Long Time No Write!!

So where do I begin. It's been awhile.

Well after my last post I had to quit my diet. The side effect for Ella were not worth it. She wasn't going #2. She went 2 weeks without going. Then she finally went 1 week after I quit the diet. The good news is that I have kept the weight off and am continuing to loose! I lost another 2 pounds. Now I am only 18 pounds away from my goal. I have been doing a lot of walking. It's 6 and a half kms (2.5 miles) to the animal farm and I have walked there and back a few times! That's 13 kms in a day sometimes not counting the walking around the park and such. Claudia loves going there to see the animals and of course the beach.

Since my last blog I have undertaken the arduous task of looking after my little brother all summer. He's a good kid but he's a handful! We went on the 6.5 km walk yesterday. He was really good. We played on the beach and went to the farm. It was all fun and games until it started raining. Which wouldn't be so bad if we weren't a 50 minute walk from home with 3 kids! It all worked out though!

Well Wednesday is Claudia's birthday. 6 years old already! Wow time flies. I can't wait to see her face when she gets the trampoline. We are planning on having a party for her on the weekend after Canada Day Weekend. Maybe have some of her friends from church over for a jumping/water party!!

In my wandering on the internet I came across an excellent blog about Catholicism. It is really helpful for any of you who are trying to minister to friends who are Catholic. It's www.catholicismdoctrines.blogspot.com. I have found it to be an excellent tool!!

Anyway I have to be going. I promise to write more often!!

In His Gracious Grip,

Alicia

10 Pound Triumph

YEAH!!

I got on the scale this morning to find that I have lost a total of 10 pounds. I am thrilled. God has been so gracious to me. He has been very merciful with the cravings. He allowed the week to pass quickly for me. I am so thankful!!So I am 30% there. Only another 20 pounds to go. Now naturally one would think that since 10 pounds came off in the first week that the following weeks would have the same result. From previous experience it doesn't. The weight comes off much slower from here on out (I think that's why I quit so soon last time). That will not stop me this time! I am encouraged and will remain encouraged!! I know I can do this. I can fit into my size 8 pants again!!

KIDS UPDATE:

Claudia is getting a trampoline for her birthday. She doesn't know it but her dad and his girlfriend are coming down on her birthday and we are leaving the house. They are going to set up this monstorous 14 foot trampoline (with enclosure) for a surprise. I can't wait to see her reaction! Bryan and I are going to be taking her to Canada's Wonderland for her birthday. She wants to desperately to go on "The Bat". When we took her last year she wanted to go on but I was pregnant and I couldn't take her and Bryan downright refuses to go on any rollercoaster but Space Mountain! So I will take her on it this year. I have a feeling that she is going to get intimidated once she is up there but we'll see. If she's anything like me she's a thrill seeker.

Ella is now grabbing at things. It is so amazing how she is only 3 months old and it seems like she's been around forever. She grabbed a turtle on the Tigger toy that Sue, Karli and Jean bought for her. We were just thrilled. She has been waking during the night for the last week and a half or so. I hope that she is going through a growth spurt and it's not my diet that is affecting her.On Thursday we got together with a couple Noel and Regina. They are such wonderful people. It was a great time of fellowship and of course and fierce competition of Settlers of Catan. Bryan ended up winning the game by monopolizing the development cards and getting 2 victory points! Noel had the longest road (12 roads to be exact). It was a great game and a wonderful time together as believers.

We are hoping to get together with other couples our age (no offence Herman and Jean we still love you and if Bryan had it his way we'd be with you 24/7). I'm just noticing how important it is to have friends that are going through the same things you are. I know that it's great to have people around you who have been through everything but I think that it is equally important to be utilized and to be able to help someone who is going through something that you've already conquered. (wow run on sentence) That's what we're here for; co-dependence and uplifting one another emotionally, mentally, physically and always in prayer.

In Christ,

Alicia

6 Pounds Down 24 More To Go

Well I am doing much better with this diet than expected. The cravings are not as intense this time around. The only this I am struggling with is getting those 8 glasses of water each day. I drank it on Friday and I wasn't hungry all day. I guess that fact is true that when most people think they are hungry what they need is hydration. The adverse side effects have taken affect as of today. I am not going to complain because the weight is coming off nicely. I got a really nice and encouraging compliment from my friend Sue today. She said that my face looked thinner today than in the picture I posted. It's nice to hear encouraging words like that. I am so thankful for people like Sue. People that take the time to remember that you're working on something and then to encourage you and to take notice. Only if we all could be like that.
KIDS UPDATE:

Ella laughed for the first time on Thursday. She saw herself in the mirror and she smiled, the cooed and the let out a chuckle. It was precious. Bryan and I were both there when it happened. It's so wonderful to share theses memories with someone this time around. It makes them that much more special. Claudia has been behaving much better lately. She is picking up after herself and doing her chose without having to be reminded. We are very proud of her. On Monday she played soccer and her team won 2-0. While she was playing goalie she stopped an attempt on net. I had called out her name prior to the shot and told her to pay attention because the other team was coming and then when she stopped the goal other parents called her name and said "way to go Claudia" and "that's it Claudia". The look on her face was priceless. She felt so proud.

Well it's time to get breakfast ready and then off to the grocery store before it rains. I am going to try and read this afternoon. I am not sure where the Lord will lead me. I think it'll be 1st or 2nd Thessalonians or perhaps Revelation. We've been discussing end times lately so I have not formed my opinion yet. I don't like thinking about it too much because as amazing and God glorifying it'll be it'll also be tremendously terrifying.

Alicia

PHOTO WEEK 1

D-DAY

That's right! Today is the day I start my diet. I got on the scale this morning to find that since Ella was born I have actually put on weight! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

I don't know why I got it in my head that if I ate junk food and nothing healthy that it wouldn't affect me. Anyway, there is a diet that is very successful if you do it right. It is extremely hard to follow. The good thing about the diet is that you can you as much as you want until 7pm. The bad thing that it is of only specific things. For example: in the morning you can only have fruit! You must have at least 2 pieces before noon but you can have as much as you want! At noon you are allowed 1 concentrate food. Now what that means is that you can have ONE THING. You cannot have a ham sandwich you can have the Ham or the bread. You can't have a chicken caesar salad. You can have the chicken, the bacon, or the croutons. The only good news that accompanies that is that you can have as much of that one food as you want. If you choose bread you can eat a whole loaf if you want. You much have fruit and/or veggies to go with it though. Then in the afternoon you can only have fruit and veggies. Again as much as you want. Then a dinner 1 concentrate food (again, as much as you want with fruit and/or veggies). The only other conditions are 8 glasses of water a day, no eating anything after 7pm, and 30 mins of exercise daily. Believe me it is really tough I did it before and in 1 week I lost 12 pounds.

Now the best thing about this diet is that Saturday and Sunday are free days. You can eat whatever you want when you want!!! Only rules for those days are that you still have to drink 8 glasses of water, 30 mins exercise, and no eating after 7pm. So I decided to start on a Thursday so that I didn't have to go too long before Saturday came.

Now anyone reading this I don't want to get any comments saying "you're not fat" or "don't be silly". I want only positive encouragement!! This is something I need to do do feel good about myself on the outside (and fit into my clothes again!!) I used to be a size zero and now I'm a size 14!! I am not trying to achieve the impossible. I would like to be a size 7/8.

Alicia