Joi & Brandon

Eeeekkkkk.....

Wow! Wow! WOW!!!!

back in this for real... and it's showing! :D

I SUCK!!

This will take some getting used to

what we've decided to do...

That Darn Grill!

Joi's TRUTHS and lie REVEALED!

Last chance to guess... :)

6 Custom sets Throughout the Year... One Listing!

Joi's List of 10 things...

WAH HOO!!!

better late than never... ;)

weigh in time...

Back on track...

Chaos ensues

Okay okay .... SORRY! lol

getting back into the swing...

a little more about Grandpa...

Sad week

Photo Album: June 2008

Photo Album: Joi's Progress pics

Photo Album: April 03

Photo Album: Chicago - Feb.18th

Photo Album: Life is good... just too Fluffy

Photo Album: Weekly Challenge w/ Other Teams

Photo Album: Brandon's Progress

Photo Album: Virtual before and after

Custom List: Weekly Weigh-In

Custom List: Meet our Enemies:

Custom List: T-Shirt Slogans:

Joi & Brandon

Eeeekkkkk.....

Wow! Wow! WOW!!!!

back in this for real... and it's showing! :D

I SUCK!!

This will take some getting used to

what we've decided to do...

That Darn Grill!

Joi's TRUTHS *and lie* REVEALED!

Last chance to guess... :)

6 Custom sets Throughout the Year... One Listing!

Joi's List of 10 things...

WAH HOO!!!

better late than never... ;)

weigh in time...

Back on track...

Chaos ensues

Okay okay .... SORRY! lol

getting back into the swing...

a little more about Grandpa...

Sad week

Photo Album: June 2008

Photo Album: Joi's Progress pics

Photo Album: April 03

Photo Album: Chicago - Feb.18th

Photo Album: Life is good... just too Fluffy

Photo Album: Weekly Challenge w/ Other Teams

Photo Album: Brandon's Progress

Photo Album: Virtual before and after

Custom List: Weekly Weigh-In

Custom List: Meet our Enemies:

Custom List: T-Shirt Slogans:

Joi's TRUTHS and lie REVEALED!

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:59:03 GMT

So... we are indeed alive. We are in a mad dash to get as much of our renovations done as we can before the house is appraised and the time is closing in. So, that and the fact I have a HUGE pincushion order to tackle during this same time is not my idea of fun! I feel like I've been pushed to the edge of sanity and I don't enjoy it.

We haven't updated weights for a few weeks and that isn't out of laziness or humiliation... lol Honestly! One of Brandon's work boots was ever so lovingly placed on the scale and when I went to weigh in... the scale didn't want to work at first... I got a big old "E" (hopefully not for enormous) and then it registered 2 different... and I mean VASTLY different weights... LOL 204.6 and 256.9 LOL So, I need to get a new scale and with all of the chaos around the house I honestly keep forgetting. SO, we will update properly once that is remedied... :( Kinda scared to see what it is after so long.

We have under a month of all this stress left (pincushions & house) and I can't wait for our life to feel a little more normal. BUT it won't take THAT long for me to get my butt back on here and to be PRESENT! Especially with the new season coming up... I am SOOOO excited!! I can't wait to watch while I'm on the treadmill... the miles just flies by that way!!

I missed everyone and am sorry I've been such a deadbeat! :(

~joi~

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:19:19 GMT

WOW!!! I was in SHOCK when I stepped on the scale this morning! 225.2 I had to weigh myself several times to believe, moved the scale to different places on the floor, checked under the scale to make sure nothing was under it... That was my weight!! My lowest yet and that is a 5 lb loss this week!!! HOLY COW!! I knew it was going to be low, but that TOTALLY exceeded my expectations!! WOWEE!!!!

So, I am thinking this little trial of an "altered" Phase 1 of South Beach was the kick int he pants my metabolism needed!!! I added fruit which is not the normal menu. Basically, I am just eating whole foods... I haven't had any bread or anything this week, but will obviously be adding the right stuff back in!

