Brief overview in the life of the Redding-Morgan life

It's been several years since I've done the blogging thing. I've decided that since I have more time on my hands these days that I would once again give it a try.

June 1st we moved from Idaho to Michigan. We lived for a month with Jeff's mom in Flint, MI. It was hard to share space for awhile, but it was a special time to get to know his mom. While our stay there Jeff was able to get the job we were praying he would. A week or so after arriving in Michigan he FINALLY started working. He has been there almost 2 months now and has loved every minute of it. He not only enjoys the work, but he has made friends and also loves the company and the overall atmosphere.

July 4th was spent moving into our apartment. We found a cute 2 bedroom place in Haslett. Haslett is a small town just minutes from East Lansing (home of Michigan State University) and Lansing (the state capitol). The people in general are very outgoing and friendly. Most are VERY surprised that we actually moved here to Michigan and that Jeff was able to get a job. We learned very quickly that the economy was hit very hard here the last couple of years.

The weather has been hot and Anna and I spend our days enjoying the outdoor pool. I love each day we have together and I have a feeling I will become very lonely and bored once she goes back to school in the fall!!

Since our life has become somewhat settled I decided it was time to attack things on our "to-do" list that have been pushed aside. The list included things such as, find new doctors, try to loose weight, join a gym, etc. :-) In my search I discovered a medically monitored weight loss program. It seemed to fit EVERYTHING that we needed. After many tests and doctors visits Jeff and I finally started the program this week. Each week we will weigh in, attend a group class and meet with the doctor and nurse. It is a 24 week program. The first 12 weeks our calorie intake is drastically reduced and we eat the Optifast products. The latter 12 weeks we will transition back to food and with the help of dietitians do so with a balanced diet. During this time we are also working with exercise specialist who will help up with our activity levels. After the 24 weeks has been completed we will have a year of maintenance. The hope is that we loose the weight and KEEP IT OFF!

Other things we are heading towards is buying a house. With the economy so terrible out here the houses are so incredibly inexpensive. Our problem is with Jeff not having work for so long it is nearly impossible for us to get a mortgage right now. So, that adventure is very possibly postponed for a year or two. That does not, however, keep me from looking at all the "owner-financed" houses. :-)

Lastly we have done some research and in the application process of infant adoption. I always knew that it was a long process, but I had NO IDEA how much paperwork that really involved! We are very excited to add another child to our family. However, with our current weight loss program underway we have decided to wait at least 3 months before heading full force into the process. With so many new things going on we want to wait and focus on the adoption next. We also hope and pray that maybe once we are both healthier we may be able to conceive our own little life.

Well, that about sums it all up for now. Going forward the post will most generally be about our everyday encounters. There will probably be many "I'm hungry" complaints, but who knows. ;-) I hope you all enjoy your weekend. I look forward to blogging more on Monday.

Oh, and feel free to comment and share other interesting blogs with me as I am "new" (again) to this blogging world.

Love to you all,

Liz