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My God-Sized Dream Buddies

I have chosen Cathy Dunlap, my cousin, and Shelly Matautia, a BFF, to be my God-sized Dream Buddies! Cathy was chosen because her walk with the Lord is so faithful and she inspires me daily to have a stronger walk. Shelly was chosen because she has been my rock along my ride the last 9 years -- we met as Girl Scout volunteers in Seoul, South Korea. I can truly say without these two ladies in my life, I would definitely be floundering in the fish bowl!

My God-Sized Dream

I would like to spend my retirement working tirelessly rescuing young women and girls from trafficking. I have already begun supporting several NPOs involved in this goal but would like to put hands and feet on this dream.

Happy New Year 2013

Here we are on the 1st day of a brand new year .... I have so much to be thankful for! God saved my life, yet again, when he allowed me to not succumb to an acute myochardial infarction on 21 December and I am so grateful! So, I am making a commitment to lose at least 1 lb per week, exercise at least 30 minutes 5 times per week, and continue to find healthy alternatives to the unhealthy lifestyle I had been living prior to 2009. The doctor said it could have been much worse had we not made changes since then. Here is my first picture of the year:

I will be posting this same photo on a monthly basis .... you will see the changes as they take place this coming year as will I. Here is the side view:

We were so lucky to spend time with both our daughters on this New Years Day ... I am so thankful that the both of them are living within one hour of each other now. Michael and I will be retiring in May of this year. We have purchased a 34' Alpenlite travel trailer and looking forward to spending some time on the road each year visiting family, friends, and seeing new parts of our United States.

Let the Blues Overcome Me

Not certain how or why but at least once a year, I let the Blues run me down ... well that was the case this past weekend. So first, let's 'ketchup':

Day 3: I am thankful for friends who can be out of sight/mind for long periods of time and then call to say 'I'll be in your area, would you' ... On Friday, I was so happy to see one of the clerks who worked in my office in 1992 in Luxembourg -- it has been 20 years since we have seen one another but ... what an awesome visit I had with Christine Cerf and Mary-Louise Richer. They have been cross-country traveling and graced me with a visit for lunch here at my work location before going on to the West Side.

Day 4: Spent the day being blue! Attended church which was uplifting, Skype'd twice with my hubby, talked with my daughter and sister Linda, but .... in the midst of my 'blue period,' I realize that I am thankful when I have company in the house -- don't get me wrong, I love my solitude but I really feel blessed when my hubby is home. The boys, Bubba and Armani, and Ms. Lily are good companions but they don't offer the humor, savvy, or love that I get when my husband is home. Bottom line: I am so thankful that God blessed me with Michael Patten. I know I have covered that already but ... I am also so thankful that I live in a country where I can choose to gather with other Christians to lift up our country in prayer.

November -- Month of Thankfulness Trust me, this is not the only month that I am thankful for all that I am and I owe it all to the glory of Christ Jesus who died for my sins before I was even born! However, I am going to get back into the habit of posting daily ... preparing for my retirement from Federal Government service which will happen 1 June 2013. Yesterday, I was greeted with an envelope on my desk (no one knows who put it there) with a certificate for winning a costume contest at our Commander's Call -- inside was a gift card for Subway, a place that I can get a healthy sandwich. For this surprise, I am very thankful. Here is my costume:

Today I am thankful for my immediate family -- an absolutely amazing husband, Michael Patten; a loving daughter and son-in-law, Melissa and Josh Williams; two wonderful step-children, Mike Jr and wife Sandra, Mike III and Alex; and Erin and David Torres, Jonas Hicks, and Olivia Torres.

September 3, Last Day of Being 63

Today I am embarking on Phase II of my weight loss journey -- I have successfully kept off 23.3 lbs for over 2 years; it is time to take another 20-lb plunge toward ONEderland. I weighed in at 206.6 and I am setting my first mini goal for 30 September and a loss of 10 pounds. As unbecoming as these photos are, this is how I look today:

I will be posting weekly updates on my weight and a monthly photo. I am planning to walk a 5K charity event on the 15th of September and again on the 29th of September. I am also going to help compete on our Training Center's rowing competition == 100,000 meters between the period 15 September and 15 October. I want to sail into retirement at the end of the year weighing 166.6.