I am on Cloud 9 right now!! :D I am 5 lbs away from my all time low... I am so excited to see the scale go below and it LIBERATING to see the scale FINALLY move int he right direction!!! THANK GOD!!!

Can you tell I'm STOKED?!?!? lol Woo Hoo!!!!!!

~joi~

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:46:39 GMT

Okay... So i decided to try something because it feels like nothing I do is getting me out of this plateau... So.. Since I had success with South Beach in the past, I've decided to try doing phase 1 for two weeks to see if that will help curb cravings and get me back in control! GUESS WHAT!!! It is working! :D I won't tell you my weight this morning, but I am SOOO looking forward to weigh in on Saturday!!! :D I was up to 234.5 Sunday morning after Saturday being our sane day... LOL I know it wasn't a true weight but... COME ON!!! lol I'm going to hold off on the sane day this week... just to get ahead a bit if i can... its a risk, but it feels like it takes me all week to reclaim ground after sane days. Anyone else have that problem??

We are taking a trip to Michigan's Adventure on the 13th... and I have a mini-personal-HOPE-goal to break 220 by then... It is a little much, but I figured I have been at this same weight range for so long my body might just be tricked enough to think i'm starting from scratch again... lol We shall see!! :) Something about going to the water park for all the world to see me chase my kids around in a bathing suit TERRIFIES me... So, if I can hit a milestone HUGE MILESTONE then I think I can swallow it down a little better!

I haven't been below 220 since I got above it in my teens!! this is HUGE for me and I can't wait!!! ;) I was sooo close and hovered at 220 for SEVERAL months without ever seeing a teen on the scale... *sniff* and then came baby #2... so It's time to reclaim where I was 3 1/2 years ago!! I am SOOOO close!!!

~joi~

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:20:46 GMT

Man, I don't know why I haven't been making this a priority... :( That makes me sad...

Well, my body is paying the price... I had a 1.2 lb gain this week, I'm getting so sick of this bouncing back and forth between the same few pounds.... Brandon is hovering too. I guess it is better than a REAL gain... but come on!! We are eating well and know that we need to work on exercise... but I think we have gotten to lax with all the work on our house, the summer events and just life in general... we are RE-FOCUSING!! We are starting the workout plan a new and going at this like it is the first day again... Well... tomorrow! LOL Today is our sane day...lol :) Hahaha

Hope all is well and the summer is treating everyone well!

xoxo~
~joi~

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 21:58:19 GMT

OOPS!!! So, obviously weighing in is NOT the first thing on my mind on Saturday mornings!! lol SOOO... we will make it official next week. I didn't even think about the scale until I sat at the computer and saw my spaces icon on my favorites... OOPS! Not normal for me... but I'm also not feeling super "with-it" today... lol I swear I could sleep ALL DAY! Going to take it easy today and head to bed early. If you know me, you know my head doesn't usually hit the pillow until around 2 am or so... So, I may even be in bed before Brandon gets home from work at 11:30 tonight... we'll see though!

~joi~

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:41:44 GMT

sooo... we figured out we are going to change out weigh-in day to Saturday mornings... it is no fun to have a sane day on a TUESDAY and with all the cookouts and family get togethers coming, they tend to fall on Saturdays, so at least we can weigh in BEFORE the insanity begins! lol

I don't know if we'll start this week , or carry it through until next week.. that is yet to be determined as we have technically had a weigh in this week. We'll see... it might depend on what the scale tells me on Saturday... haha... that's fair, right?!?

Sound like a good plan??

~joi~

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:41:31 GMT

So, I've decided anytime Brandon says he wants to cook out on the grill I'm going to protest! lol YES... You can OBVIOUSLY make healthier food on said grill but nooo... we don't... hamburgers (sirloin even), hot dogs (ewww... yet I STILL eat them) and of course my stupid butt grabs chips at the store too! WHY OH WHY!!!! lol I was doing so good away from the evil lard fried potatoes... LOL See, even calling them that doesn't help!

