Proud Moments

Today has been filled with such wonderful, proud moments. I'm bursting!  What a blessing it has been.

Our son, Cody joined the US Air Force 8 1/2 weeks ago.  There were some challenging times in his teenage years and we had some struggles and wondered if we were doing things right as parents.  This morning, we got up at 5:30 am and stood on the side of a road at Lackland AFB in the drizzly fog waiting to see a glimpse of our "man" as the squadrons and flights ran past us yelling cadence.  What a proud, proud moment when I first saw him running past.  He spotted us, smiled and gave us the Hawaiian hang loose, or what's up sign as he ran past us.  Ugh, the pride that filled us is unexplainable!  That was SO Cody to do that!!!  But we still were unable to hug him or talk to him.

Next was the coin ceremony.  This ceremony symbolizes these young men and women going from Airmen Basic (trainees) to Airmen.  Anybody who is, and was in the US Air Force are considered Airmen.  Including my handsome hubby!  This is a huge accomplishment for these Trainees.  The ceremony was very touching and wonderful to watch.  At the end, the spectators (mostly parents, grandparents, wives and girlfriends) were dismissed to Tap Out our Airmen.  This is where they stand at attention, and we get to walk up to them and tap them on the shoulder so they can relax.  Yea, there was NO tapping on the shoulder.  It was mostly mom's bawling and yelling and hugging and sobbing.  Another amazingly proud moment for us as parents.  To walk up to your son, while he is standing at attention and getting to hug him for the first time in 8 1/2 weeks is one of the most amazing feelings in the world. 

Since he left, I have been working really hard to lose as much weight as possible.  As we were walking to the car, I was walking ahead of him and he said, "dang Mom, what do you weigh now.  You are like anorexic."  It was an exaggeration, but I took it as a huge compliment.  :)

Another proud moment:  We were driving in the car, just talking and listening to him tell us stories of his time at Basic Military Training or BMT.  He said, "I haven't told you this before, but I have to tell you now.  THANK YOU for raising me the way you did and teaching me to have manners and have respect.  There are guys here that you can tell didn't have the parenting they needed.  Even teaching me and making me do laundry and stuff."  WOW!  What a proud moment that was.  All the struggles and questioning as parents these past years was just answered in those two words.  THANK YOU. 

That smile on his face.  Our son in a USAF uniform.  The respectful way he talks to those around him.  Hearing him say, "I love you Mom!"  I am just bursting with pride at this young man, this hero God has blessed us with, and allowed us to raise.  Thank you, GOD for these three amazing children you allowed us to have and raise.  ONE VERY PROUD MAMA!

AMEN!

2013~ Here's to a great year!

It is now 2013!  Wow!  I look back and reflect on 2012 and all that happened. 
Some highlights:
Our oldest son graduated from high school in the spring of 2012. 
Our daughter got her first job working at a day care.
She is also officially legal to drive by herself!
Our youngest son got to play baseball and football.  He is Mr. Sports so we all had a blast with this!
I got a job.
I finally got into a size 12 jeans.  Then they became too big....into a size 10, then they became too big.  Now, HELLO size 8!
We bought a new car.
Our oldest son left for Air Force basic training on Nov. 27th. 

Let's start with the last highlight. 
Our son is gone!  I think that was the hardest thing I've gone through in my life!  Throughout his middle school and high school years we had our struggles. To watch him swear in as an Airman of the United States Air Force, as a man, made both Jason and I SO proud of who he has become.  The caring, loving, sweet man that I have loved for over 19 years!  We have said that he is a turtle....Hard on on the outside, but soft and squishy on the inside.  :) 
Christmas was really tough this year with him gone.  I tried as hard as I could to be the happy person I usually am, but could not find my "happy place".  I was really depressed over the holidays and am happy they are over.  Now, only 17 days until Jason and I travel to San Antonio to hug our airman!
Oh, our sweet daughter is growing up also.  She got her license and is now driving herself to work and school.  As nerve racking as that was, I know (because the bible tells me so) that worrying does me no good so I am trusting God to keep her safe in her travels.  It's actually been really nice to not have to go get her from school and work! 
Our youngest son.  He is just full of spunk and personality.  He keeps us laughing all the time.  When did my baby get so big?  He'll be 12 in April! 
So, now it's 2013!  I have officially lost 77 pounds.  I'm feeling great and am only 10-15 pounds from my goal.  (I have a goal that I KNOW I can reach and a goal I WANT to reach, which explains the 5 pound difference)  :) 
Things to look forward to in 2013:
Seeing my son in 17 days in his Air Force uniform and giving him a hug after 8.5 weeks away from him!  Spending 4 whole days with him.
Our daughter will become a senior, and our youngest will enter middle school. 
Wow, when did this all happen?
To those young people out there, BELIEVE it and DO IT when OLD people tell you to enjoy life because it'll pass before your eyes!  It's the truth!
THANK YOU JESUS for the blessings of 2012 and the blessings You already have in store for us in 2013! 

