Dear Jennifer Hudson (Weeks 47 & 48)

Dear Jennifer Hudson,

I need to catch you up on the past 2 weeks.

With regard to weight loss, the past 2 weeks have been polar opposites from each other.

In week 47 I continued on in my weight loss journey with determination and strength. I was consistent in exercise, and in my food choices. I attended the WW meeting prior to Thanksgiving, and we were given such AMAZING nutrition facts during that meeting. I was well educated and totally PUMPED to be successful through the upcoming holiday dinner. I had purchased a size "medium" dress about a month ago specifically for Thanksgiving. There were times in this past month that I wasn't confident in whether or not the dress would fit come Thanksgiving Day, but on more than one occasion when I was tempted to eat poorly, I would think about that size medium dress hanging in my closet, and it would motivate me to stay strong and make a healthy food choice. My efforts in the days/weeks/months...almost a year in fact...paid off! I rocked that size medium on Thanksgiving Day!!! :0)

However, I did not uphold my eating goals for actual Thanksgiving Day. Instead, per usual-Elzabeth, I sent my sound mind on holiday (as they say in Europe) for the holiday. I ate so much food on that Thursday! And in all honesty, I didn't even hold out until dinner to start the feasting. I was doing last minute prep-work for the event at my mom's house in the morning, and I began munching on anything and everything that looked tasty at that time. I messed up the whole the day. When I had mentioned on facebook some of the food I had consumed that morning, a friend had commented that it was OK, but that the hard part was just that we had to stick to eating bad on just this one day. Boy did her words ring TRUE! Thanksgiving was last Thursday, and now it's Wednesday...almost a whole week has passed, and today is the first day that I have been back on the WW program...and I say this VERY cautiously as the day isn't over yet...there is still PLENTY of time to mess up today as well!

Logically, I should have wanted to get back on WW the day after Thanksgiving. But in reality, I didn't really care. I had mindfully chosen to enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend doing all sorts of festive things...and eating all sorts of festive things. Can you say "leftovers!?!?"...

 

But TOMORROW, Monday, I was TOTALLY going to get back on the program!!! Things started out good. I went for my first run post-carving-fork-stabbed-in-the-foot-incident, and that went really well. I completed a 6 mile run without my shoe filling up with blood, and without turkey gravy clogging up my cardio vascular system! I thought I had Monday in the bag. Buuuuut at some point in the day cravings settled in...and at some point when temptation called, I answered! I wasn't nearly as "bad" as I had been in the prior days, but I was nowhere close to being a dutiful member of WW. TOMORROW I will be successful! TOMORROW I will flip the switch and the lights will come on!

However, the one and ONLY good choice I made on Tuesday was NOT weighing myself before my WW meeting. If I had weighed myself before my meeting, I am 99.9999999% sure I would have been too ashamed to show up! I had done it again...I managed to gain another record amount of weight...sigh. The meeting was really good, and again, I am so glad I went! But after the meeting, I did not get off of that slippery slope! What is wrong with me? 2 weeks ago I felt "healed" or "cured" from overwhelming temptations, but now I was back in that all too familiar struggle.

The weekend didn't scare me because I wasn't trying to be on the program. But now that I had tried...and failed...on Monday...And tried...and failed...on Tuesday...I was feeling a bit frustrated with myself. What happened to post-fast-Elizabeth? Where was the self control?

While I continue to lack self control, I am (slightly) encouraged to say that one thing hasn't returned since the fast....and that is "the crazies." While I can ask myself questions in my head like, "Where is my self control?"...it is a rational question. My thoughts aren't desperate. I'm not feeling super anxious. I can now ask myself these types of questions, and then answer myself (OK, maybe I am crazy, lol) with calm credible evidence.

The credible evidence is that yes, occasionally, I bite the big one (excuse the pun)...BUT in 2012 I have a history of eventually getting back on the program. It may take me a few days (or almost a week) but I DO bounce back. I don't need to get anxious because my story isn't over. This is not the end for me. If I mess up once, it doesn't mean that I am going to mess up every single day for the rest of my life. I have messed up a lot this year...but I am also down 50 pounds since the beginning of 2012, so I have obviously had more success in this year than failure. Occasionally I still need to remind myself of those things.

Soooo...yesterday's tomorrow is today. Today I have been back on program (so far). The day is not without it's temptations...but thus far, through the power of prayer, I have over come those moments of weakness.

That is all I can ask of myself for right this moment.

Thanks for listening J Hud! :0)

Your Biggest Fan,
Elizabeth

"Ready or Not, Here I COOOOOOME!"

Just like a good game of "Hide and Seek," I can hear the Christmas season calling from at close distance..."Ready or not, here I coooooome!"

My most recent Christmas seasons have left me feeling a bit like the hiding child. The anticipation of Christmas...each individual party, and the reason we celebrate to begin with (the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ!!) fills my heart with such excitement, merriment, and wonder!!! But Christmas...as a whole...ALL OF THE PARTIES/EVENTS together in one thought, can just about eat you alive!!!

However, this year, I am feeling a bit more optimistic about the overwhelming nature of the season. Mostly because, this year, I have a lot less responsibilities on my plate. In year's past, I have been an employee...I had the commitment of daily work, AND a holiday-work-party of some sort. For a few years, I was the director of MOPS at my church...again, there was the commitment of regular work, and that group alone brought with it 3.separate.Christmas.parties!

