Doctor said "Fantastic"

I have been trying to exercise and have a better diet in order to get my cholesterol level down and yesterday the Doctor called to say my blood test results were FANTASTIC!!!  My total cholesterol went from 314 down to 259 dropping 55 points!!  My LDL went from 182 to 144, my triglycerides went from 266 to 184 and my HDL level stayed the same.  It has been hard work trying to fit in 30 minutes of exercise each day and my average was about 5 days per week.  I have been working on it for 3 months.  I didn't do as well on my eating habits as I would have liked and my weight seems to be down one day and up the next.  So I was really surprised that what I had done dropped the level as much as it did because what I could see happening was on the discouraging side.  But these results give me incentive to keep pushing and moving forward and maybe eventually the weight will come down as well.  My doctor says I don't have to go on statin pills and to get my blood retested in 6 months.  I am so excited about the great news!

Yard walk

I have been trying to get in 30 minutes of walking everyday.  My average is 5-6.  I have a meandering path around our place which takes me 10 minutes to get through one round - so I try to walk it three times.  It could be rather boring BUT I am trying to learn to be more observant.  Spring is a fun time of year to look for new things each day on the path.  Today I noticed some desert flowers starting to get buds, and the baby apple tree is starting to get some leaves.  So are the lilac twigs and the rhubarb seemed to grow twice its size overnight!  The quail skitter from bush to bush and start shouting "Dogs are out! Dogs are out!"  We can also hear the doves cooing and the frogs croaking.  It is amazing how many 'voices' frogs have - high, low, gravelly.  We also have a woodpecker that visits the bird feeder.  And two deer visit quite often - even coming up to the front porch.  So I have seen their tracks in many places.  Unfortunately, I also see lots of mounds made by a mole and ant hills (some small but one is really large and covered with juniper "leaves".  There are juniper berries all over the ground because the robins have been eating them and dropping them everywhere.  The rabbitbrush, bitterbrush and sagebrush are all getting their leaves.  One of them looks feathery.  So everyday the walk is a little bit different.  Bogey and Birdie find lots of areas to sniff too!

A visit with Grandpa

Terry had a run that took him to Dodge Center, MN which was close enough for the Minnesota kids to take a Sunday drive to see him.  Ryan and Julie, Lance, Liam and Shella May met him for lunch and afterwards they went to get ice cream.  You really can't visit Grandpa without getting some ice cream right?  I remember the first time we met Shella May, Grandpa got her the first ice cream cone as a member of our family.  (They have grown quite a bit since the ice-cream picture was taken!!)  Terry called me so I got talk to everyone and share in the fun.

For supper time, Eric and Michelle, and the 6 kiddo's arrived.  Terry remembered to take pictures.

  Becca

 Christy showing the gloves she designed and crocheted.

Dan with Daddy Eric

                                  Silly Sam

The twins sleeping and Michelle watching.