8th June 10
A few weeks ago Jude turned one. This is the story of his life:
What can I say – I’m a proud mama.
Videos
14th February 10
Nick,
You are the love of my life.
I am honored to be your wife.
When I was a little girl and dreamed of what an amazing Daddy would look like – the kind of man I wanted to marry – I wasn’t sure of all the attributes to include. Funny, sweet, caring, intelligent, handsome.
You’re all of those and more.
So for Valentine’s Day this year I wanted to give you more than the cologne you missed from Christmas. Here’s my gift from the heart:
lyrics of: “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
And for a stroll down memory lane… I just came across this Valentine to you from 3 years ago:
Our wedding day.
29th January 10
I’ve always had an affinity for gymnastics. My theory is it’s because it is one of the few sports where being short & petite is actually an advantage, and at not-quite-5ft I fit the prototype…. well, save for the bra size.
In fact, when my dad moved us up to Oregon by him when I was nine (it’s a complicated story), one of the first things I asked for was a membership to SuperKids Gymnastics. I’d been bugging my mom for years and would prance around in a leotard but my mom just couldn’t afford it.
I had big dreams. I mean, BIG. Like, Olympics B-I-G.
Alas…. what I found was that the 5 year olds were miles ahead of me and after only a year of weekly group lessons I quit and focused on sports I was more competitive in.
For a very brief time I tried starting again. But when I tried out in 8th grade and they placed me with a bunch of 3rd graders I gave it up for what I thought was the last time.
Until last week, when I found out Turner Hall offers adult gymnastics classes. *insert hallelujah chorus*
Okay… so clearly I’ll never be competitive in any sense of the word but I really love the feeling of flip-flopping around on cushy mats and attempting to fly through the air on the bars. And, although it’ll be awhile before I can even pull myself around a bar without support I am so excited at the possibility of having fun while exercising again.
I was thisclose to letting my fear and self-consciousness keep me from joining, but I didn’t. And if I were in therapy I’m pretty sure they’d call that a breakthrough.
Truthfully, I even surprised myself with what I could do:
A cartwheel, a round-off, a handstand (plus forward roll), a front handspring… and with a bit of assistance I even landed a few backflips.
From now on I will refer to myself as a gymnast. Ohhhh yeah. I can see my inner eight year old beaming with pride.
Sore doesn’t begin to describe how I’ve felt the last couple of days but it’s a great feeling to hurt this much and still want to go back for more. I’d like to believe that with some hard work I could do the splits (!!!) and a few beam tricks (!!!) again.
Thanks to FitMilwaukee and Tracy for inspiring me to push myself and try new things. :)
25th January 10
My good friend Michelle (also @eatingjourney) was the catalyst of my own weight loss. We went to high school together and I was shocked by her picture when we reconnected on Facebook in 2005 – I hadn’t seen her in several years and had no idea that she was practically half the person she had been.
I was depressed and at an emotional rock bottom over my continued failure. I had tried pills and plans… yet, I kept finding fast food wrappers piling up in the back seat of my car.
So, in desperation I sent her a message asking for some words of wisdom. What she shared was not a quick fix or magical cure, but a story of determination.
I’m not exaggerating at all when I say this: until I saw her photo I didn’t believe I could do it.
She gave me an injection of hope.
Suddenly the impossible was possible. The realization that I could unravel the layers of fat and find my true self was breathtaking.
She has struggled with self-image (like basically every.woman.I.know) but has fought back by exposing herself and finding that happiness is not found in achieving a specific number, but that living healthy and eating mindfully is a choice we can make anew each morning.
In case you can’t tell, I adore Michelle. In many ways I owe so much of my life to her.
Not because she lost a bunch of weight though.
Because she is truly kind.
And I love that she’s a fighter. Who is beautiful. And inspirational. And is on a mission to let women know it’s okay to love your body.
[Oh, and she has a fitness level of 4 out of 5. Kickass I tell ya.]
When I was in Oregon for Christmas we recorded a video:
If you’re looking for some other amazing women on an eating journey check out:
Jenn @ ExHotGirl
Mary @ AMerryLife
Jen @ PriorFatGirl
Carla @ MizFit
Veronica @ Roni’s Weigh
Angela @ OhSheGlows
Julia @ JewliaGoulia
Want more on this topic? Related posts:
The Naked Truth
Weigh-in Weeks 3 & 4
14th January 10
Baby Jude is 8 months old and is out exploring the world!
