NO SWEETS!! day 1

Last year the girls had a bet with Steve to not eat CANDY for 1 year beginning February 15, 2009. About halfway through the year Katie fell out of the competition. Becky and Belle survived the entire year and spent yesterday, February 15, 2010, eating (gorging) on the candy they had collecting through the year.

Well, it was a short reunion with sweets because as of today the whole family is going NO SWEETS for 1 year. That means NO cake, cookies, brownies, candy, hot cocoa, sugar coated cereal, granola bars that are coated with chocolate or have chocolate chips. We will all get 2 "free" days to eat any sweets we want. I think my two days will be when we go to Boston in June, I have to have a canoli from Mike's Pastry, and Christmas. We have also each chosen what we would want for a prize if we make it to the end. Not only do I need to go sweet free for a year, but I need to get to my goal weight. So my prize will be going to Hawaii to show of my new slender body. I think it will be interested to see if there is any difference how I feel not taking in the added sugar...will it make a difference in my weight loss. Steve confided in me this morning that he woke up at 1:00 am wanting M&Ms, does he usually want M&Ms in the middle of the night...NO...but knowing he can't have it makes him want it all the more. Which I am sure will be the big challenge initially these first couple of weeks.

So today I bid BYE-BYE to chocolate, white sugar, fudge, ice cream for one year.

VALENTINE DATE

Steve and I decided that instead of buying each other "gifts" just for the sake of buying each other something for Valentines Day, that we would go out together on Friday night. He made a reservation for us to go out to dinner and then we planned to go to a dance that our church was having. I spent much of the week being excited for Friday night. Monday after bowling I went shopping for a new dress.

I went to Dillards and Macys without much luck, but when I got to Penneys that all changed. I went into the dressing room with 10 dresses and loved them all. I was most excited about a red one that I had seen a few months ago when Steve and I had been shopping but it was regular price (and I HATE purchasing stuff at regular price) so I didn't buy it back then. Guess what...it was on the clearance rack today and in my size. WHOOO HOOOO!!! So that was the dress I chose and when I got to the register I was even more thrilled to find it was about 90% off...GET OUT of TOWN!!! Totally made my day. That meant I would have enough extra money to buy new shoes too!!!

Friday as we started our day, Steve showed me the shirt he had bought to wear on our date. I was thrilled to see he had bought something new to wear on our date too. He knows I like the shirts that are out there for men that look like a dress shirt, but then have another graphic on them...so he got one and I LOVED IT!!! I totally would have picked that out for him. Before we left for our evening out my parents and the kids got to see us all gussied up and took some pictures. It was a fabulous evening. We went to Madeline's and had a nice meal together and then went to the church for the dance. They had a photographer there who was taking photographs of the couples for free. So we stood in line and got of pictures taken before we hot the dance floor...which was a good thing because once we started dancing the pretty hair had lost its bounce and much of the makeup had been sweated off. We waltzed, swinged, boot scoot boogied and even chacha'd the night away. It felt like old times, having Steve lead me in a dance, hold me in his arms as a slow song played and twirled me around.
We had our 16th year of doing the 14 DAYS of VALENTINES. I made 14 different tags with a different quote on each one like, "You are the best thing in my LIFE" and then tied it to a box of LIFE cereal or "You LIGHT up my life" and tied it to a light bulb. It was a fun one to do this year. Steve gave me a card everyday that showed different sides of his personality that have come out in him since we have been together. And with each one there was corresponding pictures. I so appreciated the thought and effort that went into his valentines for me this year. I have the coolest husband that continues to do this silly tradition with me, but even more because he doesn't just show me how much he loves me during the 14 DAYS of VALENTINES, but he shows me every single day.

SUPERBOWL XLIV

After 16 weeks of regular season and three weeks of play offs, SUPER BOWL Sunday arrived. Unfortunately the San Diego Chargers were not one of the teams playing. Instead the NFC Champion New Orleans Saints were facing the Indianapolis Colts. I guess if the Charger were no there my next favorite team would be the Colts (Peyton Manning and all his dorky cuteness)

Steve was off this week after having to work Super Bowl Sunday for the last 3. We decided it would be a great time for us to host. After attending our church meetings in the morning we came home and got into some comfortable, football watching clothes and finished prepping food. All 3 families would be bringing soups and I was providing hot wings, Stromboli, veggie tray, guacamole and other snacky food. We had soooooo much food, but with 12 children between the 3 couples much of it was eaten before the somewhat disappointing halftime show began.

Steve made a chart for us all to put our names in different boxes to predict what the winning score was. There was a silly prize for the person who chose the correct final score. It was a different way to get everyone involved, even the kids who were not much interested in the actual game, but had more interest in the food and foodies that were laying out waiting to be devoured by them.
The game was OK, commercials were mediocre, the halftime show I seriously did not enjoy. But the best part was spending a few hours with the Nighs and the Duves we have been doing this with them for 5 years. I feel so blessed to have such good friends that get our jokes and humor and I can just be myself around. It helps to make for a GREAT evening.
When the game was over...thee Colts(Peyton Manning the Cute Dorky QB) lost and the New Orleans Saints had the big WIN... we chose the winner of the game. Brecken won the good bag which consisted of a foam football (blue, good for either the Colts or Chargers), a pair of goofy novelty glasses and a whistle shaped like a football. Brecken was a good sport and donned the glasses and held the other gear for me to get my bog worthy picture..thanks Brecken.

It was a fabulous evening, can't believe we will have to wait 364 days to do it all over again. Maybe my wonderful Chargers won't choke in the play offs and will be the team I am cheering for next year.

PERFECTION

Tuesday, I had not done my early morning treadmilling. I spent the early morning finishing up the synopsis of Sunday's Relief Society lesson for the Newsletter and then received an email from the Bishop asking if I could email him the Ward Newsletter in the next day or two. So for 2 1/2 hours I bounced between the two projects making sure that they were PERFECT. I did not want to let the sisters in the ward down by not having the newsletter in their "inbox" that morning and I did not want to disappoint the Bishop by not getting the newsletter, in PERFECT condition, to him. I was so meticulous in making sure the page was balanced, that fonts were appropriate for the theme of the article, and that the clip art was "just the right". Everything was emailed and I shut down my computer and then I had to decide...would I put on my workout clothes and get on the treadmill or would I just pass for the day...

It took some self talking, but I did go up and get dressed in my running clothes and even grabbed the mittens and ear muffs and decided to take it to the street. As I left the house with Miley Cyrus singing "The Climb" in my ear I was deep in thought. I thought about all the effort and time I put into those newsletter, trying to make them PERFECT. Would anyone even notice or care? Why do I put so much effort into something like that and yet I find it so difficult to put that much effort into my own fitness? Something that is so important to my health and longevity? I need to have that same mind set for my own health. I know it exists. I have seen friends that have that dedication, Steve stands as an example of that dedication. Maybe a good part of that thinking is not wanting to let others down. This brought me to thinking about how determined I was to not let people down...yet it is so easy to let myself down..."you promised yourself you would wa-og today"..."Ah, there's always tomorrow". End of conversation and off come the work out clothes, not to be thought of the remainder of the day. This conversation continued for 3 miles until I walked back into my warm house.

Did I come up with the answer...NO...but I am glad I acknowledge this way of thinking I have.