I'm back

Well, it's a couple of years down and I have put back on some of the weight. I always knew I would but I hoped not. I still don't look as bad as I did and the plastic surgery has kept my stomach off but my job is just not good for losing weight. I know that's not a good excuse but I find it true. I wish I could afford the Biggest loser ranch for about 6 to 8 weeks and then be back to where i was but it's $2000 a week!

I tried the best gym in town here and two different trainers but they aren't certified and all they really know is weight lifting. Ended up having to have surgery on my knee after a mishap on the leg-extension machine.

After the first of the year I'm going to try to really start working out hard again - my knee rehab should be done by then and kettles and angel tree. I've beat this before so I know I can again!

Over Two Months

Hey everyone! It's been over 2 months since I've posted. It's been a long and sometimes trying time but it was Christmas in The Salvation Army.

In the midst of it all I had my first "surgery" on my shoulder - no cutting they just had to manipulate it and break it free. A month of physical therapy which although a bit painful at times I actually enjoyed strengthening my arm again. Now that I have almost full range of motion back in the shoulder I will go in again in about 3 or 4 weeks (I find out the 5th) so that they can fix the tear in my rotator cuff and one in my bicep. If it weren't for the tear in my bicep they could just scope it but because of the way it is they will have to make a cut about an inch and a half long to fix it. Physical therapy this time will be 6 to 9 months and much harder they say. They are confident though since my range of motion is so much better now that they expect a full healing and I can go back to some boxing and lifting as long as I don't go nuts with it.

I went to see the Cleveland Cavaliers with my great nephews and niece - we sat next to other people from Rogers, Ar and a Basketball Star from Rogers High School won 3 Televisions in a shooting game between quarters. Tonight we go see the Suns and then New Years Eve we see the Golden State Warriors - I love living in a town with the NBA even if our team loses ALL THE TIME!!!! I occasionally get to see Steven Hill who played for the U of A doing things around town and The Salvation Army gets free tickets allot.

To all my friends "May your new year be a blessed one!" Kari

Around the World in One Weekend!

Hi Everyone! All is well here in OKC and I am finally settled in.

I took a three day mini-vacation this weekend and had quite the inter-continental experience. My best friend from college Kim Wilkerson and her awesome husband Phil asked us to go to Dallas with them and none of us realized at the time what an awesome trip we were in for. First we started off on Friday traveling to Dallas to see the King Tut exhibit (awesome), then from Egypt we went to a German restaurant for lunch (extremely awesome) then from Germany we headed to our hotel called NYLO that's short for New York Loft - very cool loft rooms with a real NY look and very cool furnishings. For dinner we went to OLEA a Mediterranean tapas restaurant, my first time to try tapas (yummy), then back to our New York hotel for the night where I went straight to the gym for an hour workout. Then for Breakfast we happened on a french bakery (too too awesome) and from France we headed shopping at the IKEA store which is a cool Swedish shopping experience - it had a restaurant in side and we had a Swedish lunch there - it took 4 hours to get through the store. Then we headed back to OKC for the night and went to my friends' Church called PASSIONCHURCH - great sermon by their youth pastor on the need to embrace change in our lives in the areas that we have developed bad habits. Then we went to see a Neil Diamond (I got free tickets from work) concert Sunday evening - a good old Brooklyn boy. So lets see - Egypt, Germany, New York, The Mediterranean, New York, France, Sweden, OKC, New York - all in 55 hours!

Needless to say I'm exhausted and glad to be back at work so I can rest!=-)
Blessings to All! Kari

AMAZING!!!!!!

Hello everyone! I am back up and running on my computer! My new home is incredible a beautiful 3 bedroom house in a new subdivision - private playground, private walking/running trail. Plus my Army provided car is a 2008 Nissan Altima - very cool, push button starter, ipod ready. God is truly awesome. New furniture in the house - leather sofa, love seat and recliner in fact with the sofa and love seat I actually have 5 recliners in my living room - great for movie and sports parties.

My best friend from college - Kim is literally 10 minutes away!!! I really miss all my friends from Rogers and of course my family but God always replaces what He takes away so I am looking forward to what He has in store for me here.

I will try and send some pictures as soon as I can!

I pray that God is blessing your lives in new ways as well! Kari

New Adventures are Coming!