Without those 2 factors in my life this year, I am feeling like my holiday satchel is a LOT lighter! Don't get me wrong, we still have plans and parties and gatherings, but our little home/world is a lot more manageable/peaceful/calmer than in prior years. There is room on the calendar to go do something festive...just because. There is room on the calendar to make new traditions. There is room on the calendar...to just breathe.

Breathe in...peppermint.

Breathe out...hot chocolate.

Breathe in...pumpkin pie.

Breathe out...egg nog.

Aaaaaah...Christmas feels/smells/tastes WONDERFUL!!!

This week we had a taste of Christmas before AND after Thanksgiving. :0)

Before Thanksgiving, we went to Sea World for all of their holiday fun with 2-B and her crew...

 

 

 

 

My favorite part of that day was getting to ride the new roller coaster "Manta" for the first time with 2-B. :0)...

 

The kids' favorite part of the day was getting to play in "Snow World"...

 

 

We will definitely be going back to Sea World in the "just because" portion of our season...there were a few holiday shows that we didn't get to see this week...AND our Sea World passes expire in just 21 days. :0(

After Thanksgiving...the day after, to be exact...we continued a Black Friday tradition that we've upheld the last few years...nooooo, we did not go shopping. In our family, on Black Friday, we always take the kids to see a movie at the movie theater...

 

 

This year, the little girls started a new tradition with their Grammy (and Auntie Anna) of going out and buying their Christmas dresses on Black Friday. So for our movie experience, I was only responsible for my little man...

 

After the movie, and after we were all reunited as a family back at our house, we super excited to put up all of our Christmas decorations!!! :0)

One of my favorite corners...

 

This is "home" to me :0)...

 

We even got the lights hung up outside!

 

Beatrice hung the first ornament on the tree...a Beatle for the Beatle...

 

And then Wyatt had his turn...

 

The kids did 75% of the tree decorating all by themselves! Which of course has it's "pros" (total togetherness/cuteness)...

 

and "cons" (self explanatory, lol)...

 

We think they did a GREAT job!!!

 

Wyatt was quickly inspired to put his voice lessons to good use, and sing us many a Christmas carol...

 

The "party decorations" are now up...we are so excited to celebrate the birth of Jesus all month long!!!

Thankful for Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving festivities started a day early. While I was starting to cook some of the food the day before Thanksgiving, I thought I would revisit a fun idea I had done last year. As you must know by now, I am a HUGE "Peanuts" fan! I (heart) Charlie Brown!!! So while the littles watched "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," I made them the silly Thanksgiving lunch that was featured in the movie...

 

What carb-loving-person wouldn't gobble this lunch right up!?!? Such a fun treat!
 

On the actual holiday, my family hosted Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's house...

 

Girls-only please :0)...

 

Just my gorgeous turkey...

 

Before dinner, there was even more picture taking.

Some of the manly-men...

Some of the lovely-ladies...

Both of the little-ladies...

And Grammy with her girls...

 

These 2 just couldn't get it together...either of them kept closing their eyes!...

And Uncle Rick orchestrated a game of football with the boys...

 

 

Some pre-dinner eating included...

Rick's Famous Cheeseball, Sees Candy...

 

...and even MORE chocolate from Cousin Jay!!!...

 

Fancy-Shmancy stuff here folks!...

 

The tables were set...

 

 

 

The turkey was READY!...

 

And then "the incident" occurred. This was the 10th year Rick and I have hosted Thanksgiving, but this was the 1st year I carved the turkey. After carving said turkey, I laid the carving fork right next to the platter on the kitchen counter for a second. Right then, my brother's dog sneaks into the kitchen, and tries to snatch a piece of turkey right off of the platter ("BAD DOG!!!")...but instead, the dog's snout ever so slightly knocks the carving fork off of the counter, and then like in sloooooow moooooootioooooon, the carving fork sails to the ground (pointers-side-down) straight in to the top of my foot!!! OOOOOUCH! Insert gushing blood...Insert lots of pain...Insert too many questions from too many people ("WHAT HAPPENED!? ARE YOU OK!? WHAT'S GOING ON!?"). After processing in my mind what had just happened, and what I should do next (stop the bleeding!)...I was officially escorted out of/banned-from the kitchen, lol! Fortunately, there are MANY unlicensed "doctors" in my family, and I was well cared for...even with the varying opinions/"prescriptions" of what cleaning-of-the-wound techniques should be done (or not done.)

Reliving "the incident"...

 

A little prick...a little bruising...a LOT of drama, lol...

 

After "the incident" was wrapped up, it was EATIN' TIME!!!

 

 

Everyone was very excited to be eating!...

 

 

 

Wyatt had been looking forward to eating the drumstick for like a MONTH! His moment was finally here!!!...

 

After dinner, comes dessert...and would you believe...I didn't take a single picture of the desserts! How is that even possible!?!?! :0( "The incident" had obviously messed with my decision making. :0(

So after dessert...and after sharing what we were thankful for...Auntie Cheech had a surprise for the littles!!!

 

A Lego Advent Calendar for all of my little Lego addicts! :0)

Even with "the incident," it was a great evening with the ones we love. There was food...there was fun...there was family...a perfect recipe for a good time!