Married to my best friend for almost 35 years. We have 4 kids—2 biological daughters who are 33 and 34, and 2 sons—22 and 24–whom we adopted from Russia when they were 2 and 4. Our only grandchild just turned one, and I can’t wait until she gets older so we can talk and do more things! I retired three years ago from being a middle school ELA teacher for 27 years. I loved it and my kids, but I’ve had 19 surgeries/fusions/replacements since 2005, and retired b/c of my health. I have an unnamed genetic bone disorder, and I also have Ehlers-Danlos (a connective tissue disorder), neuropathy, and arthritis, so I have chronic pain and never know when my back will go “out.” I also have depression, anxiety, and hypothyroidism, and all this—plus my addiction to sweets—led to serious weight gain. I’m a yo-yo dieter, and I’m much better at losing than maintaining. I lost 50 pounds when I joined FS in January, 2019, but I hurt my back in November of that year and stopped working out/taking care of myself. Hurting my back and COVID are two reasons, but the bottom line is that stopped taking care of myself. I love dogs—have 2–and also have a cat. We just moved after 28 years in our starter home to a beautiful home on 5 acres. Unfortunately, half of our old house is still in boxes and at a storage unit! Finally, we are Christians. I love God and am so grateful for all that he’s done in our lives. I hope to continue to lose weight, work out, lift weights, and become physically and mentally stronger. I’m VERY grateful for all the support, advice, recipes, and humor I’ve found here, and I’m very glad to be back. 😊🎈