Grammy's Birthday Bash...

This is our Grammy Pat Price. She is Terri's Mom. She just had a birthday, and we all got to go to the party. Last Sunday (April 20th) all the Prices that live in Utah went to the Chuck-A-Rama in Ogden to celebrate 71 years of our favorite Grammy's life. She probably won't like that I told you how old she is. But I think she looks great.

This is picture of the big table. All the cool people sat at the big table. Don't we all look well fed and happy to be together? It was a lot of fun for everyone to pick their own favorite foods for Grammy's birthday.

This is the teenage table. In order to be allowed to sit here you had to have your hand on a cell phone with unlimited texting and pictures. The cool people didn't qualify. But all the teenagers wished Grammy a happy birthday, and not one of them used their cell phone to do it. I think I even

saw them give a few hugs.

Charlie even came to the party, and he sat at the cool table.

He got to hold a big glass of Sprite and his Nana fed him Jello.

I think he liked it. He just couldn't figure out how to chew it.

We'll have to practice.

Noteworthy of Praise... OK we WON!!!

Well after 12 weeks and competing against 126 teams (teams of 2) in five states... the tabulations are in and... WE ARE THE BIGGEST LOSERS!!!

Terri works at Icon Health & Fitness and they have sponsored a Biggest Loser Contest 3. Before it even started, I really didn't want to be bothered by the whole thing... Terri and Heidi were going to do it originally and that was fine. Then at the last minute (and with a little bit of prodding), I thought that I would give it a try. Much to Heidi's shagrin...

The journey started on January 7th and I weighed a humpback whale size of 270 lbs. Terri weighed... well... you know.... about... none of your damned business... she was overweight...OK ? I thought I was going to die that first weeks... my kids said I was cranky and I find that not to be true... I'm just not that way?!?!? After two weeks, I could have eaten my own arm off... Then the first weigh in day came on Jan. 21st. I will never forget the feeling and only wished I could have seen and captured the look on my face when I had lost 16.2 lbs!!!

That is what tipped the scales, so to speak. It was that day, that I decided that I could lose weight. WOW!!! After that, I committed to get serious about the whole deal... We lost combined weight EVERY week (the only team to do so) after that.

On April 7the we weighed in and we ended up being the ICON BIGGEST LOSERS!!! It sounds like such an insulting title, but we are a wee bit proud of that.

We have eaten like little bunnies and birds and have been noticing that we have sprouted tail feathers and have grown bunny hair on our backs and bellies. There was no sodas, sugar, and at the last few weeks, no fruits. We have been hitting the "stay put" workout... ya know were you get on this stupid machine and walk in the same place? BORING!!! Thank God for Creedence Clearwater Revival CD's for motivation!!!

When it got a little warmer, we took to the streets and found that the side hills of Mendon could be a little steeper that we wanted, but we averaged 2 - 4 miles per walk and it was so much more entertaining.

I climbed on to this other stupid machine that had about 3 inches of dust on it and of which my previous best total time was 40 seconds. You know it was a machine called a Cardio Glide??? I never thought that a body could hurt so bad because of a stupid squat thrust motion!!!

We had two weekly successes during our journey... Every week the contest organizers would give out a $100 gift certificate for Sam's Club for the team that lost the greatest amount of averaged weight percentage... We won that once on Jan. 28th and then again, on March 24th. We also took 2nd place, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th, one time each. So we were always up there...

But were noticing things. Our waistlines and other body parts started disappearing. Our faces and necks started getting skinnier. I could now see my feet! WE were getting skinnier and after all was said and done, we felt better!!! It was getting easier to eat better although it wasn't always popular.

We are proud of what we have accomplished... and we lived happlily ever after!!! End of blog entry...

Oh... you want to know the results??? How silly of me!!! How could I have put that off 'til the last? I apologize for being so insensitive...

When all was said and done, the final figures were as follows:

1. Terri lost a total of 50.8 lbs.


2. Eric lost a total of 60.8 lbs.


3. Terri lost a total of 18.81% of her body weight.


4. Eric lost a total of 22.52% of his body weight.


5. Eric and Terri lost a total of 111.6 lbs.


6. Eric and Terri lost an combined weight percentage of 25.762%.


7. 25.762% was the winning number for the Biggest Loser 3 Contest.


8. Second place was 21.631%. Yep, we smoked 'em!!!


9. My blood pressure was 100 / 68 at the doctor yesterday. Cholesterol to follow.


10. Eric and Terri won $1000 for their efforts...
    

Now it is necessary that we tell you that this wasn't easy and over the past twelve weeks, my language has been described as being a little too colorful.

Listed below is a Top Ten New Swear Words Used by Uncle Eric... Here it goes...

#10 - Cardio Glide

#9 - Water

#8 - Points

#7 - Carbohydrates

#6 - Protein Diet

#5 - NO!

#4 - Treadmill

#3 - Weight Watchers

#2 - Salads

And the #1 New Swear Words Used by Uncle Eric is:

SOUTH BEACH!!!

It is important that I acknowledge at this time, the driving force behind the whole idea, the regimine, the meals, and the exercise incentive... that is my sweet wife, Terri. She was always pushing, prodding and stern with me and her... She was great!!! Thank you, Terri... I love you!!!

Great Grampa Fred has a great day

Yesterday was not only a great day for an inspiring General Conference (don't you just love President Monson???), but it was even better when a liitle red headed boy, Charlie Bradshaw, and a old crippled man, Great Grampa Fred Bowen, met for the first time. Dad's excitement was something I haven't seen for many years.

Dad was in full "trying to whistle" mode most of the time, but it was so cool to see him hoot and holler, try to whistle, yodel, let out a laugh, and he even gave out a Tarzan yell or two.

Charlie and dad would look at each other and Charlie would respond with a GOOO. while GG Fred would respond right back. He would reach out to touch him and ask, "whacha been doing?" or "where ya been" repeatedly. That is what he used to always say to my kids when they were babies.

We even had him yelling out "Charlie"!!! He would reach out and touch his feet. He yelled out, "Buddy, Buddy, Buddy" a couple of times too. Then out of nowhere, he would go, "BOO! it was really funny to listen to him.

He was so excited!!! Like I said before, I haven't seen him so responsive in years. I was so proud of him and it was so great to see (although I seemed to have horribly blurry vision... OK I was bawling) but to see him respond to the presence of of a babe was inspiring. I really think that they were communicating spirit to spirit. There was a light in both of their eyes today. It was joy defined...

We got several four generation and family pictures while we were there. (Betsy was having a little cat nap here but I'm told that we have better pictures) I will add them as I get more.

I even took some precious video of his reactions to Charlie that will be forever cherished but they are too big to publish on this blog... perhaps I can solicite Dave's help to get a "photoshopped" edited version to publish in the future.

All in all, it was a great, proud, happily tear-stained cheek day. I just shake my head in wonderment as I watched his excitement.

I don't think that Great Gramma June was excited by any means either. She must have thanked us a thousand times after... (ya know... that halvziemer's stuff...)



She (they) were one happy couple today!!!

The only sad part is that we could get the old man to sing "Big Black Dog". I know it's in there dad!!! I can still hear it in my heart.

We'll close for the time but thought that we would leave just a couple more pictures just to show you that we were all happy that day... I even wore my tape measure so I feel like I could measure up!!! A real Kodak moment... eh?

Thank you Betsy and David! And thank you little Charlie for making all of our days... you were our joy today!!!

And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.
And when he had done this he wept again;
And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.

(Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 17:21 - 23)