The day before yesterday I cheated, not on my husband, but on my diet. I haven't cheated very much or very badly in the last five months, but Friday I really did it whole hog, so to speak. Michelle's timing was impeccable. The day I decided to blow it, she decided to make popcorn balls. Great.

So, yesterday I went on a bike ride with Mike, Emme, and Chelsea. They decided to return home, but I wanted to ride longer. As you can see by my odometer, I went the extra mile.



OK, maybe you can't see. It says 23.3 miles. That was a long way. It was windy and sometimes though I was pedaling with all my strength I could only go 6-7 mph. Without wind and for short distances I can go 21 mph. Mostly I go about 15-16mph. So, it was windy. And, I hate wind on the way home from a bike ride. But, I accomplished my goal-making up for the cheat day. Oh, and this is what I look like riding on a windy day.



Yeah, funny, I know. But, if I don't wear the mask I get sick from allergies.

Before and after losing 45 pounds, or more

BEFORE:






I've waited to post this, but even though I'm not quite finished losing the weight (5 more pounds), there's enough of a difference to show you what I've accomplished.



I hope this doesn't sound like bragging, but I am very pleased that my hard work and sacrifice have paid off. Many times I have prayed that Heavenly Father would help me stay on track, resist temptation and reap the results of my labors and He has answered my prayers. I am so grateful. I feel so much better and I feel more confident now than I did before. I've been thin before, but never this strong. The combination is amazing.

You've seen the before and the pictures above reminded you. Now, here is the after:





Yesterday:



Thanks for your support during all this, especially my wonderful husband. It wasn't that long ago that I was crying and saying to Bill, "When I thought of myself in my 50's, I never thought I would be practically an invalid." Now I am NOT an invalid!

Kickboxing-Mother & Daughter Style

Hayley and I are kicking..bag! AFter a couple of months of kickboxing a couple of nights a week, Hayley decided to join me in the fun. And, it IS fun.

Usually we share a bag and it works well, but the other night she kicked while I was punching and my thumbnail got in the way. The gloves don't cover your fingers to the tips. My thumbnail was bent back about a third of the way and, let me tell you honestly, I wanted to cry. But, I don't think kickboxers cry so I just walked it off. My trainer, Victor, told me the next day that he would have cried.

Emma took these pictures. Check out the back of Hayley's shirt.




"Jab"










"Cross"















"Uppercut"







"Hook"

It will all be worth it...won't it? Yes, it will...I hope

Besides going to New York, which was incredibly wonderful, the only other thing I have thought of for two weeks or more is the wedding reception we are having in our house tomorrow night for Mike and Emme. I'm tired. And I'm tired of thinking about it. I think it will be a fun party and well worth the trouble, but like I said, right now I'm just tired. I've had a lot of help. I even hired someone to rearrange everything in the house. Really, she's a decorator, but she comes in and goes throught closets, cabinets and every room in the house and moves it all somewhere else where it looks better. Nothing is sacred and several times she or I have unearhted something that I haven't seen for years and had wondered what became of it. The house is beautiful-has never looked better. But, it's been chaotic and physically and mentally demanding. It's one of those things that I'll look back on and never regret doing, but did I mention I'm tired?

Last night Bill's mom and Aunt Muriel came in and today they came over and helped A LOT with all the preparations. So did Emme. Later in the afternoon I even Hayley and a couple of her friends who unwisely chose this day to visit. But, about 1:30 we took off a couple of hours and went out to eat and to an Estate Store that is going out of business. Everything was 30-50% off and we had a fun time browsing through every little thing. Then lunch at the Magic Pan was so relaxing. I came back rejuvenated. It was fun to forget for a little while.

Mir brought her two precious babies over to meet Great-Grandma Boushka and I snapped a couple of pictures of them.




I'm so looking forward to Emme's parents arriving. They are such a sweet couple and we enjoyed getting to know them in Canada. I just wish we could keep them here longer and give them a real taste of Texas. Just so you know, we love visitors and now that Mike has moved out we have two guest rooms. Don't let them sit empty! Ya'll come.

I'm in New York City!

And typing on an unfamiliar laptop, so this won't be long.

Plus, I can't wait to get back out there and see more of the city.

Wow! That's all I can say. Wow! If I were younger I think I might want to move here for a little while just to see what it's like to live here. I'm remembering every movie I've ever seen that was set in New York and there's a lot of them. Is that what it's like, I wonder? I like to imagine what it's like to live in every place I visit and for some places that's all I want. But for New York I could see trying it out for a few months or a year. Not with kids, probably, but if I were young and childless.

We saw Wicked last night and it is everything and MORE than I've heard. It was so amazing! Afterwards we walked to Times Square and took the subway back to the hotel. That was an adventure as it was our first time on the NY Subway system. They aren't very nice, but cheaper than a cab for sure. We got in after 1:00an.

I exercise everday in the gym on the 14th floor with the amazing view of the Statue of Liberty and the Harbor. Our room has that view, too, just lower down. Yesterday I shopeed in Sak's Fifth Avenue and bought a dress for the play. Today I'm going to Soho, Central Park, and the Metropolitan Art Museum.

A few pictures and I'm out of here.




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