Wow, where to begin?  There's so much to update.

I guess I'll start with the Curves progress report.  I had my first weigh-in and tape on Monday.  Here are the results:

I gained two pounds, but that was expected.  I'm not really upset about that.  Here are the measurements:

Waist:  -1.00 inches

Abdomen:  -1.25 inches

Hips:  -2.25 inches (this one I KNEW was going to be good)

Arms:  -1.00

I gained in another area, and I didn't change at all in two other areas.

So overall I lost 4.5 inches, and my body fat went down from 33.45 to 33.25.  Not a lot, but I'm dancing.

I knew I had lost some inches because during one of my recent visits to my parents' house, I actually bruised my hips--black and blue--from squeezing past the chairlift on the stairs.  This last time I was there, I DIDN'T EVEN TOUCH IT!  Woo-hoo!

I'm also noticing changes in my muscles, like they aren't as flabby.  My calfs (which they don't measure) are getting slimmer.  And an area of digusting flab that has plagued me is firming up and isn't so ugly anymore.  Yay!!!

So that is awesome.  I am totally loving Curves.  I practically live on the message board (www.mycurves.com) because it is so inspiring.

So, now about Thanksgiving and the total awesomeness we witnessed.

Rev. Dobosi told us that he really felt we should go down to my parents' for Thanksgiving--not just for Thursday, but for the entire weekend.  Travis and I are quite gung-ho about being here for every service, and we were a bit taken aback by it at first.  But he said that he'd been praying about it, and he really felt it was what we should do.  I knew there had to be a reason for it, so we went down--eggnog cream pies and all--and had a great Thanksgiving with them.  It was just the four of us, and it was so nice.  No stress, no hurry, just eating comfort foods with loving family.  It was awesome.

One downside was that Dad wasn't feeling well.  We didn't know it at the time, but it the beginnings of pneumonia.  For those who don't know, Dad has COPD (emphesema and something else, which essentially makes a person really appreciate oxygen flowing into the body.)  He is on oxygen 24/7.  (Ask me about the awesome article he wrote about it.)

For the next couple days we were going to be there, I wanted to help them get rid of some stuff they didn't need anymore.  Friday we did some dump runs, donations, etc.  Mom's boss, Tom, came over for lunch and we ate more turkey and stuffing (yum!).  Then back to work.  It was a rewarding day.

Then Saturday Mom and I did some running around.  While we were out, Travis called me on the cell phone and said that Dad was in a bad way and we needed to get home now.  He couldn't even stand up on his own, couldn't breath, and was beginning to panic.  We finished up, got in the car, and headed home.  As we were driving I began to pray for Dad and for Travis, who was there with him by himself.  I felt the Holy Ghost and I knew that He was working.  In fact, I believed that Dad was going to end up better after all of it.

We got home and Mom went upstairs and took over.  It was decided that Dad needed to go to the hospital.  We had already made the arrangements for him to be admitted, so there wasn't going to be an eternal wait at the emergency room.  His doctor already knew the situation and was expecting him, which made things much easier. 

It was a very slow process.  Dad needed to get his strength up just to get over to the chairlift where he could sit in a proper breathing position.  During that time, I hadn't gone upstairs much.  I was unsure about it all.  Travis and I were downstairs talking and the gravity of the situation began to hit me--the fact that the reason we came down just might be to say good-bye.  I started to feel very sad and then a sense of dismay and hopelessness started to creep in, and then I got nervous.  My hands actually were trembling.  Now, I am not one to get like this normally, but this is my Dad.

For a second I stepped back and took stock of myself.  I was nervous and beginning to get hopelessly dismayed--none of which comes from God.  He would never, ever, ever give me a feeling of utter hopelessness and fear--especially after the Holy Ghost had assured me that it was all good!  I rejected it, looked to faith again, and went upstairs.

After a while Dad finally made it to the chair lift.  I sat there and looked at him, trying to see what God saw.  I saw a lot of health and life left in that body.  Dad didn't look like someone who was about to die, although he may have wished he would at that point!

Now, this all may sound fantastical, televangelistic, or dramatic and emotional.  Well, it was emotional, until I kicked the emotions and drama to the curb.  But above all, it was eye-opening.  For anyone who has never had the Lord actually reassure them, it's a wonderful thing.

From then on, things went well.  Dad finally got to the hospital and felt better than he had all day.  He spent a couple days there while the pneumonia cleared up, and I got the house put back together from all my energetic efforts.  I ended up staying the rest of the next week so Mom could go to work while Dad was recovering at home.

Travis had already gone back home because he had to be back to work on Monday.  Mom and Dad have an extra car they've been trying to sell, but not having much success with.  So we decided it would be great if I took the car home and tried to sell it up here where there is a much bigger market. 

So by Friday I was very anxious to get home.  Travis was a real trooper and handled everything fine on his own.  We also had fellowship meeting the next day, and I really wanted to be able to make it.  So early Friday evening I headed home.  Of course it was pouring, I mean POURING rain.  And of course there was a high wind warning.  Mom had said I could always come back if I needed to.  I said, "Just pray, Mom, and everything will be fine."

So there I am in an unfamiliar car, rain pouring and blowing against the car, it was dark so it was hard to see...  I mean, all we were missing was some hail and a little wooden shack and I'd have said we were leaving Kansas.

I drove the couple miles to the highway entrance, but by the time I got near it, it was raining so hard I had to pull over into a gas station.  I couldn't get the windshield to defrost because it was raining so hard, and I began to question my sanity in going home.  I sat at the gas station for a few minutes praying about what I should do while I tried to wipe the window down.  I managed to get a little clearer view out the window, so I headed down the road again, only to discover I'd missed the entrance ramp.  So I turned around and went back towards it.  I couldn't see anything.  I had no idea where the lanes were.  I kept going, muttering to myself, "This is insane.  I'm going back."  I decided to pray again, "Lord, what do you want me to do?  Should I go back?"  He clear as day said, "I'm going to take care of you."  Wow.  But I still wasn't conviced (how dumb).  I got back to the highway entrance, and as I approached the ramp I hesitated, not sure if I should go or not.  Finally, I decided to trust God and  turned onto the highway.

After about half a mile, I again thought, "This is stupid.  If it's not better by the time I hit the next exit (Milford), I'm getting off, trudging back through the towns and go back home."  About this time it occured to me that even though I had told Mom to pray, I hadn't even prayed for myself!  So I prayed, "Lord, can you lighten up this rain, please?"  WITHIN A MINUTE--NO JOKE--the rain had turned into a sprinkle--a SPRINKLE!  I had been driving with the wipers on top speed all that time, and after I prayed I had to turn them down to intermittent, so they wouldn't make that scraping noise they make when the windshield is too dry.

My jaw just about hit the floorboard.  He said He'd take care of me, and He did, all the way home.  It was dry roads all the way up to the Watertown area.  When I got there it was sleeting, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.

MY GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!

So that's all for now.