Christmas Letter Update

I decided not to send out Christmas Letters this year, but decided to still do a Christmas Letter to update everyone on our lives over the last year.  But since I am not mailing cards, I decided to post it on my blog and share on Facebook.  So, hopefully most everyone will still get to see it (We may need to send a few special ones to Grandparents who do not use technology!)

So, here is our Family Update for 2013:

Glenn

• "Babysitting Computers" for IBM - will be celebrating his 20 years in the coming months
• Moved offices, cutting his commute in half - now only 10-15 minutes long! Yeah!
• Called as Membership Clerk for Brookwood Ward - so he is now the guy wandering around Sacrament Meeting counting all in attendance - sometimes he even has a little pink shadow following him "helping Daddy"
• Started attending Game Night with several men (mostly in our ward) a couple times a month
• Dealing with the loss of his Mother - Sharen Case - and planned her funeral.  We really miss her. 
• Playing Skylanders and Disney Infinity with Emma on the X-box 360 

Heidi

• Teaching Emma's Preschool
• Released as Primary Secretary after 5+ years
•  Joined Weight Watchers in April - has lost over 50 lbs
•  Going in for Carpel Tunnel Surgery two days after Christmas ... Finally!
• We were approved to adopt again - our profile is at https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/24602869/ourMessage.jsf 

 Emma

• Turned 4
• Completed 1st year of Preschool, and started 2nd year
• Finished potty training! Yeah (Mom is very excited about this!)
• Loves Pink, Purple, Cats, Hello Kitty, Unicorns, Horses, Cloths
• Quazi, her Imaginary Friend, has moved in with us. She is also often visited by several other imaginary friends daily. 
  

Looking Forward to 2014

• Visiting Disney World in May
• Taking Adoption/Fostering classes with DHS - looking at adopting older children.
• Emma starting Kindergarden in September

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Weight Loss Update

Current photo - down 51 lbs

Where I was last March

Last night at my meeting, it became official. I hit my 50 lb mark. That is I have lost 51 lbs since April 29th when I started Weight Watchers.  Yeah!

It is kind of ironic to me that I hit it now, as I have gone into the diet funk!  All of a sudden, it has become harder.  I am having a more difficult time eating right, not snacking, and tracking.  Especially the tracking.


I hate Tracking what I eat.  And when I say Hate, I mean it is the last thing I want to do, and what has always been my problem with Weight Watchers before.  For the past 6 months, it has been what has worked for me.  So while I hate it, it works and has helped me to lose this weight.  And it will be what works to help me lose more.  This 50 lbs, while a lot, is just the start.  I still have a lot to go, and I am determined to keep at it.



I have now met a few mile stones on my weight loss journey:  I lost 5% of my beginning body weight, 10% of my body weight, I now weight less then my husband (silly, but important to me), I have controlled my blood sugar to the point that my Doctor took me off of one of my drugs, my knees feel better and overall I feel better. 

I also noticed today on my walk that I am walking faster.  I returned to walk at a park that I have not walked at since Spring, and I walked further in less time. It is a more demanding walk then my usual (more hills), so when I had completed a longer distance then I was doing there last Spring, and looked at my time, I was surprised to find that I had walked less then the time I use to put in there. This is a good thing, as I am preparing for a 2 week trip to Disney World next May.  In our history, Glenn has always out walked me and made me exhausted by the end of each day.  A few weeks ago we went to the zoo as a family, and I out walked Glenn.  So there has been great improvement in my health.

My next goal is that I lose 20 more lbs by our trip.  I should be able to do it (if not exceed it) as that is 29 weeks away, so less then a pound a week.  I know I can do it!

Mom, I was so good!

 For the past several months Emma has been asking to take Ballet classes, just like Ruby (from Max and Ruby!)  We finally got her signed up last week, and today was her first class.  Last week we went out and found her a black leotard, pink tights and ballet shoes.  She put them on and said "Look Mom, I'm a Ballerina!" She was bummed when I told her to take them off, and that she is not allowed to wear her dance shoes at home, but happy to look forward to class.

 So we knew that Emma had one friend in class, but were excited to see that there was a second one as well.  Emma got to sit with her friend and dance next to her.  She loved her teacher, and really does wonderfully listening and following directions.

When class was over, they received a sticker with a hug and kiss from their teacher. Then Emma ran to me and said "Mom! Did you see me?  I was so good!"