Posted on Mon, Aug. 11, 2003

Airman gets a not-so-big surprise

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Every time Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gus Stevens returned home after being deployed, his wife, Kelly, gave him a gift. And since he enjoys woodworking, it was usually a tool for his workshop.

But this time when he returned recently from Iraq, the present was a new wife. Well, not new, but a definitely changed wife.

Everyone loves a makeover story, and this is a dandy.

Kelly Stevens, 39, mother of a 7-year-old boy, thought a size 18 was too big for someone 5 feet 1 ½ inches tall. So, she decided her husband's absence was the time to concentrate on shrinking.

"I just wanted to blow him away when he got back," she said.

Mission accomplished.

Gus left on Feb. 28 and returned July 19.

Before he came home, she sent him an e-mail photo of herself showing her new look.

"I was on the phone with him when he opened it. He's a very stoic person, but when he saw it, he said, 'Whoooa!' " Kelly told me, laughing.

He made the same comment when she hugged him on the runway when he returned to Wichita.

Now that's she's even thinner than when she and Gus got married, she has noticed it's more fun to go to the lake. "I'm wearing a two-piece swimsuit for the first time in 20 years!" she said.

Kelly also said she takes more pride in her overall appearance.

"I had contacts before he left, but I usually wore my glasses. I thought, what's the difference? But now I care and have pride in my appearance. I get my nails done and changed my matronly hair," she said.

She is enjoying shopping, buying sizes 4 and 6 instead of 16 and 18. "I can shop in the junior department if I want to."

At this point, you're probably wanting to know just how Kelly lost her weight.

She went on the Atkins diet. She exercised by getting on her StairMaster, doing sit-ups, lifting hand weights, walking, biking and swimming when possible.

Darn. Once again, no magic bullet, pill or patch. But Kelly says the support of her friends and co-workers at Plaza Real Estate was invaluable.

"And our son has been great. He said to Gus, 'Isn't my Mom pretty?' " she said, getting misty-eyed.

Gus says he's also very proud of her. "But I wanted her to do it for her, not for me. She really did do good," he said.

"It was still a surprise even though I'd seen the picture. It was really overwhelming. Now she is a lot more energetic, and I have to keep up with her," he said.

And Kelly said she's flattered by the attention.

"I have noticed that when I walk through a room his eyes follow me. That never happened before," she said.

Then with a big smile and a giggle she added: "I like it!"