Ladies Day Apart

Today was a treat.

Being a stay at home mom to 3 little boys, I very rarely get time away from them.  When I do get time away, I need to make sure that I am grateful for it.

Today was one of those days.

The Women's Ministry Team from our church held their 'Ladies Day Apart' today.  Having never been to one of these before, and never even having heard of such a thing, I had no idea what to expect. 

I am shy and introverted.  I usually keep to myself, and to walk into somewhere alone, when I don't know what is coming, what I will be asked to do, etc...is not my favourite thing to do.

I am however trying to get out of my little box, and let God work in my life.

Today was a blessing.

My Mom came out to the house to watch the boys for me, and let me borrow her car(there is a much bigger story there, but we'll leave that for another day...needless to say, it was a blessing).  I had also arranged for my Father-In-Law to take my oldest son to his first softball game so he wouldn't have to miss it because Mommy was having 'ME' time.

 Another blessing.

When I got there (still nervous and feeling out of my element) I was blessed again.  This time by one of the other women of our church.  She had been given money to pay for someone who had not come, and so she looked to me and paid for me instead. 

God is so good.  He knows that funds are tight.

I grabbed a tea...a nice Vanilla Earl Grey...and a muffin and tried not to look so lost.  I took my seat and our day began.

There was prayer, beautiful worship songs that brought me to tears, a wonderful guest speaker who did two sessions for us, and two other ladies that did a session on Home Staging.  A lovely lunch was provided, time of fellowship, and communion together at the end.

The speaker was a woman by the name of Karen Brock.  She is a Pastor's wife, and a beautiful woman of God.  I really enjoyed listening to what God had put on her heart to share with us.  She touched my heart...many, many times.  Hopefully I will get a chance to post about that another day.

It was wonderful.


I am SO glad that I went. (thank you Hubby for signing me up)

Today was a blessing :)

Thursday is Fat to Fit Day!!

As you might remember, last week I joined up with the Fat to Fit Blog hop.

Well, its time for this weeks edition. So come on and link up!It is a great way to meet others on the same type of journey, be inspired, encouraged, and to do the same for others.Hope you come along.

Wednesday Weigh In (week 16)

WEEK 16!!

I am very happy with my weigh in this week.

We had a lot of company on Monday and there was TONS of food, but I stuck to what I knew was good, had a couple treats, didn't feel deprived, and was really happy with the day.

My week was like that. I paid attention to what I was doing, worked out 6 of 7 days, and stayed positive.

But, you never really know how the week is going to come out on that scale.
Down 2.6lbs!

That brings my total since rejoining WW to 20.2lbs!

(28.3lbs from my heaviest weight)

I also received my 16 week 'Stay and Succeed' charm from WW!

(I'll post a picture of it when I get a chance)

I am looking forward to getting my bronze key ring to put it on at my 10% goal which is now about 8 pounds away.

I hope your week is going well and that you keep moving forward on your journey :)

I can't wait...

I know that my weight loss journey will be a long one. How can it not be with almost 145 pounds to lose (119.2lbs to go)? I know it is a lifestyle change and that the changes I am making today are helping me to change my life. Each day that I continue on this journey I am one day closer to getting there.

Am I looking forward to reaching my goal?

ABSOLUTELY!

but....

I think that it is some of the 'bonuses' that I am looking forward to more than reaching that goal weight.

For example

To not be the fat mom!

(kids in school can be mean, and I never want to be a cause for heartache for my kids)

To be proud of myself!

(I know that I am probably harder on myself than anyone else. I want to be able to look at myself and know that I did it)

To have my husband and sons proud of me!

(they love me just as I am, but I know they will enjoy a mom that likes herself, a whole lot more)

Being able to be active with my family!

(right now I just don't have the energy, and don't desire anyone seeing the body I am currently in jiggling around..that could scare anyone)

Able to fit in a bathroom stall!

(and not the handicapped one)

(you know what I mean....you walk in then have to do some wild acrobatics just to get turned around to be able to sit down and do your business)

To shop for clothes in REGULAR stores!

(Shopping is one of the things I enjoy least right now, and I look forward to WANTING to go and buy some new clothes)

To fit in the changeroom and like looking in the mirror!

(it is not a pretty sight watching yourself try on clothes...especially if you've picked a size that's still too small)

To be able to wear matching pretty bras and panties!

(lace, bows, patterns...dare I say push up (lord knows that once the weight is gone the girls are gonna need some help!) and panties...well you can't call what I wear panties..that sounds much too dainty lol)

Or how about being able to sit COMFORTABLY in a theatre seat or on an amusement park ride!!

( I always pray that no one will sit right beside me in a theatre...hubby is on one side, but I prefer some space on the other side...otherwise I feel like I am overflowing into the other patrons seat.....and amusement parks...well, we haven't ventured there in years now)

Or to eat and not feel like others are judging me for eating 'that'!!

(I look forward to being the person that others look at and think...wow, how does she eat that and still look so good)

To be an encouragement to others!

