Dear Taulbee cousins, I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I want to thank all of you for shareing your family information and all the wonderful tidbits of stories and research that comes to me though this hard working site. I took up looking at my family tree for several reasons but one reason stands out. I need a hobby that didn't take so much out of me physically. I was getting fat and tried. Last year I got up to 331 pounds and I fell down on some black ice in the parking lot were I work. I had gotten to the place where I could barely make it from the parking lot to inside with out stopping to get my breath. It took four people to get me off the ground and back inside. When the ambulance came the attendant were two women and when they saw me they called the fire department to come so that they could load me up. Yes the whole fire department came out to load me up on a streacher and put me in the ambulance and they followed us to the hospital to take me out again. Lucky me it was not broken but the pain and effort took a lot for me to bear. I went to the doctor for my poor knee and when he saw me he let me have it and I guess I had it coming. I had two nasty red places on both my shins and he told me if I didn't do something about my weight or if I got fatter I could expect to lose one or both my legs in a 5 to 10 year period. Well, cousins what does that have to do with our family? It just this. I look like and I am built like my mother. Who also looks like and is built like her mother who was a Taulbee. My grandmother Sabina Ann Taulbee Smith did look and take after her father Henry Wayne Taulbee. All of us are some what short and wide and subject to obesity. Recently, I have had to attend some funerals in my mother side of the family and you can divide us up as to what side of the family we all take after by our body shapes. In my generation I am the tallest woman with this shape ( 5'5"). Now I had to pick which did I want my legs or my stomach. I don't suggest that everyone that is is suffering from obesity do this but I started to check out having a gastic-by-pass. Last year at December 2 I had this surgeury. It's been a bit over a year and I want to tell all of you that even though I had some serious problems at first and almost died twice I would do it again. Today, I weighed myself and I am almost to my goal weight of 150. I am now 188 pounds. Yes, this is true I am looking at the New Year with a New Body that is 143 pounds thinner. If any other Taulbee cousin is facing a problem with obesity and has questions about what I went though please feel free to drop me a line at bc_all@yahoo.com and I will be happy to tell you all about what I went though and tell you all the gory details but for now I want all of you to know that I am much better physically and I do get around now without shortness of breath. I expect that as I get to my goal weight that I will be taking time to go to the library and finally be able to check out some sites even go to some graveyards. I look forward to finally extend my hobby and being able to participate more fully in the reseach of our family. May God be with you all at this Holiday Season. With warmest regards, your cousin, Belinda C. Allender PS. I live near Nashville, in the Wilson County area of TN. If any of you near me to check out anything in this area just drop me a line and I will see what I can do. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos - Get your photo on the big screen in Times Square