I went up to 229.8 (still under 230) and Brandon went up 1 lb... I wasn't up too much considering all the sodium floating around in our systems...but WHY do we do this?!?! LOL We couldn't have done it TODAY? You know... AFTER our official weigh in... lol

Not letting it get me down, just kicking myself! How did everyone else do??

~joi~

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:00:35 GMT

I sold a cleaning product door to door. TRUE... Believe it or not... LOL It was free travel and accomidations at surprisngly nice hotels... LOL The job itself sucked though... lol Funny when a cop tells you he could arrest you for solicitation. *Wow... I want the same arrest a prostitue would have!* So, yes, I quit! LOL
I got my first sewing machine at the age of 4 TRUE... I started hand sewing at an even earlier age, but mom gave me my first machine at tehe wee age of 4... and yes... Kaidence got her own for her 4th birthday, too! lol
I unknowingly went to a gang party. TRUE...Rachel and I were "cordially" invited to a party by "friends" that we didn't realize were in a gang... figured that out rather quickly. Not a situation I EVER want to repeat!
I worked in Yellowstone and my first night there, we walked through the Geyser Basin and almost every single one erupted as we approached. TRUE... Believe it or not... Rachel was there for this one too... The odds of this happening are insane, but that was our experience the first night there and it was AMAZING!!
I designed costumes for a show in NYC. TRUE... One of the most insanely cool experiences of my life... it was an off Broadway show... but STILL I was doing it in NYC! The Fabric stores are phenominal there and the main one we shopped at is the same one they use on Project Runway... so it was cool getting glimpses of it again! :)
I went to Paris with my parents to teach classes on puppet making. FALSE... I have helped my Mom make puppets ever since I can remember but I didn't get to go to Paris with them the first time as funds wouldn't allow and the 2nd time she was supposed to go I was too far along in my pregnancy to travel. :( BOOO!! But I was supposed to go!
I drove cross-country (Las Vegas to Michigan) with only 4 hours of sleep the whole time. TRUE... Once again with Rachel... LOL We had a VERY interesting drive full of coffee, caffeine pills, Officer Ticket Happy and exploding semi tires (right next to my window!)
I was a nanny. TRUE... I had jobs in NY, NJ and locally... some of those kids would make REALLY good birth control!! lol
I worked at a gay bar. TRUE... I worked the door at a gay bar in Sandusky, OH called the Winery... At the time I thought it was pretty cool to be getting paid to take people's cover, gently advise tourist that it wasn't a straight bar and DRINK FOR FREE! lol How different life is now... lol
I snuck into Cedar Point (an amusement park) in the middle of the night with a group of friends.TRUE... A group of friends and I decided we wanted to go play in the ballpits in the kiddie area... LOL So somehow we managed to get in past the security booth without scanning our employee IDs and played... went to the beach at the hotel (which was also closed) and just had a wonderfully illegal time! Until security confronted us at the beach... we managed to get away with it claiming we were guests that didn't realize it was closed... lol We were all a wee tipsy... lol Had they known we were employees we would have been in serious trouble for sure.

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:55:02 GMT

LAST CHANCE to guess my truths... :)

I will post the TRUTH later today. I have to go register Kaidence for Pre-school in a little while! how exciting and WEIRD!*

One last hint... you are ALL WRONG so far... lol ;)

~joi~

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:53:55 GMT

Okay... I'm not big on "pushing my goods" here... but thought some of you might be interested!

In case you didn't know... I design children's clothing and sell several places online.

I just listed an auction on eBay for 6 custom sets throughout the year *the Holidays/seasons that you choose* with a LOW starting bid, NO reserve and FREE SHIPPING!

just click on the photo below to go to the listing! :) You can see some examples of previous designs in the listing...

Enjoy~

~joi~

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:36:39 GMT

Joi's list of Truths... 9 are true... 1 is not... you be the judge! Post your guesses and I'll reveal in a few days which one is NOT true! :)

I sold a cleaning product door to door.
I got my first sewing machine at the age of 4
I unknowingly went to a gang party.
I worked in Yellowstone and my first night there, we walked through the Geyser Basin and almost every single one erupted as we approached.
I designed costumes for a show in NYC.
I went to Paris with my parents to teach classes on puppet making.
I drove cross-country (Las Vegas to Michigan) with only 4 hours of sleep the whole time.
I was a nanny.
I worked at a gay bar.
I snuck into Cedar Point (an amusement park) in the middle of the night with a group of friends.