(no matter where they are in their journey, no matter what their journey is, I want to show my kids and others that it is all possible if you just keep moving forward!)

Are there more?

Sure,

but we'll leave them for another day.

What 'bonus' are you looking forward to?

Fat to Fit Blog Hop

In my travels through other blogs I came upon Diminishing Lucy. She is on a weight loss journey and decided to create a weekly blog hop to link up others on their own journey. This is the first week I have participated, but I hope to do it in the weeks to come as well.So, if you are on a weightloss journey and wish to find some encouragement, tips, and much more, why not checkout some of these links.

I'm a Lucky Girl!

Over the last several weeks I have really enjoyed discovering new blogs. Blogs of SAHMs, WAHMs, Weightloss, Faith and so much more. They inspire me. They make me laugh, think, be thankful, and the list goes on. I have also been lucky enough to have a few of them come and visit my blog.

On some of these blogs they have Giveaways!! What a great thing! Hi, thanks for visiting my blog, here enter to win this fabulous.....! Now, I normal don't win anything, but I entered a few giveaways a couple of weeks ago. They were great products, and I thought......'what the heck'

Well as the title of this post says, I'M A LUCKY GIRL!!

Not only did I win one of those giveaways, I actually won TWO!!! I really want to share about them and the lovely women who gave them to me. So, with no further ado....


The first item I won is this children's book called "This Little Prayer of Mine" by Anthony DeStefano. It is a sweet book that lets kids know that God is always near, ready to respond to their requests. But they also learn that prayer is about more than just asking for things. It's about sharing their feelings, their sadness, their uncertainty and for giving thanks. It reminds them that they are loved, and that God will always care for them.

It is a beautifully illustrated book. I love the soft pallett of colours that Mark Elliott has used, and the pictures are easy for kids to identify with. A great book :)

This was a giveaway from Paula at Boogers and Burps. Don't you just love that name? Has to be a mom of boys right? Yup, 3 just like me :) Thank you Paula for this great giveaway. My boys and I love the book!

The second giveaway came from Jennifer at Mom vs The Boys. Yes, you guessed it, another mom of boys....and 3 at that! LOL

Her giveaway was this Lysol Healthy No Touch. I was expecting a small package, but when it arrived, this is what it looked like!! Makes a girl feel special:)

This is a great handsfree soap dispenser. You just place your hand under and it puts the soap right in your hand. It is sitting at our kitchen sink for all of those moments when your hands are slimy from raw chicken, or gooey from the cookie dough etc. It is perfect.

We have also placed one in our bathroom. This could provide great temptation for our boys, but they have been ASKED to refrain from playing with it. Truthfully, they have been really good with it, and it keeps them from turning the bar soap brown with all their dirt.

All in all, two fabulous products that I am thrilled to have won. Thank you ladies! I enjoy visiting your blogs and will continue to be a regular reader :)

May 19th Weigh In ( week 15)

Another week has come and gone and its time to get back on the scale. I was hoping for a good one, and am happy with my result. Down 2.4lbs. That brings me to 17.6lbs since I rejoined WW after Isaac, and 25.2lbs from my heaviest. I am back to what I weighed when I first got pregnant with Isaac. Finally.

It has taken me quite a while to get back to this point, but I am encouraged to be here. I KNOW I can do this. I am grateful for all of the people who have been willing to come and join with me to lose some weight. Hopefully we will inspire each other on our journeys.

I am looking forward to keeping that downward trend going!!

P.S.....do you know what 2.4lbs is? Three 0.8's!!!! LOL

The Newest Addition to My Blog

As you can see I have added a ticker to my blog. I have seen these on several other blogs and decided to figure out how to get one on mine as well. It took me a little bit, but I did it :) (obviously still an amateur at this blogging stuff)

I picked the snail and the grass because I felt that it is a picture of my weight loss journey. I may be losing at a snail's pace, but I am losing. If I just keep moving along, I will get there!

Now just to figure out what the heck a button is and how I make one !!

This Week's Weigh-In (week 14)

(no that is not me...thankfully my legs aren't that hairy)

Sorry it has taken me a few days to get in here and make this post. I will do better, I promise.

Now, I first have to say that in my previous post I said I had lost 15lbs...that wasn't entirely accurate. I had forgotten that with last weeks gain it had dropped me back to 14.4lbs lost.

This weeks weigh in was down 0.8lbs.

15.2lbs total so far.

S:281.8 C: 266.6 G:145

Atleast its down right? But does it have to be 0.8?

I have a love/hate relationship with that number.

Over the last 7 weeks I have either gained or lost 0.8 every week but one!

That one week that it wasn't 0.8, it was 1.6.....what is 1.6?

TWO 0.8's!!!!!

Needless to say I am ready to get away from that number.

Thankfully I am finally doing some regular exercise, and hopefully will see a better result for week 15.

This is Me. This is my journey.

Honest and Open

Today I have chosen to be honest and open.

This is what I posted on my facebook page today.

