Happy Father's Day...

It's pretty much our tradition that on a persons special day, be it birthday, anniversary or Mother/Father's day, they get to do whatever they want. We try to do or buy things that mean a lot to that person. I think we nailed it for my husband this Father's day.

My daughter and I started the day with church and hubby and son got a few extra zzz's and some early chores done. For lunch we cooked BBQ chops on the grill and made Daddy's favorite dessert...mixed fruit...strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and grapes. We also picked up a chocolate cake and had them put his 'stage name' on it...which as you can tell by his face meant the world to him.

And to top off the evening we went and picked up his pheasants, which I ordered a couple of months ago. He is super excited...has wanted them for years. They are in the chicken pen for now but we plan on building their own run and possibly getting a few more. We'll see how it goes.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

What a difference a year can make...

Less than a year ago I had surrendered to the thought that I couldn't lose weight. I had given away all of my "small" clothes, ditched my "goal jeans" and given up. I was disgusted with myself. I weighed the same as I did when I gave birth to my daughter, who's now 20. I had tried watching what I ate...went to the gym...and made a LOT of excuses.

Jon coming out of the mud crawl

Me coming out of the mud

Then a friend of mine told me her and her daughter were using Weight Watchers (WW) on-line. I decided to give it a try. IT CHANGED MY LIFE!!! It wasn't a "DIET"...it was a lifestyle change. I had been using most of the pieces...I just didn't have them in the right place. For those of you who don't know...WW focuses on real food...fresh vegetables, fruits and protein. If you are hungry on WW...shame on you...I ate all the time and I wasn't hungry.

Jack & I at the 7th obstacle...the slide

I've lost 30 pounds since this past September (9 months), go to the gym on a regular basis and eat when I'm hungry. I have always been an active person. Enjoyed roller skating, softball and swimming as a young person. Our family has a small farm so there's always plenty to do. Since I've re-gained control of my body...instead of IT controlling me...I've awakened a passion in myself I didn't know was there.

Jack & I ...WE DID IT!!!

Pushing my body to it's limit..then a little further is an amazing feeling. I decided to sign up for the Race for the ROC, a 5k obstacle course set for this past weekend. I ran it with my dear friend Jack (probably the reason I started back to the gym...thanks for the push buddy), my handsome 14 year old son Jon and a family friend, Sue.

Sue, Me & Jon

The course was 3.2 miles long with 8 obstacles including mud crawls, chest deep EXTREMELY cold water, round bales to jump over, cargo nets and more. I finished in 38:31 minutes, 14th out of 29th in my age bracket and 175 our of 272 overall. It was such a GREAT time. So great, as a matter of fact, I signed up for the Warrior Dash in August. It's 3.12 miles with 12 obstacles. It benefits St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. My goal is to raise at least $250 for St. Jude's, if you would like to donate please visit my web page to contribute.

Jon & Jack refueling with some chips