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:49:22 GMT

So, plans changed and we aren't heading downstate for the weekend... Pretty bummed about that. BUT that isn't my wah hoo moment though.

BUT I weighed myself this morning, have been daily as that seems to be the only way I can stay on top of my weight... I was going to wait and post on Tuesday, in hopes it will be even lower but I HAVE to share!!!

228... my lowest yet!!!! :) I'm back in charge of this body!!!! YIPPEE! So excited about that, what BETTER motivation is there??

Keep up the great work everyone and have a great weekend! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the Dads out there! :)

~joi~

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:45:34 GMT

Hey all... We DID weigh in this week and post everything but I didn't have the time to write a blog... and here it is a few days later now... lol SO here it is...

We are both getting a little annoyed that our weights are bouncing back and forth... not to the point we are going to stop, but COME ON! lol We have to be more vigilant with exercise and avoiding trouble foods. But overall we are doing pretty good about our choices.

I am heading out of town tomorrow to go to my niece's birthday party and will make sure I stick to my guns while around the family. They are trouble I tell ya... lol

We've both been very busy with the house and work. I've got lots of orders to fill, which I am VERY thankful for and extra excited about three of the dresses ordered *wink*... I may also have a LARGE order for my pincushions which is very exciting! :) By large, I mean 200-300! WOAH! I should here if I've got the contract in the next week or so.

Kaidence's head is healing WONDERFULLY! She didn't even flinch when they took out her "sniples" LOL Yes, she kept calling them sniples, after a week of saying staples, I guess she got sick of the word. LOL

Hope all is well for everyone else... Big Hugs!

~joi~

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:24:06 GMT

soooooooooo... last weeks weigh in was 234.4 with a gain on Wed. for a lovely weekly high of 235.4 *eek* So...... anything i could manage today would be an improvement!

I got back to 234... then back to 233.. then back up to 234 again... so I wasn't sure what to expect... I was crossing my fingers and legs and toes... looked down... low and behold... 231.2 Woo Hoo!!! It's coming back off!!!! :)

Brandon was down only a little bit but it wasn't a gain!!!! So woo hoo to him too!

Lots to work on today, so this is brief. More to come in the week... KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!

~joi~

Sat, 31 May 2008 00:13:51 GMT

So... Both Brandon and I are feeling more confident this week! We've eaten VERY well, with proper portion sizes... got back on track with cutting down on sodium. We both feel this weeks weigh in will be LOWER at least... lol Even if we aren't back to our lowest weights, at least we will be moving in the right direction again!

I am still doing really bad as far as working out, which is a big part and I need to make sure I'm making time for it... but man, for some reason it is the biggest struggle for me! Uggg! Once I get the kids to bed I plan on working out for a while tonight... that'll be in a little while as it is now their bedtime. :)

Well, just a short update but I feel being present here and being accountable to others is a big help with us... So HERE I AM! hehe

~joi~

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:39:51 GMT

Oh my goodness... I thought I was doing SOOOO good!! Only to step on the scale yesterday morning and see 4 EXTRA pounds staring back at me! WHAT?!?! So... I'm not quite sure! Kinda had a ummy day yesterday, I'm sure the weather didn't help. then to top it off, our daughter Kaidence got her first battle wound. She cracked her head open and we had to drive almost 40 miles to get to the ER at 10 pm... got home after 1 and couldn't sleep after... lol Man am I just Miss Negativity or what?!? lol

So, I NEED to make sure today is a BETTER day!! :)

~joi~

Tue, 20 May 2008 17:53:10 GMT

Soooo... the "Come Back" weigh in has been posted... lol The REALLY sad thing is I have TOTALLY lost track of what week it is... lol WOW! I was better than I was expecting... I also posted last weeks as well!

