Adventures in Food, Family Time and Fun Feedback

I'm not sure how much, if any, weight I lost last week due to being sick.  When I stepped on the scale on Thursday I was down another pound, so I'm going with it.  It will be interesting to see what happens this week!  That night was the Light the Night Walk downtown.  I was so looking forward to walking with my Andy, Kristin, the kids and Kristin's family in honor of her nephew.  Her nephew is an amazing, inspirational little boy and I felt this was the least I could do to celebrate his courage with everything he has been through in the last couple of years.

So, I met my brother at my parents house so I could follow him.  Along with being somewhat inept in the kitchen, I am not the best at driving downtown - too many weird streets and one way stuff.  My nephew decided he wanted to ride with me which made me happy.  The fact that he wants to ride in my car and spend time with me makes me feel so special and loved.  My niece kept saying "mimi's car" but, since she's still in a car seat, she couldn't go with me.  I can feel how much they love me and it feels amazing!!

The walk is quite a celebration.  I rarely see Kristin's family so, when I did, their reaction to how much I've changed was so fun.  They told me how great I look and asked me how I feel.  I just kept saying, I feel amazing.  I'm not sure I can explain how great it feels to have people notice all the hard work I've put in to changing my life.  I love how good I feel about myself which, I know, translates to others in so many ways.

My family means the world to me and I love how much fun it is to not only be a part of their lives, but an active part!  I never used to want to move off the couch.  Now, I can't wait to go out and do active things.  Awesome!  Throughout the walk, I was chasing my niece and having "races" with her and pushed the (empty) double stroller.  All things I would not have done a year ago.  It's crazy to think back to a year ago and realize how far I've come.

Friday, I was feeling better still after my fun virus but my stomach was not enjoying food.  But, I powered through the best I could and just stayed bland with food.  I was looking for something bland I could make for dinner.  Renee' suggested homemade chicken noodle soup.  I thought, 'she's forgotten who she's talking to'.  My friend and co-worker tried to walk me through how to make it and I decided I would give it a shot.  I found what I needed at the store without too much difficulty (I was in shock too) and, later that evening, started my cooking adventure.  I ended up being pretty impressed with myself!  It wasn't that difficult to make and it tasted good!  Plus, it was the first thing that hadn't irritated my stomach in 3 days.  Guess it is possible for me to learn to cook - however slow of a process it might be....

Remember how I said compliments never get old?  Well, at Special Olympics practice on Saturday, several of the parents commented to me on how great I looked and how they almost didn't recognize me.  That kind of stuff just makes me keep smiling.  Positive comments and feedback are another cornerstone of my success.  Without them, it can be easy to lose your drive for a goal.  So, if you are reaching for a goal, share your story, the ups and downs and all pieces because the feedback you receive will keep you going for a long time.

Although the rest of my Saturday was lazy, I was looking forward to my first 5K on Sunday morning with a couple of my friends from school.... Would I be able to run the majority of it??