues to support me in this "painful" journey.  Last week, when I hit my 6th week of losing NOTHING, she said just keep going and remember this is only about you.  That really helped, I have to do this for ME, NOT anybody or for any other reason.

On the other hand, Brandi is kicking butt on her weight loss journey.  She looks great and I look forward to catching up with her weight loss soon.

Emily (33 pounds lost) and Brandi (51 pounds lost)

Brandi and I wanted to do a together picture this month since we were together on Sunday afternoon.  We made several attempts, however, we were feeling bad asking multiple people to take 2-3 shots each to find neither of us being satisfied with any of them.  So, we settled with the above picture.  Sorry it is blurry...it's the best we could do.

Thank you to everyone out there in the "real" world supporting us through this journey.

Admitting your problem is the first step, RIGHT MONTH 5

Here we are again.  I have to be straight from the beginning of this blog. 

This month - SUCKED!! 

I don't understand why this month in particular and I don't know where my spirit went this month, but it was NOT on weight loss.  Unfortunately, this resulted in not losing much.  So, this month I am committed to tracking and have joined a gym.  I MUST do both of these if I want to continue and I DO, I SOOOO DO!
 
In addition, Brandi gave me some super supportive words earlier today.  She basically told me to get back on track because we had blog fans.  (Gotta love a sisters honest advice and the truly important issues.)  So, blog fans I promise to do better this month.

Emily - 33 pounds lost
This is my self-portrait.  I used this picture on purpose.  First of all, I took the picture because I was excited that my jacket fit AND buttoned.  YES!  But, then I thought I would also use it for the blog.  You see paper clips in the middle of the mirror.  Those are my weight loss clips.  Every time I lose a pound, I take off a clip.  I am so excited to get rid of all those DAMN clips!!

Brandi - 45 pounds lost

Brandi, on the other hand, is doing AMAZING.  She looks super hot.  I am so proud of you Bran Bran...keep it up!!

Admitting your problem is the first step, RIGHT MONTH 4

Okay here we are again for the month of April.

Emily - 32 pounds
My picture is a bit unusual because Brad wasn't available to take my photo (don't ask??!!), so I said FINE, I am an independent woman...I WILL DO IT MYSELF.  Here it is.

Brandi - 39 pounds

Brandi did not follow the rule of not having on work out clothes for our next photo shoot, however, she is getting so skinny she looks hot anyway.  Way to go Bran-Bran...I am UBER proud of you.

Stay tuned for more to come next month!

Admitting your problem is the first step, RIGHT MONTH 3

Well, here we are again.  The dreadful pictures are reappearing.  However, we don't find them as dreadful as before beginning this weight loss journey once again.  Brandi and I have lost 53.5 pounds together.  Here is our March photo and the months since we have begun (as a reference point).

Emily - 24 pounds (I SO wanted to hit 25 today, DAMN!) TOTAL

Brandi - 28.5 pounds TOTAL

We are both feeling great about our loss and enjoying our clothes not fitting.  We are the most proud of our time in Kansas recently.  We were both able to stay on track and hold one another accountable, while still enjoying a slice of Casey's pizza.  Yumm-OOOOO!!  Thank you Tonganoxie!

Picture Sidenote:  I think Brandi and I need to discuss having a "decent" picture next month.  Like a picture where we are not finishing up a work out session or yard work.  I swear we look even better when dressed like real girls.  :-)

Admitting your problem is the first step,Right MONTH 2

FEBRUARY 2011

Well, here we are again.  Brandi and I have been working hard on making lots of veggie soup, eating lots of fruits and veggies, and exercising.  You know the regular stuff we are all suppose to do.  Here are our photos for our first month success. 

Emily - total weight loss-15 pounds

EDITED POST:  Thought I would add a front pic as well.  I hate how uptight I look.  Oh well, it's the pic I have.

Brandi - total weight loss-18 pounds

Smooth Music

Tonight, I turned off the TV and just listened to some smooth tunes.  Here are a few of my favorite I thought I would share. 


There is nothing better than Jewel LIVE...her voice just gets inside you.  Love her!


Such a sexy and touching song!


Seriously, who doesn't LOVE The Notebook!


I first heard this song in the movie "Griffin and Phoenix".  Such a sad movie, but I really like it alot.


My nephew, Luke, introduced this song (John Mayer's version anyway) to me just recently. Can't stop listening to it.

Admitting your problem is the first step, RIGHT!!

I am writing this post with my hands shaking, my brow sweating, and my stomach turning (that might be because I am just hungry).  What is the big deal, you may ask?  I am making something public (as if it wasn't obvious) which is much, much easier for me to pretend is non-existent.

I AM OVERWEIGHT! 

Yes, I am using all caps.  This usually means I am shouting, however, I am not shouting to be heard by all of you.  Rather, I am shouting to hear myself.  My weight has been a issue for quite a while and I really need to overcome the difficulty of losing it when it is way more yummy to gain.  Several years ago I lost close to 50 pounds and felt good (although I had another 40 I could have lost).  Well, that was all gained back and then some. 

I have been feeling depressed regarding my weight, and more importantly, my health.  I have been having internal struggles with what I needed to do.  (The solution seems obvious, though) Note the verb used, needed.  My weight is not an issue of looking good anymore, it is about needing to feel good, needing to be healthy, needing to make MY HEALTH a priority.

I have been thinking about going back to Weight Watchers (the support I had when I initially lost 50 pounds), but I just didn't want to pay up to $40 a month.  Honestly, I am too embarrassed to return to my local WW branch and admit I gained all the weight back.  You name it, I had an excuse.

UNTIL...

My sister called and asked if I wanted to start Weight Watchers on-line with her.  We could be each others support system.  I felt this was the final sign and I needed to just go for it.  Brandi and I both find more success when we are held accountable.  WW on-line doesn't always give this because you are having to monitor yourself more than standing in front of someone to weigh you and admit your gain or loss.

So, Brandi and I decided to also use this blog as a way to hold us accountable. We will post a picture of ourselves each month to monitor progress.  This blog is open to all our family and friends and we look forward to their support through this journey.  So, here are the first pictures.  God give us strength (We both cry and laugh when we see these pictures).  This honesty business is a killer.

January 2011- Emily (an intentional frumpy picture, so when I lose weight people can say "WOW!!!  YOU LOOK AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!).  I am looking forward to losing the face weight more than anything else.

 January 2011 - Brandi

Pay It Forward

The rules:

"I promise to send something handmade

to the first 3 people who leave a comment here.

To be eligible, you must also post this in your blog,

or make the same offer to 3 other people.

The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 3 people

*sometime* in 2011."