Not sure why we are having such a hard time getting back into the flow again. We are trying!!! We really are! :)

Our food choices are getting better and better again... it is just when we are traveling, the options aren't the healthiest. So I'm going to go back to old school mom... I'll pack a lunch with HEALTHY options instead of being sucked in to the drive-thru of death... lol ;)

As far as exercise, we've totally lost the groove we were in... I think with so much going on it was just way to easy to have an excuse and fall off of the wagon... lol SO! My goal for myself is to get at least 20 minutes on the treadmill a day (bad I've lowered the standard so much... but I'll shoot for longer). I'm also going to start the Billy Blanks regime over! :) Since I feel like I'm starting back over, maybe it will have an AMAZING impact on the results I can see! :)

My new clothes still fit... so I know I didn't go TOO crazy... but I could have had 5 more pounds off instead of gaining a few back...:(

~joi~

Mon, 12 May 2008 22:50:20 GMT

hello everyone... amazing how quickly you can break a GOOD habit... lol We haven't been TERRIBLE with our portions, but the food quality has def. gone down hill in the last weeks... UGGG! Time to get back in control.

We are still here and going at it... so please don't think we are gone! We will be updating weights tomorrow which I am kinda scared of... the girl who was addicted to the scale has pretty much avoided it lately... so I have no clue what to expect tomorrow... *crossing fingers*

In a bit of a rush right now... COLORFUL blogs wills resume tomorrow! :) *sorry*

~joi~

Mon, 05 May 2008 16:45:04 GMT

awww... thank you all so much for your kind words! :) Life is starting to look a little more familiar around here... less crying and more good memories being told...

His Grandpa was a worker, through and through... he owned his own business and still worked even into his 70's... he is the type of guy who would do everything himself, even if it required help. He was loading a bulldozer back up onto a trailer and didn't buckle in. The dozer got off-center and toppled off of the trailer, throwing him and landing on top of him... :(

Just wanted to update a little on what happened...

~joi~

Sun, 04 May 2008 05:38:19 GMT

It has been a sad week here... Brandon lost his Grandfather in a very tragic accident on Wednesday and we are all taken aback by it all. Sorry we haven't been as active as we'd like to be on here, but I'm sure you can all understand!

Prayers for the whole family are GREATLY appreciated... He was an amazing man and will continue to fill our hearts with his love in all the memories that we have... but we already miss him terribly!

~joi~

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:34:40 GMT

June 2008

just joi...

Our family again... still grumpy kids

Just the 2 of us...

Us... the kids were SO not in the mood for photos

Brandon's side of the family - Father's Day 2008

joi trying to be all cool... lol

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:42:22 GMT

Joi's Progress pics

1-21-08 - Official BEFORE

1-21-08

2-11-08 241.6 lbs

2-11-08

03-15-08 End of the Million Pound Match-Up 237.6

03-15-08

03-15-08 TADA!!!!

More Photos...

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:41:30 GMT

April 03

Pants Peasant 02.jpg

Peasant Skirt 05 Fussy.jpg

Skirt WhiteTank 02 bashful.jpg

White Tank Pants 01 LOVE.jpg

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:47:04 GMT

Chicago - Feb.18th

More Photos...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:22:53 GMT

Life is good... just too Fluffy

Brandon rockin' the mohawk

May 2007

just "little" old me2

Brandon s'moring it up with Kaidence

Dang... I'm feeling a little green!

awww... ;)

Joi with Thane on the carousel (Kaidee is over my shoulder)

Rockstar... hahaha

Brandon with Kaid at a family picnic

This was a humbling photo for Joi... Going down the slide with Kaidence

More Photos...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:34:53 GMT

Weekly Challenge w/ Other Teams

Week 5- Yup... I lost the challenge this week! EWWW!!!

Week 6 - Pretty sure Jen won!

joirae sears tower.jpg

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:42:10 GMT

Brandon's Progress

1-21-08 "Official before photo"

1-21-08

2-11-08 290 lbs

2-11-08

doing the Getting Thin Boogie!

