We just completed wonderful Christmas week.  We left last Friday, Dec 21 for Roseburg to spend Christmas with Jeri's folks.   Sunday, Dec 23, Jeri's brother Keving and family arrived.  We had a great time sharing, watching holiday movies, such as White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, Home Alone, and Holiday Inn.  We also watched a movie, received as a gift from friends Dino and Cindy, Mr. Beans Holiday, a truly hilarious movie.  None stop laughs all the way through! 

We got home Thursday evening, the 27th and on Friday the 28th, Verizon installed FIOS Internet, TV and Phone service at our home.  We have had Direct TV for the last 8 years or so which we have really liked, but the FIOS system is just as good, and better in some ways.  We will no longer lose service during heavy rain which wasn't a huge problem, but did occur living the "great northwest".  The other thing is that now we also have Hi Definition channels as part of our standard package.  Oh, and one other thing, we also get 3ABN on this system. 

This weekend Jeri's folks came here and her brother Larry and Diana also.  Larry and Diana came up Friday night, as they brought Diana's nephew to the airport for flight back to his home in Texas.  They are going back home to Roseburg today.  Jeri's folks and us are going to run up to Auburn today to visit  Don and Karen's kids who are home for the holidays.  Will just be a day trip and a quick visit.

Jeri has had a good week on our diet, losing 2.6lbs.  I have decided to continue eating conservatively, but have stopped the diet food.  The cost of the food for both us us has been quite expensive.  I must say that the diet work.  I have lost 32lbs, having gone from a 38 waist to a 33 and feel very good.  I have more energy, sleep better and my blood sugar has dropped to a much better level.  I'm also off the diabetic meds.  Jeri has lost 28lbs and is also looking very and feeling very good.

One more week of work for both of us and then a two week vacation for me and a week and a half for Jeri.  It will be nice to have a break.

Continued to be blustery outside last evening and night and even this morning.  Just got in from checking the horses and they are fine.  Filled the bird feeders so they will be able to get something to eat.  I had Friday and Monday off, so am glad I'm home for this nasty weather day. 

On the Diet front, Cam has now lost a total of 24.6lbs as of this morning.  Jeri is at 18.8lbs.  We are happy that the diet has gone well.  We both feel better.  I will admit that losing weight is not cheap.  However, the benefits of losing and good and worth the expense. 

Regarding our diet, it has been going well.  Cam has lost a total of 21.6lbs, Jeri has lost 17.4lbs.  We both are feeling better and though we have real food cravings, we so far have fought them off.  We plan to continue on with the diet till the holidays (another 4 weeks), take a break over the holidays.  We will work at maintenance so that we don't gain any weight or minimal at best, then after the holidays, will go back on the offensive, to get to our goal.  I have 31lbs to go, Jeri has 28lbs to get to our goal weights.  We are both excited about our success and yet we are aware that we are changing our lifestyle.  We plan when we have achieved our goal, that we want to eat better and maintain what we have achieved. 

Oct 07 2007:  We have completed 3 weeks of our diet.  Cam has had good success, total weight loss is at 16.2lbs.  It has not been as good week for Jeri.  She has NOT cheated (eaten anything outside the plan) but has lost just two/tenths of a pound.  She is pretty bummed. 

Last weekend we celebrated the wedding of Jeri's nephew (Larry's son) Chris Fletcher and his bride Katie.   The wedding was very nice and followed by a wonderful reception at Katie's parents home.

Then last Sunday we both started a diet.  We are doing the Take Shape for Life Medifast diet.  It is a 5 + 1 diet, where you eat 5 of the Medifast food items, then 1 meal of a 1-2 cups of salad and a protein item.  In the first week, I have lost 8lbs and Jeri has lost 5.2lbs.  If you would like more information or are even interested in starting this diet yourself, you are welcome to contact our friend and diet coach Kelly Critser.  Though there is a cost for the food items, we feel the cost is really not that out of line from what we would spend for eating out both for lunch weekdays and our once or twice a week eating out together.   Add to that the cost of just general food items at home and the price is about the same.  Here is another link of a PDF document, prepared by Kelly's sister-in-law that has more excellent information

On June 1 as noted below, Lady had contractions and appeared to be going into labor, but after a couple hours things subsided.  That continued on and off for the last two and a half weeks.  Jeri has spent nights out in the barn during that entire time, to be there for Lady if she needed help.  Thank you for your prayers and thoughts.  We appreciate it.

Now however we must move on which we will do.

On a side note, today is the 34th anniversary of my start date for employment at my company.  I am amazed to have been there that long.  I have truly been blessed.

Last week our dishwasher failed, flooded the kitchen (that was fun at 10:30PM on a work night).  However, all is well.  It was 12 1/2years old and had been showing signs that it was on it's last legs.  We found a nice new one with stainless appearance at Lowes, picked it up Friday after work and installed it today.  It is working fine. 

With baby due anytime, we missed a big family gathering with Jeri's family to celebrate her nephew Derek's graduation from the University of Washington Medical School.  Congratulations to him and also the her niece, Emily who graduates from the 8th grade Wednesday! 

Will post more about Lady and baby as soon as we have any news.

"Our friend from Glide church came with his son, that ran the back hoe.  They were between jobs, and had the equipment at home. Got here at 11am unloaded their equipment and transferred Keesha across the pasture to the place we chose as her resting place.  Larry and Diana came and helped us move a couple of irrigation pipes, I had put a couple of clean white sheets over Keesha before she was moved.  When the grave was dug, and she was placed in it, Diana climbed down in there with her and straightened her tail  down behind her, and placed her legs in a more comfortable position for us to see her in her resting position, and covered her with the sheets, so the dirt did not go directly onto her.  Ron and Margaret Parker came and were standing behind us, for awhile before I realized they were here.  They have gone thru this with a couple of Jolene's horses.  Keesha was all tucked in, and the rig that buried her was reloaded and out of here a little after 12.00 noon.

We will greatly miss Keesha.  She was always willing to trot over to say hi and get a treat.   Fond farewell old friend....

Also, I want to share a document written by my friend and director of the North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh Day Adventists Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL.  It is basically a sermon he wrote about the "War on Terror".  It is an excellent article and I wanted to share it with you (by Greg's permissions.  Click here to read it.