Here's the scoop.I joined weight watchers 15 weeks ago. The first couple weeks went really well, then I got off track. I have lost 15 pounds, but have a whole person to lose. It is easy to get discouraged . Today I decided that I am going to stop being embarrassed of my weight. I am going to tell you all that I have about 115 lbs or so that I still want to lose. Yikes eh?!

I will post every week (wednesday's)what my weigh in is. What I am hoping is that by being open and honest about where I am and how I am doing I will be able to keep myself more on track. If there is anyone out there that is trying to lose weight and get healthy, I would love it if you would keep in touch and we can motivate each other.

Honest and Open, Here I go.....

I am overweight.

By definition I am morbidly obese.

What ugly words.

I struggle with it, and have for years.

I have hidden the numbers from people for forever. I don't know why because to look at me, there is no way you wouldn't already guess. (not that you'd be guessing the numbers, but you would know that my weight is a definite issue) It is like if I didn't tell anyone the real numbers, I could deceive myself into thinking that people didn't think I was as big as I am.

I AM OVERWEIGHT.

At my heaviest I was 289.9lbs

(scarily close to the 300 mark)

I joined Weight Watchers.

(you have no idea how hard that was)

I got down to 264lbs and was really proud of myself.

Then I got pregnant with Baby #3.

(a BIG surprise)

This wasn't the only surprise in our year, and before I knew it I had regained all but 8 pounds.

(even more disappointing considering I had lost and additional 10pounds after having the baby)

When I rejoined Weight Watchers this time I was 281.8lbs

At my last weigh-in I was 267.4lbs

This is me. This is my journey.

There are days when the road seems incredibly long and endless.

There are so many pieces to this puzzle that I need to figure out. I know it is about so much more than just losing weight.

I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with my scale.

I am anxiously awaiting watching the inches disappear and smaller sized clothing finding their way into my closet!

I have goals....lots of them, but we'll make that another post.

But I will tell you that one of them is to look like this....

Are you on a journey?

Prayers please!

Yesterday I found out that a long time family friend has cancer. I prayed for him and his family. What a scary time in their lives. I thought about how blessed my family has been to be....knock on wood...healthy. I look at my boys and pray for their health and safety.

Today I was reading a blog that I read regularly. Her post was about another blogger who's 16 month old daughter has been diagnosed with cancer!! 16 months!! I prayed for them. Then I sat thinking about my boys. My youngest is only 10 months old, and it is a horribly scary thought to think that someone so young can be hit by such a horrible disease. Again I pray for the health and safety of my boys, my hubby, myself and our families. My heart hurts for all of those suffering, not only with cancer, but with anything that is causing hurt, pain and struggle in their lives.

Heavenly Father, I ask you to sending your healing power onto these people today and always. Fill these families with your strength, lift them up when they fall, encourage them, love them.

Please go and visit http://www.mypixiedreams.com/ and give them some love and support. It will be a long journey for them and we need to encourage them.

Happy Mother's Day

I wanted to share with everyone the wonderful handmade gift I received from my oldest son for Mother's day. He is in Grade One .

First of all a beautiful card....

with wonderful things to say inside.....

All mom's should be so lucky :)

I also received this unique "plant". The jar was decorated and the "flowers" made with much love :)

When he first came home he was horribly upset that some of the flowers had been damaged by the rain on his way home. However with much oooing, hugs and thank you's from Mommy, he beamed with pride at what he had made just for his Mom.

Priceless!

Thankful and Another Oops.

I must say that I am truly thankful. I have been doing some blog hopping lately and have been blessed to find many, many great ones. I am really enjoying seeing how other people deal with the ups and downs of everyday life. I have seen so many wonderful stories about kids, great craft ideas, funny things, sad things, great products, recipes, and the list goes on.





A lot to be thankful for right? Yes it is, but the real reason I am thankful is for the "perspective" that these woman (and some men) are showing me to have with my own life. I am going to choose to look at things differently.





I have decided that each week I will pick one of the blogs I have had the good fortune of stumbling upon and share it with my readers. (not sure how many of you are since I changed from my old blog, but hopefully you will return :))





I am starting this today with the blog that inspired my to change my perspective. Oops...There Goes My Mind is written by a mom of 5, 4 boys and 1 girl, and she is married to a deaf man. Delightfully funny. I hope you will go and visit her.

How are you looking at things today?

OOPS!

I just realized that the previous post on this blog was actually written for my other blog. Hope you enjoy it anyway :)

Tuesday May 4th

Today I am going to keep it simple......

I am grateful for....

Rainbows

My baby's favourite facial expression

Our six year old He-man

Brotherly Love

and that with the right perspective.....

even a weed can be beautiful.

Discovering my yard

We moved into our house back in September and I just realized yesterday that we have Lilac bushes....3 to be exact!!!

So today I went on a quick little tour of discovery and found......

a couple of Peonies....

a hydrangea....

two of these beautiful bushes.....

and several hundred of these.......

There are a bunch of other bushes and plants that I have no idea what they are, but I'll find out and take some better pictures once the flowers start to come out.