Dashing through the....Holidays.

My THIRD holiday season that I've been on some kind of weight loss/control program.  It's getting old, but will all be worth it in the end. 
Halloween candy.  Had just a few pieces of taffy that night.  Otherwise, didn't touch the stuff! 
Thanksgiving is next.  Pumpkin pie, gooey sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, oh my.  I have already decided that since I'm cooking it all, I can tweak the recipes a little and make them all a little healthier this year.  Am I supposed to be eating most of it while on my "plan"?  No.  Am I going to eat it, YES! 
What I'm learning through all of this.  Life is not about food.  In fact, I really hate food.  I wish I didn't ever have to eat.  Life would be so much easier.  I hate the fact that we HAVE to eat every day, and to make the choices of what to eat every day.  If I had my way, I'd never eat.  I know, I'm totally opposite of the majority of people.  I listen to friends talk about their food addictions and I just don't understand.  This is one of the many reasons I love Slimgenics.  They tell me what I have to eat each day, and each day I check them each off.  No, they don't give me specific foods to eat, but I get to pick from a list.  I like this!  Makes eating a little less of a chore. 
As of now, I am officially down another 15 pounds....65 total from two years ago at this time.  Two years ago if you would have asked me if I thought I'd ever be in a size 10 jeans, I would have laughed and said it was not likely.   Now, as I sit here in my loose size 10's, looking at the BMI calculator I realize for the first time in years, I'm officially out of the OBESE category.  (Not sure who makes these calculators, BTW).  Yes, it's been worth the struggles and frustrations.  It's been worth passing up on the goodies. 
On a totally different subject:  My baby (who will be 19 on the 20th) will leave us on the 27th.  Reality is setting in, and as the days get nearer, I get sadder.  I can't believe my son is leaving, and will most likely never come back for more than just a quick visit.  Not exactly sure how I am going to deal with this when it comes.  :(
BRING ON THE HOLIDAYS and NEVER forget the true meaning of Christmas!  Jesus IS the reason for the season.  Thank you Jesus, for with you, ALL things are possible! (including diets and grieving) ;)

Up I Climb

I'm climbing this mountain, one step at a time.  There are challenges along the way, but I'm working hard and defeating them.  I have lost over 6 pounds so far (I haven't weighed in today).  I'm so excited and never before did I imagine that I could weigh less than I did in high school.  I am officially 10 pounds away from what I weighed on our wedding day.  If when I make my goal, I will weigh what I did in Grade school.  I also was able to buy a size of jeans that I haven't been able to fit into since grade school!  And they fit!  I just want to turn my jeans inside-out and wear them like that so everyone can see the size. 
I have been watching the "pounds lost" graph on Spark People that I get to update (almost daily) and it is rapidly moving downward.  How exciting!  I also made the board TWICE at my weight loss clinic for losing over 3# in a week and hitting my 5# mark.
A new challenge.  I'm leaving for a week to do a little travelling with my mom.  Travelling = restaurants and not so healthy foods.  If you read my previous post, I'm a planner.  So, as best I could, I have researched restaurants and their foods and have made a plan of the kinds of foods I can eat and which ones I should stay away from.  I am taking lots of my snacks, sweeteners, and other things to help me along also. 
I can do this! 

Can't wait to come back after the week and weigh in....or maybe I can wait.  :(  I just need to never lose focus on God's strength! 

The Organized One~I Love Binders!

It's been four days since I started my new weight loss plan.  Yesterday was HORRIBLE!  (just ask my family!  I promise I didn't yell at them.  I just didn't say anything, to anyone.  I just wanted to cry.)  Not because I was hungry.  Not because I hadn't lost any weight yet.  I realize now, after getting a really horrible night's sleep, but waking up to wonderful rain, that it's because I am OBSESSED with being organized and being a planner.  I was overwhelmed with information last night after my informational class. (duh?) I was frustrated that I was not given the "plan" details right away when I started this and then given them last minute and I hadn't planned my meal for the next day so had to run to the grocery store last night to pick up some things.  I was in panic mode. 

