The dress is BIG

What a great feeling! About 7 months, we got fitted for bridesmaid dresses (always a bridesmaid ..... ) and they finally came in. My brother gets married on News Year Eve! I would not let them order a size down even though I was planning on losing weight. I tried the dress on and it is big! I am happy to pay for the alterations! I was not as active with the exercise portion of the 12 week program but am anxious to continue on. With about 13 weeks until the wedding, I am going to commit myself to keeping on with the program.

Thanks so much Chris for the opportunity to be a part of this test group!

Set Backs

I made it home safely but the car suffered a set back. It seems I have some sort of internal transmission problem so the shop is in the process of taking my transmission out to find the broken pieces. It all adds up to me being out of cash quickly! I am still awaiting the final total.

The rains up north over the weekend and changing weather here have caused pain in the foot that had surgery. I was told the weather changes would affect me but doc assures me that goes away with time. It has sidelined me from doing more on my foot than the normal getting away through the day. I am re-reading the program book so that I can get into gear for the next 12 weeks or as Buzz Lightyear says "to infinity and beyond!"

Northwest Indiana Floods

What a weekend .... quite different than I expected. I did make the kids party for Sarah. It started raining when we were leaving and rained all night .... 6 inches worth of rain! Needless to say Andrew's baseball game was not going to happen. We got some running around done on Saturday in the wind. The rains started again on Saturday night and never stopped until late Sunday. I got trapped at my sister's since most roads were flooded. Keep the residents of Northwest Indiana and the surrounding areas in your thoughts as they recover from the floods and devastation that hit this weekend.

Great weekend ahead

Well, I will be lonely without my honey; he has to work so I am heading north on my own this afternoon. Sarah turned 7 on Tuesday .... yes, she was born prior to the activities on the 11th. God bless those that were affected by that day and those that fight for our freedom.
We told my sister to stop having kids as something big has happened each time. Andrew was born on 3/8/98 and that night northwest Indiana had a snow storm to beat all snow storms. She got to stay longer in the hospital (on a generator, eating turkey sandwiches) and went 'home' to my mom's because they had not gotten her subdivision cleared of snow and the power had not be on yet.
So back to the weekend. I get to supervise the kids party tonight and get some exercise. She is having a party at this indoor place that had big blow up bouncy houses and an obstacle course, I am told. On Saturday we will be enjoying Andrew's baseball game (hope the weather is nice). We will have a family party for Sarah on Sunday. Don't forget football Sunday too and the nascar boys ... the chase in on in Richmond! I also pray for those in the path of Ike ... looks like he might be the only potential downer of the weekend. I hope to some day surprise Chris at class on Saturday but this girl has weekends filled of activity .... I think it is the one thing that bugs David about me ... I am a social butterfly! Peace Out!

New Life On The Bike

I had been having trouble with my nice carbon riding shoes that I got when I first bought my bike. With my toes problems, the fit had gotten very tight and riding was uncomfortable. Well after surgery when it seemed most the swelling went down, I got myself a new pair of shoes. Nice roomy mountain biking shoes!
David and I spent time looking at the clip options for the new shoes. I was so depressed on Saturday after meeting with the realtor about the east side house that we are trying to sell (that is a whole separate story in itself) that David surprised me with my new pedals and clips!
They are beautiful and shiny! He got to work getting my shoes and bike set up. We finally took some time to ride last night. It was a whole learning curve for me. I had to relearn how to clip in and out so that I could ride safely (with no falls, been there, done that!). It did not take long and I am happy to be back in the saddle riding! The sit bones are fussy this morning but it is a good hurt. Thanks so much for the wonderful gift honey!
Enjoy the day! Christine

What a day

Well, I thought my east side house would be back on the market today but no such luck. Due to bank homes and homes selling below their worth ... we are told it would be better to try to sell by owner or come to close with a windfall of cash. Added stress that I do not need at this time. Who would have thought that building a home 10 years ago would lead to this? Mom always said it was wise to build equity in a home ... well I am afraid there is no such thing these days!

I am trying to be mindful of the principles of the program however, it has been hard and this is a huge sabotager for me. I am trying to be strong but feel that I am at a breaking point. The 12 of Beck's Dark that was in my cart at Marsh went back to the shelf.

This whole thing has gotten me so down ... David felt an early birthday (9/23) present would cheer me up. He tries to encourage me through the program and his present is certainly a great one. See after my surgery my riding shoes for my bike (nice carbon high priced little things) are no longer comfortable so I bought a new pair recently (wider mountain biking shoes). My cleats won't fit so we have been in search of new pedals. Well, he got a wonderful deal on some really great pedals. He has gotten them on my bike and we are off for a ride tomorrow (after doing yard work at the east side house, grrrr). He assures me we can get through this and I will try my best to keep a level head through the process.

On the up side, I am prepared with groceries for the week! I made some of the Bulgar Chili and fresh salsa with stuff from the garden. I am looking forward to a better day tomorrow! Peace out, Christine

Trying to pick up the pace!

I try to incorporate everything that Coach Chris has laid out for us but have continued to stumble on the exercise portion of this program. I did not have an issue getting to the gym prior to my foot surgery but for some reason it is not coming back to me. I have excelled on the diet portion with some bobbles along the way. The key is to plan and have food in the house ... when that does not happen, the bobbles appear. What have I learned? Be prepared, no excuses! I will strive to "Kick it up a notch" as one great chef likes to say! Til next time - Christine