why THANK YOU, everyone!

I cannot tell you how happy it made me to receive so much encouragement! I am truly glad to have made progress here in this so interesting endeavor. I am just glad that I have FINALLY decided to do something about my weight. Night after night, week after week, year after year...I would go to bed, and say to myself: Tomorrow I am going to do better. Yet...the tiredness, the busy pace, the demands on a mom...I would just have something good...a reward, a small stack of cookies with that afternoon coffee, some chocolate....and it added up. Not to mention that carbohydrates I filled up on with all the morning sickness through the years....I remember thinking about exercise when I was so busy my head was spinning, and it was almost funny. Why on earth would I want to exercise when I barely found time to go to the bathroom, the laundry was stacked in mountains, and the sink overflowing? When the bedrooms were becoming huge projects (cleaning, not re-decorating), the couch monster was dominating the livingroom, the books were all horizontal on the shelves, the socks needed finding, then washing, then matching....then the nursing baby, which actually was always first on my list, of course.....and the busy toddler into the toothpaste....and appointments (I have three kids who have had braces, orthodontist visits are BLAH and frequent)....anyway...those days, it just wasn't feasible for me to spend the time walking, other than occasionally. I went to the pool once in a while. But whenever I did something, someone else had to take over the burden of what I usually took care of. And it just wasn't easy. Now is a different season in my life, and I am thankful that it is working for me to be able to leave and go on my walks and get to the pool....and that I am able to be free from using snacks and yummy things as comfort and reward...it is a process though....

Today is chilly and rainy again. I guess it is the nineteenth day in a row with rain in this region. It is cloudy and overcast, but the birds are still singing and the grass is still growing. I went on my walk this morning, third day in a row going before the kids got up. I am going to be busy today with the little boy I am babysitting, plus these two, and won't be able to leave. Then there is Mali's trackmeet in the afternoon....

Suzanne, Jonathan, and Charlotte Claire went to the pool with me yesterday afternoon. It is hectic to go to the pool after being shopping, and before dinner, but it feels so good to swim.

Sonja got a gift certificate for the local pizza place as a birthday gift. I was planning to take her there with some of her friends and a few sisters, but she said she wanted to share the pizza with the whole family...so we had pizza last night. She said it is more cozy at home with everyone. I thought that was very sweet of her. We rarely get pizza from there, so it was a treat for the kids. I had a half a piece, then salad with taco meat. I SO could have eaten a few slices. Oh, it was yummy. There are times when it seems so difficult to keep my goal in mind. But then the temptation passes, and I am fine. More than fine, it really feels good to know I have done the right thing for myself.

I have swept the floors and done some laundry and cleaned up the table from breakfast and straightened the shoes near the door...and here I sit...I should be doing more things before the little boy gets here, he is already three minutes late....oh well. This is more fun.