Just a Little Diddy

I am tired, but am determined to write more regularly, so here I am. I am not even sure what to write about, honestly.

I had another wonderful weekend in Oregon, IL. I walked a lot, talked a lot, laughed A LOT. Cards Against Humanity, while it is R-rated and highly inappropriate, is also really fun to play with friends.

I am reminded after weekends like this one (similar to the reminder I had in June) how important it is for me to have a tribe and to stick with that tribe. I love my friends in my moms groups, I love my friends at church, I love all of the wonderful friends I am privileged to know. There is something special, however, about connecting with people who speak your specific language.

It was great to reconnect with people, some of whom I've not caught up with in a long time. I am disappointed that Bekah's dance recital conflicts with the women's retreat next June. I have managed to get the okay from Brian, though, to have a girl's weekend and possibly travel to AZ to see a close friend of mine.

The other wild thing about this weekend is that I was blessed in physical ways. One of the women I drove home with offered me her TV that she's not used in 4 years. It's an upgrade from our current tube TV and it's in really good shape. A TV! Seriously! Then another friend offered to get me dance items for Bekah on the cheap (she's a dancer and receives a discount). (That offer made me burst into tears. I love Bekah and we make sacrifices for her to be able to pursue her passion. It's so humbling to have someone see the sacrifices and hard work we are making/doing and want to help out.)

Then, as I went to finish unpacking today (which, actually, is a record for me), I found $60 in my bag that I'd never seen before.

Meanwhile, I still have all of my hands and feet. I have managed to stick to the protocol Kristin laid out for me. I didn't die from the cold I had (it was touch-and-go there for a while).

As of last Friday, the end of the first 5 days of the protocol, I lost 7 pounds! I am very close to being under 270 and that hasn't happened for a while. I am not feeling deprived or hungry or anything like that. I have lots of energy, get plenty to eat and aside from drinking a bit less coffee, haven't had to make huge adjustments.

Doug fought getting on the bus yesterday. Today he did a lot better. The kids were driving me nuts after dinner, but I was glad they were doing their best to play together.

Had a good counseling session today. I am reminded that I need to work every day at my faith. I am not working to secure my salvation, but I am training my mind and my body to be more like Christ. It takes an effort to pray, read, meditate, etc. I don't do a perfect job every day, but I do my best to practice these principles in all my affairs.

I am doing my best to combat negative self-talk, which seems to crop up at random times. Like, for example, the current lie being told in my head, that if I don't get up tomorrow at the butt crack of dawn and run/walk before Doug's therapy appointment, I'm a failure. I know that's not true, but it's one of a hundred little blurbs I fight mentally on a daily basis.

I'm hoping to be able to sit down and write more this week, but I'm not sure time will permit me.