I know it has been along time since I've updated. I had some really hard decisions to make about my future and I was guarded in what I shared publicly.
My sick-leave ends this week and on August 25th I move to Oklahoma City to work for Majors Alan & Belinda Hill. We are almost packed and very ready to get the move over with! The Hills have found us a nice home near Mustang (I saw a picture of it on Google).

My journey back to active duty was not without hesitation - I never want to experience the heartache that I did at the Corps in Rogers again! But one thing I have learned over that past year is people cannot devalue your worth unless you let them and I will never allow others to convince me that I do not have worth. I have learned that STRENGTH + DEPENDENCE = SUCCESS. God alone is my sufficiency.

So, I go back to work a very different person, my personality has changed, my abilities have increased, my body has indeed decreased in size and I am happy.

Pray for me as I settle into my new home and job in OKC. Those of you here in NWA I already miss and those of you in OKC I can't wait to spend time with you!

Blessings! Kari

Sick Leave is winding down

Hello everyone!

It is now March and my sick-leave is set to end the 31st of this month. I know my counselor does not feel that I am quite ready to go back and I really am not ready to leave my support system yet so I am hoping they extend it to the June moves which will give me about 3 & 1/2 months to lose the last 25-30lbs that I want to lose. I want to be able to say that I've lost more weight than I weigh. Since my heaviest at 348 I have lost just under 160lbs. Incredible now to think about it but it's true - it shocks me to see old pictures of myself which my counselor says indicates that I am more comfortable with the new me.

My new plan is to try and tweak my food intake a bit and vamp up the cardio exercise. My main trainer Tim has me back doing personal training 5 days a week. Monday mostly cardio with Amanda, Tuesday upper body strength training, Wednesday a boxing workout that is really high intensity cardio, Thursday lower body strength training, & Friday a group training class with Amanda. I'm also doing our cycle class again and starting do do allot more cardio on my own. Tim is letting me try new things and I am enjoying them - this week I did bench press for the first time - rather funny but it was a start. My cravings lately have been oreos and mac and cheese so as long as I don't buy them I should be okay. I do wish they would come up with a magic pill to really burn away about 20lbs of fat but it just doesn't work that way.

I went to the plastic surgeon for a follow up this week - I may have one more thing tightened up - a place on my back - now that i can wear tighter clothes it is the only place that is bothering me but he won't consider it until may because he says it will be that long for my other incisions to be totally healed inside and out. By then I may have built enough muscle that it will fill up the loose skin - we'll see.

I hope everyone is enjoying this time of year as I am. Easter is my favorite holiday because it is Good Friday's sacrifice that gives us all such hope in Easter Sunday's Resurrection. I went out today and bought my first Easter outfit in 13 years - I can't wait to wear it! I do miss some things about worship in The Salvation Army but the uniform is not a thing I miss at all. Enjoy the spring and I will try to get a couple of pictures my dad took loaded onto the computer.

Blessings! Kari

Yes, I'm still alive!

It's been a whole month since I've posted! Time has flown by. I am back to doing personal training 3 or 4 times a week and I've gone back to the cycle class as well to jump up my cardio. My body is beginning to feel like mine again - finally. And when I see old pictures of myself I no longer see them as looking like me so I am much more comfortable in this body now.

I got to go to a couple of dinners during Officer's councils - it was great to see everyone! I miss my Army friends. I think some feel that I have changed but I'm still the same old me there's just less of me. I do like to do different things now but basically I'm still the same.

I've joined a new life group at church so I'm meeting lots of new people. My pastor challenged us to believe God for the impossible this year so laughingly I told my friend that I've decided I'm going to believe God for a husband this year. Okay, quit laughing - it could happen - who would have thought I'd lose more than 150lbs? Sarah and Elizabeth both had children after they were way too old so everything is possible.

My women's Bible study is getting ready to do Battlefield of the Mind. I'm excited about it. My counselor said it's a perfect study for me to do right now - I read the book a long time ago but I'm looking forward to getting into it again.

My initial sick leave is over the end of March but my counselor doesn't think I'm quite ready. He wants to extend it a bit anyway - we'll see what the Army wants to do. I would hate to move my neice 2 months before school is out but I'm not going to worry about it.

My new trainer is getting harder on me as my strength comes back. My ab strength is almost back to where it was before and we are working on my triceps and biceps as well. I'm kinda liking body-building - no, I'm not going to look like a freak but I would like my arms to have some definition.

I hope everyone has a nice Valentine's day! Remember, Jesus loves you so very much! You are His special someone! Blessings! Kari