Biggest Loser Year Update: Week 19 or so :)

Well, I am still moving right along on my Biggest Loser year.  When I went to the gym tonight I realized I had reached another milestone!  Woohoo!


Since I started this year, I have lost 30 pounds! That is about 1.5 pounds per week.  To look at the weekly accomplishment seems like so little, but it really does add up!  I feel really good about my new eating lifestyle and I feel I can keep this going for the rest of my life!  That is what is the most wonderful feeling!


I don't seem to feel or see the weight loss as much as I think I should, but something helped me really see it.  I have a lovely blue jacket that I wore in January to an interview at school.  I was a bit self conscious about how it looked because it was pretty tight.  Early this month, one chilly day, I pulled out the coat to wear.  Not only did it fit easily to zip but I could wrap it past itself.  It actually felt a bit large.  That was thrilling.

Here are some before pictures.

Christmas 2011

This was Resurrection Sunday 2011

Here is 2012

I don't know if you can really tell or not.  I certainly have much farther to go, but I feel so much better already!  If I can keep this up I will be down 60 pounds by my wedding anniversary in October!


Thank you again, dear friends for encouraging me and praying for me.  I am still praying for you too!


With All My Heart~

Traditions: School and Family

This evening at bedtime, Mary finished reading aloud to Lydia and me the final chapter of Little House in the Big Woods.  This has been so delightful for the past 10 weeks. We have made ourselves read it slowly, as prescribed by a CM (Charlotte Mason) education and it is truly a sad moment when a book ends.

We savor it.  We talk about the pictures a little more than other nights.  We laugh a little longer over the funny parts.  We know the end is imminent and we just want to make it last a little longer.  When the last word is read, we talk about the fun we are going to have completing the lapbook.  Lydia has looked a few times at the lapbooks Hannah, Sarah and Mary made over 4 years ago.  Mary was Lydia's age then.  Mary is looking forward to making a second one.  (The advantage of being the middle student  - you get to redo fun activities if you want!)  The big girls may not be making one themselves, but they will enjoy oohhhing and aahhhing over Lydia's book.

I am also so thankful that Laura Ingalls Wilder did not stop with the first book.  We are thrilled to begin Farmer Boy in a few weeks! 

I will update this entry with photos of the girls lapbooks as we work on them! So check back by next week!

Until then I will leave you with a photo of another tradition we have.  Since moving in to our current house, we have been blessed with a rose bush.  It is tradition for Daddy to cut the blooms for our table..  But this tradition has now been passed to our eldest girl, Hannah, who loves to decorate everywhere! :)  This was a pleasant surprise for Daddy when he came in for dinner tonight! 

We are looking forward to having another Rose back at our table soon!  We love and miss you, Memaw!