Progress, slow and stead progress.

Dear Body,

It's me again. Five days a week since January 4, 2010 I have walk on a treadmill 30 or 40 minutes just like I said I would. I started out on a weeny level 2 then 3. Now I sweat it out on level 9 and 10. Just so you know, I have committed to exercise five days a week for the rest of my days. I'll give you a little break on Sunday and sometimes Saturday, but the rest of the week, you're mine!

Here's the weird thing--I'm starting to like it. I like the sweat, and I like the feeling that comes when I'm on a steep incline and don't think I can finish, and then I do. Then I am pretty sure I can do whatever I need to or want to. It's empowering.

As of today, I've lost 16 pounds. Sixteen hard-fought pounds. I'm in double digits. I picked up a 15 pound weight today and realized you're not carrying that around anymore. It must feel like such a relief. I'm very happy with myself. And I'm happy with you, too. You seem to be getting on board with me this time. No telling where we can go together.

The Bluge Battle

Dear Body,
I started again on January 4. As you know, I always start again in January. Something about January just gives me a spirit of change. So five days a week since January 4th, I've been at Anytime Fitness exercising. I know you don't especially like the idea. You seem to like being fat. You've been that way my whole life. You don't like it when I come along and try to change you. But I'm doing it anyway. I've let you have your way for all these years, and now I'm fighting back. I'm in charge now. And I'm winning, too.

I've been tracking your weight daily on an online chart. You're putting up a good fight. Rather than the smooth sloping downward line I was hoping for, it looks like a heart monitor hooked up to someone having a heart attack. But in spite of all the ups and downs, it's on a downhill slope. Yeah, it's heading down. You're getting smaller ounce by ounce, day by day.

Please don't think that because I'm trying to lose half of you, I don't love you. Just the opposite is true. By losing half of you I can love what's left even more. So please, work with me. Let's get along. If we work all year, then when next January rolls around, we won't need to start again, but just keep going. It will be much easier that way for both of us.

Love,

Teresa

Hawaii 2010

The Maui Girls have returned yet again from Hawaii. This is our third trip together and my fourth trip to Hawaii. I never tire of its beauty or of how refreshed I feel when I return. My face and back are sunburned inspite of a generous slathering of SPF30 everytime I was at the beach, but now that I'm back, it's pretty cool to be one of the few people in Springville with a tan!

One of my favorite activities was going to church. A large part of the congregation in sacrament meeting with Americans visiting the island. But during Sunday School and Relief Society, I got to enjoy the wonderful spirit of the Polynesians. I've always said I didn't think I could live on an island, but after going to church there, I think I could do it. The lessons were basic but so full of pure testimony. Relief Society was held in the cultural hall. The teacher held a portable mic and had a podium and a chalkboard to teach with. No table cloth, no centerpiece, very minimal visual aids, but the power of her lesson was so strong because she taught with the spirit and testimony of her topic. I was so well fed.

Another thing I tried to do was enjoy the beauties of the earth. In Hawaii it isn't hard to do, believe me. In every direction there is something beautiful. But I tried to notice more than could be seen in a quick glance. I watched a spider spin an intricate and beautiful web. Each day it got larger and larger. It was an architectural masterpiece I watched the sand as the waves retreated. Thousands of small holes appeared with bubbles coming out. One day I sat in a tide pool and watched all the little fish and such do their thing. It's all stuff one might miss if you only look at the ocean. Not only were the fish beautiful, but the ocean floor when I snorkeled was a pattern of beauty, too. I tried to stay in one spot and watch the sand and the affect the waves had it. Of course I watched the whales every morning and every night. I can never get enough of their breaching and spouting. One of the most beautiful things I saw was a grandma making sand castles for her little grandson.She was experiencing pure joy and so was he. I'm so grateful I had another opportunity to be grateful for God's creations, large and small.

Happy Anniversary, Lynzy and Keith

My only daughter, beautiful Lynzy, and her handsome husband, Keith, celebrated their one year wedding anniversary on January 2, 2010. Lynzy and Keith, have made being married look easy. Their love nest is very Lynzy-esk with creativity in every corner, perfect in every way, except the temperature. We're so happy they live close so we get to see them often. Happy Anniversary to you both, and many, many more. I hope your cake was yummy.

Christmas inspiration

They are 81 and 77. They are beautiful, white-haired sisters who love each other. Spending Christmas with them was inspiring. The older sister, a widow, is recovering from some very devastating financial discoveries, not of her own doing. The younger sister and her husband came to her rescue, like a personal cavalry of sorts. While she couldn't restore her bank account, the younger sister did something even more incredible--she helped her sister laugh again. Watching these two sisters interact was magical. There was an unspoken communication happening between the two of them.They have that rare kind of friendship that only happens every now and again, where two people reconnect and immediately start off right where they ended--not with awkward chit-chat, but with heart-felt exchanges that were sometimes verbal and sometimes not. It happened in a glance or a nod, or a knowing smile. These sisters seemed to know when it was a good time to talk and when it was better to keep still. I was watching love at ts finest.

Biggest Loser

I admit it--I am a Biggest Loser addict. I have it set to record every Tuesday night. I save all the old shows and occasionally look back to see what the contestants looked like a few weeks earlier. My favorite contestant this season is Rudy. He's a gentle giant. He broke the Biggest Loser record for losing 100 pounds in the least amount of time. He's genuine, not a game player, just there to take care of the business of getting in shape. He's who I would want to be if I went on Biggest Loser.

My confession--I can't stop eating while I watch the show. It's horrible. I'm supposed to be inspired and motivated by these people, and instead I'm sitting in the Lazy Boy eating Oreos and crackers. I need Jillian to pop through my screen and shake me up!

I have a friend who says the world always weighs the same. So if one person looses 10 pounds, another will gain 10 pounds. This idea quite frankly scares me a bit. While my boy, Rudy, is shedding a hundred pounds, I'm cheering him on while I stuff my face. His loss is my gain. I'm doing my part to keep things in balance. I've got to get a grip on this!

OK, so I'm a proud grandma.

This is Juniper Walker. She's only 154 days old. She was a helpless little bundle when she arrived on Easter morning, April 12. Now she can sit up by herself and crawl across the living room "army" style. She eats some real-people food, and she can make anyone smile. Wouldn't it be something if we could continue to learn as quickly as we do when we're only 154 days old.