I spent the entire evening with all the paper work sprawled out in front of me, my laptop opened right beside all the paperwork and me sitting in front of it all trying to wrap my brain around the whole thing.  I was also angry at myself for having to pay lots of money to lose weight and be healthy.  I prayed a lot.

This morning was a fresh start.  I got myself a binder (I LOVE BINDERS!) and organized all my paperwork.  I wrote out my menu for the day, divided up all my daily supplements, snacks, etc and then I was ready to take on they day.  I even spent a few hours in our bedroom cleaning, putting things away, ironing, organizing, etc.  (where did that energy come from!!!??) 

I went and weighed in then.  Down 3 pounds!  Life Is Not Easy.  Nothing about it.  If it were, you wouldn't need God's help, right?  But if you work hard at it, with God's strength (see previous post) you can do anything.  (see Eph 4:13)

Thank you God for your strength, and for binders!

Making a Change, with God's strength

I decided to make a change...again.  Thank goodness for His new mercies every morning!

As I sat reading over our new bible study and preparing to facilitate this coming Tuesday, I realized several things. 
First of all, I am NOT a teacher.  I don't like to teach, I don't want to teach.  I already knew this, but was just reminded again.  I will bake you cookies any day of the week, but I will not teach.  Unless, of course, I'm asked.  Which I was.  So, here I am, preparing to "teach" our new bible study.  Teach really isn't the right word though.  I like to think of it as facilitating.  Merriam-Webster defines it as:  to make easier.  to help bring about.  I define it as:  reading the questions and letting others answer.  :)  I can read.  I can do this...with God's strength!  Moses is my best friend through this.  I keep remembering his words in Exodus 4:10-12
But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”
THAT, my friends, is comforting to me!

I have also started a new weight loss program to hopefully get me off this ginormous plateau I've been walking on for the past two years.  I have taken my doctor's suggestion and finally bit the bullet and paid lots of money for someone to tell me what I'm doing wrong.  Not really what I wanted to do, but I wanted answers, so here I am.

I sat praying this morning, and one of my favorite verses kept creeping into my mind.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.  Phil 4:13 

It got me thinking about God's strength.  When I think of strength, I think of someone flexing their arm muscles, because this is what I was taught in Sunday school, and I've watched it being taught in vacation bible school and Sunday school since.  But there is so much more we can take from this one verse and God's strength. 

For me, I am praying for both His physical strength and His spiritual strength.
I need His physical strength to help keep me on my weight loss journey and to guide me when I want to stray.  To give me the energy I need to be physically active.  To give me the strength I need when I want to give up. 
I need His spiritual strength to help me grow closer to Him.  To search for Him in all I do.  To learn the things He wants me to learn and to open my eyes so that I will see all these things.  He is working in our lives every day, every hour, every minute, but do we stop and realize that this is all from Him?  I know I don't. 

So, today my prayer is for strength that only comes from Him.  To do the things He wants me to do.  To learn the things He wants me to learn.  To slow down and really listen to what He wants for me. To become more like Him. 

As I was thinking of God's strength, I did a search on it in the bible and came across more of these wonderful verses about his strength:

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  1 Peter 5:10


  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12:10


...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:31

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26

May you find a "word" or an attribute of God's that gives you comfort this week also!

A new beginning...again!

I feel like I just keep repeating the cycle. 
Fall. 
A new beginning. 
     The kids start back to school.  The leaves begin to turn to beautiful colors, new bible studies begin, the evenings begin getting cooler and cooler as the days go buy.  The thought of holidays fill my mind.  But the biggest change that seems to be repeating each fall, is the fact that I really need to focus on my health.  Eating healthy.  Getting my fitness minutes in.  And, if I'm lucky, losing weight.  Luckily, over the summer I did not gain any weight, but I didn't really lose any either.  (I really don't consider 2 pounds losing weight). 
     Now that the kids have been in school for several weeks and I've gotten into a semi-routine, it's time for me to be dedicated to getting my workouts in.  Not that I haven't exercised this summer.  It's just been in different forms.  Hiking, walking outside, running errands all day with kids, swimming, etc.  So now to decide if I want to do one of my MANY workout dvds, one of my workouts on our Xbox Kinect, or have a visit with my trusty friend downstairs, Henry (the treadmill).  I guess I will decide in the morning. 
     Still so frustrated at the fact that I have logged 5884 minutes of exercise for the year and my goal was 2700 for the entire year and I haven't been losing any more weight.
     Let the "new beginning" begin.