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:15:49 GMT

Virtual before and after


Starting weight 252	Starting weight 252	Goal weight 170	Goal weight 170
170 with clothes		Starting Weight 302	Starting weight 302
Goal weight 200	Goal weight 200

More Photos...

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:21:36 GMT

Weekly Weigh-In

Week 30: 507.2 Total (137.2 to goal)
Brandon: 282 Joi: 225.2
Week 29: 512.2 (142.2 to goal)
Brandon: 282 Joi: 230.2
Week 28: 511.2 (141.2 to goal)
Brandon: 282 Joi: 229.2
Week 27: 510 Total (140 to goal)
Brandon: 282 Joi: 228
Week 26: 511 Total (141 to Goal)
Brandon: 282 Joi: 229
Week 25: Total 511.8 (141.8 to goal)
Brandon: 282 Joi: 229.8
Week 24 : 509 Total (139 to goal)
Brandon: 281 Joi:228
week 23: 513.7 Total (143.7 to goal)
Brandon: 281.3 Joi 232.4
Week 22: 513.2 Total (143.2 to goal)
Brandon: 282 Joi:231.2
Week 21: 516.8 Total (146.8 to goal)
Brandon: 282.4 Joi:234.4
Week 20: 510.6 (140.6 to goal)
Brandon: 280.2 Joi: 230.4
Week 19: 512 Total (142 to goal)
Brandon: 279.6 Joi:232.4
Week 18: DIDN'T WEIGH IN
Week 17: 512.4 Total (142.6 to goal)
Brandon: 280 Joi:232.4
Week 16: 513 Total (143 to go)
Brandon: 283 Joi: 230
Week 15: 514.4 Total (144.4 to go) *FINALE OF BL 5*
Brandon: 282.2 Joi:232.2
Week 14: 515 Total (145 to goal)
Brandon: 281 Joi:234
Week 13: 518.2 (148.2 to goal)
Brandon: 283 Joi: 235.2
Week 12: 518.2 Total (148.2 to goal)
Brandon: 281.6 Joi: 236.6
Week 11: 521 Total (151 to goal)
Brandon: 284 Joi: 237
Week 10: 525.6 Total (155.6 to goal) Final week of Million Pound Matchup
Brandon: 288 Joi:237.6
Week 9: 530.2 (160.2 to goal)
Brandon: 290.8 Joi: 239.4
Week 8: 533.2 (163.2 to goal) *up 3.8 lbs from last week*
Brandon: 289.6 Joi: 243.6
Week 7: 529.4 (159.4 to goal)
Brandon: 288.2 Joi: 241.2
Week 6: 531.4 Total (161.4 to goal)
Brandon: 290 Joi: 241.4
Week 5: 536.8 Total (166.8 to goal)
Brandon: 294.2 Joi: 242.6
Week 4: 539.4 (169.4 to goal)
Brandon: 295.2 Joi:244.2
Week 3: 542.4 Total (172.4 to goal)
Brandon: 296.4 Joi: 246
Week 2: 546 Total (176 to goal)
Brandon: 299 Joi: 247
Week 1: 554 Total (184 to goal)
Brandon: 302 Joi: 252

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 04:17:45 GMT

Meet our Enemies:

Seafood Fettuccini Alfredo
Princess Chicken
Big Mac
Lasagna
Egg Rolls
Crab Rangoons
Snickerdoodles
Coca-Cola
Doritos
Pizza
Nachos

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:14:31 GMT

T-Shirt Slogans:

For my chest measurement to be smaller than my wife's.
To OUTRUN my toddlers
To be able to buy clothes in a "normal" store
To be able to actually RUN!
For the water to cover my belly in the bathtub
To not be the fattest person in the family

just before pulling out at 3:45 am... Woo Hoo to all nighters!

should we stop at the weigh station?!?

FINALLY out of the state!

Almost there!

SUCCESS!!!

I wish I could have got a better shot of this... gorgeous!

it doesn't LOOK that cold!